Entry A: Native American Literature

Native American Literature
Mi’kmaq Women Who Married Star Husbands
http://www.civilisations.ca/aborig/storytel/mi'k2eng.html
Passage
"E'e," says Younger Sister's Husband, the Star With Sore Eyes. "There is one thing you must not do. You must not move that flat rock which lies before the wigwam. You must not move it, you must not lift it… "I wonder what is under that flat stone?"
"You leave that flat stone alone," says Older Sister.
But Younger Sister keeps talking about it, and soon she has talked herself right up to it, and soon she has talked her hands right on it, and then she is lifting it up.
She lifts up the stone and looks under it.
"What is there?" asks Older Sister.
Younger Sister screams.
"Where are we?" shrieks Younger Sister. "Where are we, my Older Sister?"

Reflection
I chose this passage because it shows what happens when people are too curious. One night before falling asleep, the two sisters in the selection wished to have stars for husbands. I think this is because Indians had such a close bond with nature. After awakening, they realize they have gotten their wish which comes to a big surprise to them. I think they were surprised because they weren’t expecting their wishes to come true. It would definitely be shock for me if I woke up among the stars. Since the star-men told the women not to look under the rock, they became transfixed on doing so. I can sympathize with the sisters because I would feel compelled to look under the rock if I was told not to. Once the women looked under the rock, they became scared, as would I. After the star-men realized the women had looked under the rock, they said they would send them back to earth and they would arrive safely if they didn’t open their eyes until they landed. I feel empathetic for the women because I would be so anxious about what was happening around me, that I would probably open my eyes before landing, like the sisters did. Although this passage teaches people that it is best to be patient and not too curious, these attributes are hard for most people. This passage has caused me to feel pensive because it taught me that there are consequences to not listening to other peoples’ advice.

After comments
On the other hand, the sisters wished for the husbands and should be grateful their wishes were granted. It is true curiosity can get the better of people, but they got what they wished for and should have strayed from their temptation. If the women didn't really want the star husbands, then they shouldn't have wished for them. This folk tale makes me think of the phrase "you reap what you sew," yet the sisters weren't strong enough to handle their fate.
This story could also be taken as foreshadowing. The Indians were so curious as to why the white people were in their territory, that they put their guard down and started interacting with them. They only wanted to know what the white people were up to, yet this curiosity caused them to be driven from their homes and sent to adapt in a new location.


Dear Diary,
1I asked Amma to tell me the Mi’kmaq story of “Women Who Married Star Husbands” again tonight. It’s my favorite because I would love to have a Star Husband! Although, I would miss my parents too much if I lived in the sky. Anyways, Amma says I remind her of the sisters in the story because I’m so curious and impatient. She warns me that if I am not careful, I could end up with the same fate as the women in the story.
There’s nothing on our land that could harm me though because I always give thanks to the Great Spirit for protection. Even so, Amma warns me that there have been rumors of white men among our shores! I want to get a closer look to their strange looking clouds, but 2Appa wouldn’t stand for it and said I should stop being so curious. Some day soon I will sneak over to the shores and snoop around their camps.

1 “Amma” means “Mom”
2 “Appa” means “Dad”

*EXTENSION: political cartoon concerning the plight of the Native American.

Even though Americans attempt to force immigrants from moving to America, they are neglecting to think of how they relocated the Indians once they stole their land. In the cartoon, a big white man dressed in a suit is pointing at a Mexican family and yelling that “it’s time to reclaim America from illegal immigrants!” The man is drawn bigger than the family as to make him seem more powerful than the weak and inferior family. Also in the cartoon is an Indian with his hands crossed, staring intently on the hypocritical American saying “I’ll help you pack.” This statement is referring back to when the white people first came to America and they pushed out the native Indians. Now that the white people want to get rid of the Mexicans, the Indians are thinking of how the white people pushed them out too, and now they are reminding the “Americans” of their wrongdoings.

Native American Music http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3uy3ewk_3Y&feature=related

Essential Question

Due to the intolerance of different beliefs, how does the American dream serve to unite difference by affording each person to become "American?"

The American dream serves to unite differences, but not without first eliminating one’s original culture. The Native Americans attempted to work with the pilgrims in order to coexist peacefully with them. Although this is good in theory, the pilgrims were not willing to accept the Native Americans’ ways of life. Through the years white people have made it seem like they are trying to help preserve the Native American culture. This is false because although white people do give them reservations to live on, the Native Americans are still subjected to negativity because white people aren’t willing to accept their different beliefs. Overall, because white people feel they are above Native Americans, they try to unite their differences by making them act and live the way they do.