The following excerpt is from the novel Ceremony written by Leslie Marmon Silko, and is one of  the most popular of her works. The theme is the connection between preservation of Native cultural tradition and the survival of the community.

The protagonist Tayo who is of mixed ancestry, is returning home to his reservation after being held as a prisoner by the Japanese army during WWII. Tayo, realizes that in order to survive, (spiritually and physically) he must search his Indian traditions to find his true self.

Ceremony

I will tell you something about stories,

[he said]

They aren’t just for entertainment.

Don’t be fooled

They are all we have, you see,

all we have to fight off illness and death.

You don’t have anything

if you don’t have the stories.

Their evil is mighty

but it can’t stand up to our stories.

So they try to destroy the stories

let the stories be confused or forgotten

They would like that

They would be happy

Because we would be defenseless then.

Leslie Marmon Silko, an accomplished Native American contemporary writer, was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1948. She has a mix of Laguna Pueblo,  Mexican, and White ancestry. Silko grew up at the Pueblo of Laguna, located in west central New Mexico. She attended a Catholic school in Albuquerque, commuting from Laguna. In 1969 she received a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of New Mexico.  She later taught creative writing and a course in oral tradition for the English department at the University.

Silko reveals that living in Laguna society as a mixed blood from a prominent family caused her a lot of pain. It meant being different from, and not fully accepted by either the full blooded Native Americans or white people. Silko, despite her pain, was able to overcome the lack of acceptance and identify with the Laguna culture. Despite her keen awareness of the equivocal position of mixed-bloods in Laguna society, she considers herself Laguna. As she puts it, “I am of mixed-breed ancestry, but what I know is Laguna”.

Read about a real  ceremony  at  Spirit Mountain

Complete Biography for Silko

Analysis of Ceremony

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

This is a wonderful book for advanced students, however the teacher  may still have to explain certain terms. In the meantime, here are  a few questions based on the excerpt  that may be used as a pre-view to reading the book.

Have students review any unknown vocabulary, then answer the following.

1. analyze the first 5 lines and discuss their meaning.

2. When Tayo states “their evil is mighty, but it can’t stand up to our stories “who is the “Their” he is referring to?

3. In relation to your own culture, are traditional stories important to you? To your people? Explain why or why not.

Tags: Albuquerque New Mexico, Ceremony, Japanese army, Laguna Pueblo, Leslie Marmon Silko, Mexican, native culture, Spirit Mountain, Tayo, University of New Mexico, WWII

Indian Country Today, By Babette Herrmann, Story Published: Nov 10, 2009

Cornell University built their first Native-themed residence hall, Akwe:kon, nearly 20 years ago, in honor of the Iroquois Nation Mohawk people. From the architecture to the furniture, every element was planned to represent American Indian culture.

“…The building was erected in the shape of an eagle with its wings stretched north and south, symbolizing watchful protection.”

Today, of the 35 students living in the co-ed dormitory, half of them are American Indian. As a continuation of the American Indian culture studies on the campus, Cornell has established several programs for American Indian students on and off campus. There are annual powwows, smoke dances and other ceremonies. There is also a volunteer program that tutors Indian students at the Lafayette High School once a week.

This is an uplifting article that focuses on an American university that still helps American Indian students remain connected to their culture while learning new information, and creating new friendships.

Discussion Questions for Comprehension

Directions: Review any new vocabulary words from the article.

1. What is the name of the American Indian residence hall at Cornell?

2. Why was it built?

3. When was it built?

4. What shape is the building?

5. Who lives in the dormitory?

6. Discuss some of the activities The Ongwe Hall Council plans.

Tags: Akwe:kon, American Indian Students, architecture, Cornell University, dormitory, Iroquois Nation, Mohawks, powwows, smoke dances

When the phrase American Indian music is mentioned, people usually visualize a circle of men and women chanting in their language, accompanied by a beating drum. While it is true that Native People still practice singing and chanting in this  traditional way,  this is only one aspect of Native music. Today, there are  many contemporary  American Indian artists representing music from different genres.

One such group of artists are members of the famous American Indian rock band   known as XIT (pronounced Exit)  and was created by  Tom Bee who was adopted at birth, and raised near the Navajo Nation in  Gallup,  New Mexico.

During  an interview with Brenda Norrell of  the  Pueblo Journal, Tom Bee commented, “…I see myself basically as being a survivor. The music was the means of delivering a very important message…I’m a guy that likes music. I’m still alive and doing it.”    His  message to Indian youths was,  ”…You can be a dreamer, but you still have to do the work.”

On their debut CD album  Plight of the Redman,  XIT  has  combined both historic and contemporary sounds within their music. They sing about the old ways and the new ones.

The sheer beauty of the mixture of  sounds, and of the powerful words is mesmerizing.  It is also pleasing to note that these musicians do not use  profanity to get their messages across. The songs are a mix of Native chants and English lyrics, so everyone can enjoy the music.

Here is one of the  favorites on this CD:

I Was Raised

As a young Indian boy
I was raised
in the true Indian way
free as the wind
on wings of white clouds
those were happy days

I saw beauty
I saw pain
the winter snow
and summer rain
I saw birth
the red of the night
and the green of the earth

I was raised with wise spoken words
and gentle hands
I was raised by the splendor of life
and became a man

As a young Indian boy
I was raised
with nature as my guide
free as a fawn
along the mountainside
among the butterflies

I would chant
I would pray
sometimes play
I would laugh
I would cry
some of us lived
and some of us died

I knew no hate
of human beings
only love
and simple things
bathing naked in a stream

I saw no shame
in running free

1999 EMI/Jobate Music Co. Inc. All lyrics by Tom Bee. Used with permission.

To learn more about Tom Bee and his music  his visit website

Suggestions for Reflection and Discussion of the song:

Review any vocabulary words students might need to understand: (e.g., splendor, fawn. chant, stream)

1. Place students in small groups, assign 1 or 2 verses of the song to each group, and ask them to interpret the meanings in their own words.

2. In groups, or individually have students create short poems or songs about their lives growing up within their cultures, then share them with the class.

3. You might ask specific questions about a line from each verse, especially for beginning students.

Examples:

I would chant

I would pray

sometimes play

I would laugh

I would cry

a. What does the word chant mean?

b. Why would the young Indian boy chant and pray?

c. Name two things that might make him laugh, and two things that might cause him to cry.

d. Write a short paragraph describing things that make you laugh and cry, and share them with the class.

Tags: American Indian music, CD, chanting, Gallup New Mexico, Indian youths, Plight of the Redman, Pueblo Journal, singing, Tom Bee, XIT

CNN News-Washington, November 5, 2009

President Obama met with 386 representatives of American Indian tribes at a White House Tribal Nations Conference on Thursday. During the meeting, the President promised “…You deserve a voice…you will not be forgotten as long as I’m in this White House.” According to the article, a key issue of concern is working to improve tribal participation in important government policy decision making. The conference focused on the “challenges and priorities of the tribal leaders and their people.”

Suggestions for Reading and Writing Exercises:

Have students read the entire article, highlighting any unknown words or phrases. After reviewing the new vocabulary have them answer the following:

Discussion Questions for Comprehension

1. Where was the conference held and how long was it?

2. What was the purpose of the memorandum President Obama signed?

3. How many tribal leaders were invited? How many actually attended?

4. Discuss some of the “misdeeds” that the President acknowledged.

5. What are the current conditions of many American Indians today?

6. The Tlingit-Haida Indian tribes of Alaska had what major concern?

7. What was the general response from the tribal leaders towards Obama?

Questions for Discussion and  Reflection

1. Do you believe that President Obama will keep his promises to the tribes?  Provide reasons to support your answers.

2. Why didn’t all of the tribal leaders attend the conference?

3. Are there Indigenous people in your country who need help? Who are they and where are they located in relation to the non-Indigenous people?  For example, in this country, many of the tribes reside on their own lands sometimes referred to as reservations.

3. Discuss some of the challenges the Indigenous people in your country face.

4. Are they ever invited to meet with your country’s leader? If so, do they actually attend the meeting?

5.  Discuss the  type of aid has been given to the Indigenous people thus far?

Writing Exercise

Choose one of the following:

1. Write an essay in which you compare/contrast the American Indians in this country to the Indigenous people in your country.

2. Write an essay describing the Indigenous people in your country. Include informations such as who they are, where they live, and the challenges they face everyday in relation to home environment, social, education, and health issues.

Tags: American Indian, government, President Obama, tribal leaders, White House

Story Published: Oct 21, 2009,  in Indian Country Today

According to the statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] the suicide rate among American Indians and Alaskan Natives was higher than the overall suicide rate in the United States. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among the children and the youth of these tribes, the ages ranging from 10-34.

The article discusses the decision made by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA] to give the Rosebud Sioux Tribe $476,000 to help support their Wiconi Wakan Health and Healing Center [WWHHC]. The money will be used towards prevention and counseling services for children, youths, and their families on the reservation. This is wonderful news, and the hope is that we continue to pay attention to our young people everywhere.

To learn more about Suicide Prevention Resource Center [SPRC]

For more information and lesson plans for the Sioux

The following are suggestions for Exercises based on this article :

In groups, have students look for any new vocabulary words and discuss the meanings.

Then have students read the article, and answer the following questions:

Questions for Reading Comprehension:

1. Where is the money for the WWHHC coming from?

2. For what purpose is the money going to be used?

3. Which tribe is going to receive the funds?

Questions for Discussion and Reflection:

1. What are some of the the causes for youth suicide?

2. In your country, is there a high suicide rate among children and youths? If so, what are some of the problems facing the youth in your culture?

3. Discuss some of the solutions the people in your country apply to help with this problem.

Writing Assignments

1. Have students read about one of the organizations mentioned, and write an essay about the functions of the programs.

2. Have each group choose an organization, write a brief summary and share the results with the rest of the class.

3. Have students write about the problem of youth suicide in their country, including the reasons why this problem exists (or not). Also have them discuss some solutions.

Tags: Alaskan Natives, CDC, counseling, Rosebud Sioux, SAMHSA, suicide prevention, WWHHC