American Indian Stories"American Indian Stories (1921) is remarkable for being perhaps the first literary work by a Native American woman created without the mediation of a non-Native interpreter or collaborator. Zitkala-Ša vividly articulates her disillusionment with the harshness of American Indian boarding schools and the corruption of government institutions ostensibly established to help Native peoples. At the same time, Zitkala-Ša's collection of autobiographical essays and short stories charts the progression of the author's estrangement from her Dakota people that her colonial education inevitably fostered. Much more than an indictment against U.S. attempts at Native deculturation, American Indian stories portrays one Dakota woman's spirited and successful efforts to resist the restrictions she felt in both reservation life and Euroamerican assimilation"--Back cover. |
Contents
MY MOTHER | 3 |
THE LEGENDS | 6 |
THE BEADWORK | 10 |
THE COFFEEMAKING | 14 |
THE DEAD MANS PLUM BUSH | 17 |
THE GROUND SQUIRREL | 19 |
THE BIG RED APPLES | 22 |
THE SCHOOL DAYS OF AN INDIAN GIRL | 27 |
MY MOTHERS CURSE UPON WHITE SETTLERS | 59 |
RETROSPECTION | 61 |
THE GREAT SPIRIT | 64 |
THE SOFTHEARTED SIOUX | 69 |
CHAPTER I | 71 |
CHAPTER II | 73 |
CHAPTER III | 75 |
CHAPTER IV | 77 |
THE LAND OF RED APPLES | 29 |
THE CUTTING OF MY LONG HAIR | 32 |
THE SNOW EPISODE | 35 |
THE DEVIL | 38 |
IRON ROUTINE | 40 |
FOUR STRANGE SUMMERS | 42 |
INCURRING MY MOTHERS DISPLEASURE | 46 |
AN INDIAN TEACHER AMONG INDIANS | 49 |
MY FIRST DAY | 51 |
A TRIP WESTWARD | 54 |
CHAPTER V | 80 |
THE TRIAL PATH | 81 |
A WARRIORS DAUGHTER | 86 |
A DREAM OF HER GRANDFATHER | 95 |
THE WIDESPREAD ENIGMA CONCERNING BLUESTAR WOMAN | 97 |
AMERICAS INDIAN PROBLEM | 113 |
ENDNOTES | 119 |
SUGGESTED READING | 121 |
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Common terms and phrases
aloud American Indian Stories asked aunt back-fire beads BEADWORK began blanket breath brother Dawée buckskin chieftain child coffee cold ashes Concerning Blue-Star Woman Dakota dance dwelling ears Enigma Concerning Blue-Star Euroamerican eyes face feet fire fried bread gone grandfather grandmother grass ground hair hand head hear heard HELEN KELLER hills Iktomi Indian Boarding School Indian Girl Indian Legends Indian woman Judéwin knew land laughed light lips looked man-killer medicine-man missionaries moccasins morning mother Native American night Old Indian old warrior paleface woman plum pony pony's prairie quiet rawhide red apples river shadow shoulders silent Sioux smile smoke snow soft heart Spirit stood strong Sun Dance sunflowers talk tall tears tell tepee tribe turned Tusee University of Nebraska village voice warrior father watched white man's wigwam wild wind winter women wonder words Yankton young braves Zitkala-Ša