Modern Native American Voice

Kailyn VanNorstrand

My focus for this annotated bibliography is Modern Native American voice. Coming from a background in social studies education, I feel that this is a very commonly neglected area of literature. So often in our schools, students hear about Native American culture only in the past tense of colonial and imperial studies and modern American Indian experiences are hidden so deeply that students and adults believe that Native Americans are no longer present in our society.

Through the texts below, it is my hope that middle and high school students can see a side of American life that is buried beneath dominant United States culture. I have picked these texts with middle and high school students in mind and with the social studies curriculum (and what is neglects) as a driving force. The following texts could be used in both ELA and social studies classrooms to engage teens with modern American Indian culture. I have also made sure to include different kinds of texts; poetry, fiction, short stories, non-fiction, film, from multiple perspectives; female, male, differently abled, etc., and with texts that are accessible to students at various reading levels.

Through this annotated bibliography I hope to expose teachers and students to the stories of this land’s past though the eyes of American Indians today. These are voices that have been trampled on in the past by those with more power, but these are voices with powerful stories to tell. I believe that it is my responsibility as a literacy educator and a social studies educator to facilitate discussions through multi-cultural literature and I believe the following texts can open those doors that have been shut for centuries.

Poetry: She Had Some Horses

Harjo, J. (2008). She had some horses. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.

She Has Some Horses is a poetry anthology written by Joy Harjo of the Mvskoke/Creek Nation. The anthology gives voice to Native American women and the struggles and joys associated with life positioned as Native women. As you read through the anthology you will find poems that diverge and converge on topics of sadness and helplessness as well as power, joy, and love. The poems, as a whole, paint a picture of life as a woman and as a Native American, with descriptions of nature and hardship. Listen to Joy Harjo read the title poem from her anthology by clicking on the image of the book above to get a small, yet potent, taste of what her anthology presents.

Joy Harjo is an internationally known Native poet and writes with very strong voice and conviction. Her poetry sheds light into the much hidden modern Native feminine culture that is alive in North America. Hanjo tackles notions of what it means to be a woman that are seen as universal themes of femininity through the lens of what it means to be Native in modern day America. The two identities intersect in ways that would benefit adolescent readers to critically discuss and reflect upon. It is important to keep in mind, however, that this text purposefully leaves out a masculine voice. Not only is the male voice neglected, it is often depicted as harmful because one main theme of the anthology is woman’s fight for empowerment. In order for students to gain a balanced perspective of what it means to be Native, they should also be exposed to texts with supportive male voice in addition to this powerful text.

Teachers could use this anthology as a whole or only select a few poems to serve as supplement to a unit. English teachers could use the a selection of Harjo’s poems as mentor texts in a poetry unit. Social Studies teachers could use a selection of her poems during units on Native American culture that often lack modern perspective. Social Studies teachers in New York who are required to teach students to write document based essays could structure their own DBQ that includes one of Harjo’s poems as insight into current culture in America. This is an excellent anthology to be used in classroom activities and kept ready in English and Social Studies classroom libraries.

Fiction Novel: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian (Lower Reading Level)

Alexie, S. (2009). The absolutely true diary of a part-time indian. New York: Little Brown Books for Young Readers.

Sherman Alexie’s book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time-Indian jumps head first into the tension that exists between mainstream dominant culture and the culture of reservation life. The main character of the novel, Arnold Spirit, known by those on the reservation as Junior, struggles with the seemingly dead culture of the reservation against the opportunity rich culture of the “white” Reardan school he chooses to attend. The novel chronicles Arnold’s life and situated experience as a Native teen with disability through text and illustration. The drawings and cartoons that illustrate his life alongside text only further prove the points that author seeks to make about growing up feeling half Indian and half white.

This is a very important text in a set focused on exposing modern Native voice because it does not shy away from the reality of reservation life and the discrepancies that exist between a privileged world and a disempowered world. The exclusion that Arnold experiences from his Native friends and family when he chooses to attend a “white” school highlights issues of race, class, gender, and ability. Arnold’s voice is strong and poetic, exposing the reader to aspects of modern Native life that are often untouched in our mainstream culture.

This novel would not necessarily be reasonab
le as a whole class text in a social studies classroom simply because of its length and fictional status, but it would certainly be an excellent book to have handy to share with students interested in the topic. Having these types of books available for students allows for independent and social reading experiences that our students need to become lifelong readers. It is definitely a book that could be used in a middle school ELA classroom and its plentiful graphic illustrations would be wonderful support for struggling and unmotivated readers.

Non-Fiction Short Stories: Away From Home: American Indian Boarding School Experiences

Lomawaima, K. T., & Child, B.J. (2000). Away from home: American indian boarding school experiences, 1879-2000. Phoenix, AZ: Heard Museum.

Away From Home does not tell one story in particular, but gives many different accounts of the experiences of Native children and adolescents forced to attend United States sanctioned boarding schools. The book contains letters, photographs, accounts, and other primary source documents that highlight the reality of government run assimilation schools and are testaments to human survival and resistance to cultural imperialism. The stories and images give first hand insight into what happens when a dominant culture requires children of disempowered cultures to be indoctrinated in the ways of those in power. Native children were required to speak, read, and write in English and learn histories that excluded their own culture. These accounts range in history from 1879 to present day to show how schools continue even now to disregard Native culture.

Although not all of the voices in this book are modern, the book shows the continued evolution of cultural assimilation in the United States and allows for vivid discussions regarding power relations, accepted cultural practices and unaccepted cultural practices, and the willingness to fight for the right to own your own heritage and Native identity. The book includes many different kinds of texts, images, essays, narratives, maps, etc. that allow students to read as an historian reads to facilitate discussions on who is included as American and who is not.

I would highly recommend this text to be included in every Global and United States history classroom in middle and high school as a resource for understanding the Native experience on a federal and cultural level. Certain narratives and images could be brought into English language arts classrooms to discuss themes of identity and authority.

Fiction Novel: Touching Spirit Bear (Lower Reading Level)

Mikaelsen, B. (2001). Touching spirit bear. New York: HarperCollins.

Ben Mikaelsen’s novel Touching Spirit Bear tells the story of Cole Matthews, a Caucasian boy who was a victim of child abuse who becomes a violent abuser in his teens. After severely injuring a freshman at his high school Cole is given the option of facing standard United States trial, potentially resulting in years of prison time, or the judgment of Native American Circle Justice, which would require a year of isolation on a remote Alaskan island. The novel struggles with issues of abuse, trust, survival, neglect, but most of all pride and the ramifications of holding onto pride instead of seeking help. Through his interactions with his Native American mentors and his experiences on an island, home to a number of enormous white bears, known by Natives and The Spirit Bear, Cole grapples with his own spirit and identity in a world much larger than he ever knew.

Although the main character of this novel is not Native American the story highlights much of the tension that exists in our society surrounding Native American culture and discourse. At the beginning of the story Cole represents the mindset of many of our non-Native teens and adults, who see Native values of healing, community, cycled response, and natural spiritual connections as weak and irrational. As the novel continues and Cole experiences first hand the culture of Native Americans the reader witnesses a transformation in thinking. What was once a disempowered discourse in the mind of the main character becomes a powerful way of thinking and living.

This is a book that could be used in an English language arts classroom to teach on themes of identity and could be particularly motivating for male readers as the main character is very relatable. This text could also be taught in a Social Studies classroom to show alternative forms of justice. This book is situated in modern society and deals with current issues with a Native American discourse weaved together with dominant views of society and, with its relatively low reading level, is ideal for struggling readers in your classroom.

Film: The Doe Boy

Redroad, R. (Director). (2002). The doe boy [DVD].

The Doe Boy, directed by Randy Redroad, tells the story of Hunter, a half Cherokee, half white, teenage boy with hemophilia. The movie follows Hunter’s life as he tries to relate to his Caucasian father and Native American maternal family. Hunter feels excluded from his father’s world, through his inability to play sports, fix cars, or hunt while he simultaneously feels excluded from the Cherokee community because of his blood disease. The film chronicles his life as he seeks to find the acceptance he desires from his father and the Cherokee community. The Doe Boy won the 2001 Sundance/NHK International Filmmaker’s Award, Taos Talking Picture Award for best first time director, and the American Indian Film Festival best film award among many other honors.

This film is an excellent supplement text for exploring the identity development of bi-racial teens. Hunter’s story, although beautifully specific to Native culture, is a very relatable story for the bi-racial students in our schools. Any student that feels torn between two racial identities can draw correlations between their life and the struggles that Hunter faces. The film builds on the tension between two distinct cultures that see life through opposite lenses and the confusion that Hunter experiences because of that tension. The film opens up discussion of race, identity, and ability through a modern Native lens.

Depending on your students and community, this movie could be used at many different grade levels. As always, preview the movie before deciding whether or not to use it in your classroom. This movie, in conjunction with poetry from Joy Harjo, could be an excellent representation of modern Native life from multiple perspectives.

Fiction Short Stories: The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven

Alexie, S. (1993, 2005). The lone ranger and tonto fistfight in heaven. New York: Grove Press.

Sherman Alexie’s collection of short stories, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, contains a wide variety of short stories that address issues of alcohol abuse, family ties, stereotypes, and the clash between tradition and present day life. I would not recommend all of the stories in this anthology as appropriate for adolescents, primarily because it is not written for teen audiences and therefore some stories are less relevant. However, the stories that focus in on the main voice, Victor, a child aging through the book, would be excellent texts to use for the theme of modern Native American voice. Alexie does not shy away from diving into the brutality and ugliness of alcoholism that plagues Native American culture, but he also writes, one short story in particular, A Drug Called Tradition, that challenges Native Americans to own tradition as their drug instead of any substance. This compilation of short stories opens windows into the reality of modern Native American life and allows readers to both relate to and learn from the strong voices throughout.

Alexie’s short stories are excellent pieces to bring into a unit on Native American life or a short story genre study. They are well written and show a style of writing unique to Native American literature. The short stories feature voices of American Indians both on and off reservations and provide excellent conversation starters for issues of race, class, power, and gender. These short stories are raw accounts of life through a Native lens and at times can be vulgar and explicit in terms of word choice and content. For this reason, teachers should, as always, pre-read the text before introducing any of the short stories to students. I would recommend that the content would be much more applicable in 11^th and 12^th grade classrooms. In addition to this text, a teacher could also show clips from the movie, Smoke Signals, directed by Chris Eyre, that tells the short story “This is what it means to say Phoenix, Arizona” from this anthology. Again, I recommend that teachers preview this film before showing it to students.

Fiction Novel: Yellow Raft in Blue Water (High Reading Level)

Dorris, M. (2003). A yellow raft in blue water. New York: Picador.

A Yellow Raft in Blue Water, by Michael Dorris, is a novel that follows the story of three generations of Native American women and how they relate to their culture and tradition in current times. Rayona, a half Black and half Native teenage girl, her Native mother Christine, and her Native grandmother Aunt Ida are all narrators of the novel, separated in three different parts of the book. Each share pieces of their lives that paint a bold image of Native life across generations. The story covers issues of abandonment, identity, substance abuse, trust, family bonds, and reservation life among other themes. The book takes the reader along multi-generational lines that show how the past experiences of Rayona’s mother and grandmother directly impact the teenager’s life. These correlations are woven together seamlessly and challenge the reader to question how the context of family situates individuals in the world.

This novel is a work of fiction and was written by the rather controversial author Michael Dorris. Dorris claimed Modoc Indian heritage however this was never documented and several Native authors and scholars disregard his works as supporting dominant views on Native Americans. For these reasons I gave careful consideration on whether to include this text or not. Dorris saw himself as Native, but others did not. Is his voice irrelevant because he may not be genetically Native? Does the strong voice of his main character lose authority because she is a Native woman portrayed by a non-Native man? These are difficult questions to answer and are wonderful questions to bring up with students! One of the main reasons I decided to include this text is precisely because it has been criticized and therefore offers up good and fruitful discussion opportunities.

This text is not an accessible text for struggling readers due to its reading level and the meaning that would need to be generated through the actual text and therefore I would recommend using it with students with high reading levels. This book offers a very feminine perspective on Native life and could potentially be coupled with a male Native voice from any of Sherman Alexie’s short stories of novels to paint a broader image of Native Life. This book is too long for a whole class novel in a social studies classroom but should definitely be made available to students studying Native life in a global studies class as additional reading material.