We get poetic installments of the Hummingbird tale on p. 42-45, 49-50, 65-66, 76, 97, 104-105, 140 (to this point) How might you relate this story to Tayo’s?
The story relates to Tayo because he can be identified with it's message and with the story as a whole. In the story the people allow themselves to be tricked by an outside influence and that causes them to neglect their own beliefs and work they do. In a reaction to the peoples disobedience their god takes away vital elements they need to survive. So the people enlist the help of the hummingbird that can fly from world to world and talk with the mother god. She tells the bird how to help the people get back what they have lost.
Much like Tayo he feels and knows that he has angered the god or spirits and it has affected not only him but his people and the land. He feels his decisions have directly effected the world and like the hummingbird and the people they he is searching and trying to find a way to make things right.
P. 62-63 covers the theme of Christianity as a coercive force of assimilation. By what means does this occur and what feelings does it evoke?
The theme of Christianity occurs from the white man. It is used to confuse the Indian people and steal their identity. One example the text gives is how the Indian names that everything has get European names which cause confusion and strips the land and people of their heritage. It act as a divider and works to separate the people through it's messages. Christianity evokes many feelings among the people. Feelings of resentment and anger. Also feelings regret, pity, and sadness. It also cause individuality which goes against the Indian traditon of family and wholeness. This the narrator feels is attributed to the message of Jesus Christ and being able to only save the individuals soul.
The long story.poem, p. 122-128, is of how "witchery" created whites and the onslaught of Europeans and all the destruction they brought. Gloss this poem to identify how the story represents Europeans and their relationship with the world. Consider also: what is the point of Betonie emphasizing the American Indian role in the destruction? What IS his point? Why does he think it is important for Tayo to think about it in this way?
The poem identifies the relationship between the Europeans and the world as being careless and destructive to the world. They have no value or care for the earth and it's features and feel no connection at all. THe text say that, "The `trees and rivers are not alive. The mountains and stones are not alive." It also say if they fear something the destroy it. That includes the earth and the Indian people they will soon encounter. The text also say they will bring with them sickness and disease and that will lead to the destruction of the indian people. They will poison the water the poem says.
The role Betonie say the American Indians had in the destruction is in the poem about how the witches of every Indian tribe gather and created such an evil force that they caused the European to come, thir evil magic brang the white people to them. The poem said that it was because of the witches foolish competition and them trying to one up one another that they got carried away and it could not be undone. I think his point is that their people must be careful. I'm not quite sure why it's important for him to think about it in that way. I think it has something to do with deception and neglecting to pay attention to how your action may cause things to happen that will not only hurt you but also hurt other. I could be way off.
