In St. Marie and Pow Wow Highway the three characters pursue the path that they feel called to take as Native Americans in a white culture
It is sad to see the choices they have to make to survive in the white man’s society. The ideologies of the two cultures are so far removed or at least they were at one point in time. But as even the old Indian woman says, no one wants old Indian wisdom. The old Indian woman would have been most highly respected in her ancestral culture; but the negative effects of losing one’s identity within the forced culture of the reservation has taken its toll and even the old no longer hold on to their ancestor’s wisdom.
In the story of Marie her path was to try to assimilate into the white man’s culture. She compares her skin color to theirs and finds she is like them. She endures great abuse but wants so badly to fit in with the nun’s. She wants to be like the ones the nuns admire – the saints. So she bears the persecution of Sr. Leopolda. Ironically, the nun’s cruel treatment to Marie leads the other nun’s to think she has the stigmata and Marie is truly holy. She has succeeded in fitting in to the path she chose. She is no longer an Indian brat, as Sr. Leopolda and society has portrayed her. But her true identity is lost.
Both the movie and the film were framed around the white man’s culture of destroying the identity and the self esteem of the Indians. I found the movie framed with the overarching element of true freedom that the Native Americans espoused-being one with nature, not destroying it. It began with the Indian riding over the plains with their music in the background. Later there were scenes of wild stallions running free, the eagle soaring, wide open lands and mountain tops, gentle streams and beautiful sunsets. Even saving the giant arachnid. The backdrop of the story was the Christian holiday of Christmas. With even the old Indian’s door decorated for Christmas. Yet the story was based on surviving the slums of the reservation and the guile tactics of the government.
Red Bow works in the agricultural office and fights the government to keep the reservation’s resources. The greed of those working for the government causes so much grief and unlawful conduct it led both Red Bow and his friend Filbert to the highway. Filbert is in touch with his ancestral past and is called to be a warrior. He veers off the highway to the open spaces; he meditates and connects with ancient warriors and partakes in the Pow Wow. He finds his tokens –his medicine- to ward off evil. Red Bow doesn’t initially understand Filbert, but he comes to chant and dance like his ancestors and in the end sees himself fighting as a warrior. They use unconventional tactics, but it is justified in preserving the dignity of their people against the false accusations of the government. The end of the movie was awesome with the chief helping his “brothers” by opening the cattle gate and Filbert being the hero, going down with his “pony” as Red Bow rescued the relatives. Thank goodness the pony kicks Filbert out and he is united with his friends and Bonnie, the sweet girl he remembers from his youth, Red Bow’s sister.
I imagine they will have to go back to the reality of the reservation (after all that’s what Red Bow stressed to his friend Wolf Tooth as he left for the condos). But I hate to think what might happen to them. But it shows the freeing power of reclaiming your identity and being proud of it even with the struggles.
I suppose Marie has some sense of freedom, too, since it is the white man’s world for which she yearns. Yet still so sad that she has lost the desire for her own heritage and accepts such cruelty.
I like how you brought up them going back to the reservations despite the struggles. This just shows how string they were to fight back and not take it lying down. At least in this case the Indians were able to attempt a fight back. In the Holocaust they would have lost their lives trying this. I guess this is because of the times; this movie looks at more modern times. People had learned a little something from the Holcaust Era. I really to hate thinking of them denying who they really were, well St. Marie did. I did not find that to be as much of the storyline in Pow Pow Highway. These Indian were very strong in their beliefs.
ReplyDeleteDonna, you cover some excellent points in your blog; what about the problems Bonnie has with the police. Note how the police are actually using Bonnie (by planting the drugs) to help the mining company.
ReplyDeleteYou make an interesting point about the differences in Native American ideologies and Western ideologies. The old Native American woman didn't want to tell Filbert about the medicine practices of the old culture. He wants to maintain the culture and participate in it but the older members have even lost hope. I thought it was interesting that Filbert's "pony" was a car; it was both sad that his culture had been so changed by modernized Western society but also hopeful because despite the changes, Filbert still maintains old traditions.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, Marie does not really allow Sister Leopolda to hurt her; she does try and push her into the oven, proving that her spirit, though it might long for a quieter, softer like in the nunnery, is still alive and indignant at the way that she is being abused. I think, in her heart, that Marie is still an "Indian brat." She inwardly roars with triumph at her upheaval of Leopolda, she does not meekly submit to Christianity and does not believe her sainthood for a second, nor does she reveal it to the other Sisters of Christ, which would be the Christian thing to do. I think she retains her Native American identity. Marie is a bit of a trickster, which, as we learned, was one of the stock characters of Native American legends.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up two points I would like to speak more on. One I agree with and am glad you were able to find that, as I did as well. The other, I would like to put my own spin on that I think a quotation should be interpreted as. I’m glad you brought up the idea of Christmas being the time of the story. In my eyes, Christmas is the true “white-man’s holiday.” So much of our identity is placed into Christmas. Those identities can range from our religious beliefs to purely our ability to buy overly expensive gifts for other. However, both of those embody the “white-man.” Christianity is what this nation was founded on and what thrives other nations of white people. Also, America and the European Union (although the figures may not say so) are in constant competition to be the greatest nation in the world in terms of pure wealth.
ReplyDeleteI disagree to an extent when you speak about the “old Indian wisdom.” Although your reading may be more correct than mine, as we are all entitled to our own opinions, I read into that scene as the old woman purely not wanting to share her knowledge with Gilbert. Gilbert is in a way a character like Lenny from Of Mice and Men. He’s the big kid what is in search of something. He’s the butt end of many jokes, but in a way has more knowledge and drive than people give him credit for. I thought it was simply a cop-out for her to not deal with his lack of basic knowledge of Indian roots (which could be attributed to the white-man’s dominance).
I like how you pointed out that the old woman said that no one wants old Indian wisdom. This jumped out at me because wisdom, in this day and age is so completely ignored... looked over. If we are ignoring the wisdom of our elders, the wisdom that is passed down generation through generation, how are we to deal with whatever might be going on in our present? How are we to keep the unfortunate events that have happened in history from repeating themselves?
ReplyDeleteDr. McCay, I don't know why I didn't include police when I said government. It was very obvious that both of these authority figures felt they could behave as they wished whether unlawful or unjust to benefit themselves and bring further ruin to those on the reservations.
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