Summary Application

Reading:
Bird, Gloria. "Towards a Decolonization of the Mind and Text 1:Leslie Marmon Silko's Ceremony" Wicazo Sa Review, 9, 2 (Autumn, 1993)1-8

In Gloria Bird's Towards a Decolonization of the Mind and Text 1: Leslie Marmon Silko's "Ceremony", the author is attempting to bring awareness to the reader, of the colonization that has complicated self-identification among the younger generations of American Indians through a sense of "otherness" that has been applied to, and often adopted by, these people. Through this awareness, one can begin to decolonize one's own mind; that is, unlearn the stereotypes and implications that have infiltrated the culture through European influences. Bird explains how Leslie Silko's Ceremony confronts the challenges faced by those who have been affected by this "other" identity, giving an insight to the awareness required to self evaluate, hence decolonize the mind, seeing oneself not through the eyes of the colonizer, but the colonized.

For Bird, colonization comes from a number of influences. These many aspects produce an internalized colonization, an accepted version of the ideas brought forth by the majority. In Ceremony, Bird claims, Silko portrays instances of self immobilization against these issues, allowing the reader to see the protagonist face the same fears that they face themselves. Rather than to seek knowledge, they hide from the unknown, but when witnessing the protagonist deal with these truths, the reader must do the same.

What Bird is attempting to stress in her essay is the idea of colonization, how it has affected the people, and what the people must know in order to overcome the struggles they face. Through Silko's : Ceremony and its many well played uses of several literary methods, one can see this manifestation, and what is necessary to overcome the title of "other". For Bird, Ceremony is an example of the assimilation, how it has affected us, and how we can unlearn what has been taught.

One of Bird's most emphasized ideas is that colonization has deteriorated the Native American culture, not only from pressing stereotypes against them, but also through their acceptance of said stereotypes. Bird feels that the internalization of the oppression continues it, and only by facing what we fear are we able to overcome. For Bird, "only in the moments when we are able to name the source of our deepest pain can we truly be said to be free of the burdens they represent" (Bird, 2). For her, we come to face these sources through watching Tayo face them in Ceremony. Tayo is clearly uncomfortable with his heritage; he felt he didn't belong because "[his] mother went with white men" (Silko, 118). Of course, this feeling didn't spring from within him alone. The feelings of separation were formed from outside sources; specifically, Auntie. From a young age, Tayo was aware that "he's not full blood anyway" (Silko, 30). Auntie made sure that Tayo was "close enough to feel excluded" (Silko, 61). Auntie's feelings, however, sprung from her own self-inflicted criticism. Her mixed identity, her heritage and her adopted Catholicism, leave her in a place of constant judgement, as well. With an early exposure to this kind of mindset, Tayo struggled with these feelings, only he would not allow himself to admit it. His fear of being the "other" kept him from opening himself to the heritage he needed to embrace. It was the lack of his culture, a fear of it, that leads him to despair. Bird feels that these struggles can be used to help the reader identify what it is they're hiding rom themselves; what it is they are too afraid to face. We see Tayo embrace his culture; the land, the stories, and the pride that comes from being aware of the lies of the white man. When he can see beyond what he had been taught by the white men, and those that subdued to what they were taught, Tayo learns what he truly is, no longer afraid to embrace it.

Bird also feels that language plays and essential role in decolonizing the mind. Through assimilation, the language and its roles have been lost. For Native Americans, language is an intricate, dependent structure that relies on the stories and histories for meaning. The art of language, as it is to them, plays a vital role in the culture; not just passing on stories, but creating an interdependent structure through which communication and history are built. Silko uses this idea throughout Ceremony, not only as a subject of colonization, but as a way to connect the story, to make all it's parts equal, and come together to form the complete transformation of the protagonist. In more than one way, as Bird points out, language is use to express this idea of connectedness to the reader. We learn through Ku'oosh that "no word exists alone, and the reason for choosing each word had to be explained with a story about why it must be said this certain way" (Ceremony, 32-33). While Tayo first feels that the language is "childish" (31), he comes to appreciate it and its powerful abilities and important roles in the culture.

Through applying Bird's theories to Ceremony, we are able to see how Silko portrays a character that deals with the struggles laid out in Bird's essay. It illustrates the internalization of colonization, where it comes from, and how one can overcome it. For Bird, Tayo's journey expresses the path one must follow in order to decolonize their minds, to see themselves through their own eyes rather that the eye of the oppressor. By learning of Tayo's struggles, the reader has a catalyst to help them conquer their own.



*My HTML decided not to work, so I couldn't italicize... I tried to fix it the best I could!

Silko, Leslie. Ceremony
Bird, Gloria. "Towards a Decolonization of the Mind and Text: Leslie Marmon Silko's "Ceremony"

Decolonization of the American Indians has caused a loss of many things to them; not only has their culture been demeaned, but redifined through the colonizers point of view. By forcing upon them an entirely new idea of life, religion, history, and language, their identities have been shifted, skewed, and forgotten. What's worse than this, is the idea that it can in fact be forgotten, their their culture is something that can be lost.

It is not only he loss of such things that cause strife for people such as Gloria Bird, it is the idea that this decolonization has weakened the connection between the people and their history. With the infiltration of European cultures, many have either voluntarily, or in Bir'ds case unwillingly, been sepereated from the stories and traditions of their people. This is a struggle we see within many characters in Ceremony. For Rocky and Aunti, the idea of blending with the European colonizers is ideal. For Tayo, it is something that must be fought against in order to redeem himself and his people.

Ceremony

Given what you have read so far (esp. the Pueblo stories, the Hopi film, and Silko essays), what connections can you draw between the first few pages (the poems) of Ceremony and these materials?

The Poem Ceremony is tightly connected to Silko's essays and the Pueblo stories. The poem is explaining the importance of stories. In Silko's essays, she relays the same message, that stories are the core of everything; without them, they have nothing. The Pueblo stories that we read are an example of this. These stories explain where they came from, why things are, and basically every aspect of their lives. They tie the Pueblos and their history together. For them, they are more than entertainment, which was a point worth making many times for Silko. They are spiritual, historical, and a necessary part of life.

Carefully re-read the pages that involve the old medicine man, Ku’oosh, p. 31-34. Explain the significance of how Ku’oosh speaks, chooses words, and of his point about the fragility of the world.

Ku'oosh's words are used to explain the fragility of the world. While talking to Tayo, he has a story behind each word, which not only explains his point, but illustrates it. Each word, he explains, is connected to another; they each rely on a history and meaning. The fragility of everything is explained by his words, and the way in which he presents them is an embodiment of that. By relating the the reason for each word, it connects everything in an unmistakable truth.

There is a lot of evidence in Joy Harjo's "She Had Some Horses" that leads us to believe that this is in fact a female speaker facing and reconciling inner conflicts. For instance, she refers to things in opposites: "horses who had no names" and "horses who had books of names. Again, she speaks of "horses who whispered in the dark" against "horses who screamed". This play with opposition works with the overall context of the poem to suggest that this is someone struggling with two seperate parts of his/her whole being. The 'She' the poem speaks of is dealing with the feelings she has toward men, religion, and herself.

There were several points while reading this poem that I got the sense that Hajo may have some man issues. The line about the "male queens who made them afraid of themselves" suggests that the author doesn't neccesarily like the way men treat a lot of women, and how men can make women feel. Again, she speaks of "horses who tried to save her, who climbed in her bed at night and prayed as they raped her." For me, it seems that Hajo, or the speaker, is trying to get across this idea of man having some kind of power of women and their emotions, and its not good. In this last line, it's talking about men saying that they're good for her, and that they want what makes her happy, but in the end the women just get screwed. (sorry for that horrible pun, I couldn't resist)

I believe that Hajo has some political points hidden in this poem, as well. Based on the struggle the subject has with "horses who got down on their knees for any savior", and "waited for resurrections," It seems as though the speaker has some conflict with the idea of religion, and how people practice it and why.

As far as what the horses themselves represent, I can see how they are genderless spirits.
Sometimes they signify men, sometimes the "she", sometimes a mass of people. The horses don't have any limitations as to what they can represent, therefore have a spirit-like nature to them. It's the idea of these things and people that are being represented, not the material aspects.