Wounded Knee
I just watched the new HBO movie Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.
When I teach American Literature, I always teach the Ghost Dance Songs. If you have never read them, go check this Sioux transcription/translation out. I'll wait.
The HBO film is worth watching. I had heard that they turned it to a love story. They did not. A small love story is present, but it is not the focus of the film, and, in fact, it serves as a disturbing metaphor for the relationship between 19th (and maybe 20th) century whites and Indian people. I will buy a copy of the DVD when it becomes available and teach it along with the Songs because the movie does a nice (and relatively short) job of giving a sense of history.
But, what do I have to say here to you who know the history of the US government?
I just keep seeing that my culture has not changed. That for all of our education, our technologies, our high-mindedness, our liberal intentions, we seem to be hell bent on taking the things we want, the lands we want, the governments we (don't) want, the people we (don't) like. Taking...by force.
I look at my choices. I look at my wish not to take by force. It is yet a struggle between two warring sides.
Told by the victors, history, even when describing the massacres and invasions, becomes the witnessing of horror: a way to mourn without changing the outcome this time or next. It will not be until we are no longer the winners that we will change: our perspectives and our actions.
Uplifting, isn't it?
When I teach American Literature, I always teach the Ghost Dance Songs. If you have never read them, go check this Sioux transcription/translation out. I'll wait.
The HBO film is worth watching. I had heard that they turned it to a love story. They did not. A small love story is present, but it is not the focus of the film, and, in fact, it serves as a disturbing metaphor for the relationship between 19th (and maybe 20th) century whites and Indian people. I will buy a copy of the DVD when it becomes available and teach it along with the Songs because the movie does a nice (and relatively short) job of giving a sense of history.
But, what do I have to say here to you who know the history of the US government?
I just keep seeing that my culture has not changed. That for all of our education, our technologies, our high-mindedness, our liberal intentions, we seem to be hell bent on taking the things we want, the lands we want, the governments we (don't) want, the people we (don't) like. Taking...by force.
I look at my choices. I look at my wish not to take by force. It is yet a struggle between two warring sides.
Told by the victors, history, even when describing the massacres and invasions, becomes the witnessing of horror: a way to mourn without changing the outcome this time or next. It will not be until we are no longer the winners that we will change: our perspectives and our actions.
Uplifting, isn't it?
posted by perrykat at
9:40 AM
6 Comments:
Reading "Still Life with Woodpecker" at the moment.
Nice quote about the truism that if we want a better world we have to be a better people.
The disturbed part of me is saddened by the sense that people will never be selfless; that our desire to have more for us means there is profit in taking from others, and so long as there are "lots of complicated machines so no one person has to have too much blood on their hands", there will be exploitation.
On the other hand.
I also believe people do place value in each other (though not as much as in themselves). We are not entirely selfish. People give money to charity. They want a nicer environment and are willing to spend (some) money getting there.
So to the extent that we can bring home the price of things, show to environmental/human cost of some practices, a lot of people will be willing to change what they vote for with their dollars.
Some people want to take, others are willing to fight against it, and some will go along with the taking so long as they don't see it as such.
So there is room for improvement. Opening people's eyes does change things, and relative equalization of power (including scary stuff like nukes) means that, over time, the opportunity to exploit may decline.
But yeah, people are marvelous as justifying why it is okay to take stuff they have the power to take.
----
Aside. Arctic Monkeys "Flourescent Adolescent" and the new movie "Knocked Up" both have a nice way of taking difficult subjects and handling them with style and a sense of humor. Something I love and miss about the UK is that sense of perspective. Life is a lot easier to handle with that perspective.
I recommend both.
I have heard that Knocked Up is good. I'll check it out.
Thank you for always attempting optimism. It reminds me of my draw toward the darker side.
:)
Check your email :-)
Cool...
I mean really cool.
This is the way to give and receive gifts.
Thank you.
Really, thanks.
I haven't seen these or read these books, but I just saw Hotel Rowanda and I took it to be very similar. Now you have sparked and interest. If you haven't seen it, DO!
I have seen that film, and it is good -- but disturbing.
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