When someone says “Native American” what’s the first thing you think of? If it’s anything like the first hundred hits on Google Images, you’d see — in your mind’s eye, that is — a dark-skinned man wearing a pair of black leather pants and a shirt, with his long black hair (unctor) hanging down. shoulders, some ornaments of beads thrown slightly round his neck, and hanging over his breast, and perhaps a lot of grass or grass behind and around him would be good. There is always a chance that your mind will give him an ax and a bow with his arrows girded at his back – but only in time of war, naturally. A horse could also assist in mental imagery. Not a long, big horse, but a short one with paint and beads and natural leather spots. It is also your quintessential index (Native American. But what are they like today? What does the description of America do? What do they do? In Thomas King’s Green Grass, Running Water, the author, through two pairs of characters and tourists, gives the reader an idea of who lives in the “authentic” Indian culture, and characters who initially do not seem to care about them, but their own showing knowledge and respect for culture in other ways as well.
King’s novel begins to open a window and allows the reader to catch a glimpse of two characters, or Americans, in a semi-tumultuous conversation. We meet Leonello, who is driving a car with his aunt Norma, who rides in the passenger seat. In response to a witty comment that Lionel makes about the Indian council to spread dirt on the road, his aunt says “If you were not my sister’s child, and if I did not you were born with my eyes, I would sometimes think you white” (7). This statement is clearer to the reader as it highlights that Lionel is not white, yet Norma sees him as white. The manner in which Norma says these words to Leonello is so important. If Lionel had not been of his own flesh and blood, and had not had the ocular evidence that he had come out between the very legs of Norma’s sister, he would have thought it white. If nothing else, this sentence shows that Norma is concerned with how her grandson is perceived; if he sometimes thinks he is white, although he has witnessed both his own birth and grandson, what do others think, who does not have what he does? Norma continues to tell her grandson, “You politicians in Edmonton” (7/8). In addition to these words, which are added above, the reader is presented with a larger picture than Norma sees of Lionel. Lionel in that mass of politicians in Edmonton. This puts an incredible distance between this and that and the use of the word “them”, Norma’s statement is very impersonal and abstract. “they” are the people, and then they are like him, as if “they” were “others” unlike him. This confirms the next sentence: “We are always told what we cannot do” (8). Norma uses “we” and “us” to describe herself and everyone she associates with, and Lionel is already associated as a politician in Edmonton. Therefore, Norma placed Leonellus on the other side of the border of her words and mind, where she sees other people, Leonellus and politicians, working against her. In Norma’s dialogue, the reader begins to realize his need to connect with his heritage, or what he feels is his heritage, and his disapproval of his grandson for not, it seems, holding himself to that standard.
Again we see Norma’s tendency to worry about Leonello and his inheritance. He remembers when Lionel was a boy, a few decades ago, and how he had picked up his tonsils. Says Leonello, who is still driving Norma and himself in the car, “the Indian doctors were not enough” (32). This simple explanation may involve many things, but the main thing must be taken from the words of the Norm, which deals in the past, which deals among the nations. After what we learn about Norma above, we can understand her anxiety, which still brings up the past, to direct Lionel, whom she anxiously turns into a white man. Holding on to the past, he shows how even when he was a child, his life was shaped and guided by white culture, avoiding the description of America, even by teachers. A few minutes later Norma Leonellus about his uncle Eli. “Your uncle,” he says, “wanted to be a white man. Like you” (36). and now she sees the same tendency in her grandson. Since Lionel is technically “authentically” Indian, Norma pretends to throw herself at him, seemingly in the name of the white man, rather than the American Nativity wrapped more loosely, as he says: “As if they were something special. As if there is not enough in the world already” (37). At this time, Norma is not only involved with Leonello, or her uncle Eli, but her reader about white men provides high. > in general. There are already too many in the world, Norma’s point is, why would a Lionel, who is born different, want to be just another white man? This is his irritation, which he rejects over and over again, self-portrait painting focused on the dark traces of anxiety and terror in the Native American and who asks not to be. Now the reader understands that Leonello is a gryll, who answers only with silence or short answers. .
If the speech seems postponed, and the king doesn’t seem to give Leonello much of a chance to redeem himself or, at least, explain his position, the reader gets a bit of exposition later. Norma, still in her tirade, tells Leonello that she is more like Latisha’s sister. “That restaurant is going to make her rich,” Norma tells Lionel. To know that there is a real Indian restaurant in the city.” “He sells roasts,” replies Lionel, and tells everyone that the meat is dog. ” Norma tells her that people from all over the world are coming to the Dead Dog Café (59). There is a lot going on in this exchange between Norma and her nephew. Norma is bragging about how well the restaurant is doing, in everything brings him around the world and shows his pride in Leonelli’s sister and in her restaurant “Canem” (59) Suddenly Leonell gives himself credit by discussing his aunt’s pride in his sister Norma applauds Leonelli for starting a restaurant, and she also considers it “real,” meaning that it’s a scam because the Blackfoot dog doesn’t eat it. “In the old days, guard dogs camp. They are sure we are safe” (60). . Lionel knows the history of the Blackfoot, and finally shows it by discussing Norma’s high praise for the restaurant and its fake advertising. He also uses the word “we” when referring to the Blackfoot, creating a kind of connection between his culture and himself. This doesn’t affect Norma, who is indifferent to her claims. She says “It’s time for Latisha to come out and visit us too” (60). to his own, unaware of all the facts about the Blackfoot and how he is abused by his sister. Norma’s comment follows with “Traditional Blackfoot eats only like moose and buffalo” (60). that he is in tune with his Blackfoot heritage and holds it much more than Norma or his sister. which he obviously values highly. This is a twist on what we know of Leonelli’s character so far, and it flourishes in irony. He appears to know a lot more about the culture than Norma gives him credit for and, without being pretentious, just explaining the facts lightly, gives us the appearance of being a bit swayed by his twists.
The irony is felt as Norma responds to Leonelli’s account of what the Blackfoot really ate, “Music to my ancient ears to hear you speak the traditional, nephew” (60). Norma hears Lionel talking about what the Blackfoot used to do, and tells him that she knows about the past, but the point is lost on her grandson’s old brain. “They certainly didn’t eat the dog” (60), says Lionel, confirming his opinion against Latisha’s restaurant, and Norma’s greatest respect. Observing Leonelli Blackfoot, preserving its aspects, and how it is, rather than a gimmicky, tourist product to make people laugh, Norma is not enough. For he does not even recognize the reverence of his own culture. Because of this, Lionel is not an “authentic” Indian, but rather an attempted white man’s Indian.
Let the reader see this irony so clearly and also wonder why Norma cannot see her own hypocrisy. So the question is, what makes an “authentic” Indian Norma? What could Lionel do to see himself in good graces through the narrow eyes of his aunt? The answer, for her, is through good works and outward displays of Indian-ism that prove who cares, and who doesn’t, about their Blackfoot heritage. Norma, as mentioned before, is still mentioned, after three decades Lionel and his mother did not go to Indian doctors to remove their tonsils (32). If they had had a constant reminder of Norma’s past, she would have been relieved and would have felt better about Leonelli’s Indians. This idea of proving oneself Indian is also prevalent in the way Norma talks about Latisha. He has his own “authentic” – as Norma sees it, his use of the word “real” – Indian restaurant and therefore does a good deed for the pride of Melampus (59). Norma also mentions Lionel, as mentioned above, “Latisha has time to come to the rescue and visit us too. She always helps with food at the Sun Dance. She helps with other things too” (60). Standard tables are all things that can be measured. She can count how many times Latisha has visited the reservation, and then compares Leonelli’s visits. Latisha has a part and is key to the Sun Dance, and Norma can add that as well, giving Latisha the credibility to care about being Native American. This idea is further amplified when Lionel says, “Son, if it weren’t for the clouds… you could see all the way to the mountains” (84). Norma says again, “You could see the mountains for real good if you went out once in a while… You could even see your parents” (84). Again, this was a small step Lionel could take to ease Norma’s concern that her nephew was desiring a white man. “He has pride” (84), which he says a little later. This sentence above turns into a real reason Lionel should visit the reservation. If one had pride in his people, the Blackfoot, he would come and visit Latisha in his custom. Not visiting, Norma says that her grandson has no pride in his heritage, and therefore sees him as a white man, and not “authentically” Indian like she and others who care about the reservation.
Norma and Lionel are not the only characters King uses to convey the idea of ”authenticity.” Looking through a slightly different lens, wrapped in a few steps, the reader can see something in common with Latisha and the aforementioned husband George. Although much shorter than Lionel and Norma, the underlying principle is the same. Latisha thinks about how she started the café, Dead Dog, and remembers Norma telling her, “Tell them dog food…tourists like that kind of stuff” (117). Latisha thinks, “That was the inspiration” (117). By replacing Norma, the reader sees Latisha starting her own business, and takes Norma’s idea, which she says inspires her, and does it in her own business. Although Latisha is Blackfoot native, she does not hesitate to create the image of her ancestors eating dogs. There are also photographs in the Dead Dog Cafe that show Indians in hunting attire, chasing dogs with spears (117). This could be further described as “tourist catering”. But is this bad? It’s a way to live after all. The question of whether Latisha’s dinner is right or wrong will find many explanations and opinions, but what matters is that he is truly Indian, and there is no doubt that he uses it to his advantage, even if his people, the Blackfoot, have a less than successful name.
After a few minutes of conversation with a booth full of tourists, Latisha responds to the man’s disbelief with, “Black Labrador… more food off black Labs”< (143). Latisha does not give in the created image. He plays along with her, and he has no business lying with the customers, which they shout even when they clearly wonder if the café is not a joke. He even gets a customer to tell him about a dog he once had as a child. The traveler remembers the dog fondly, and says that he lived for fourteen years (145). “After two or three passes,” Latisha said gravely, “the meat is too hard to eat.” “Latisha’s work needs to be shown again to please the customers, so that it becomes clearer to the reader. The traveler is not only talking about the baby dog, but provides information on when it is right to eat them, makes the lie even more true and sounds like an expert. It is clear that Latisha has no qualms about deceiving people from all sides about their accident, giving them a false impression of their culture, and as if it were something true of the history of the Blackfoot tribe.
Latisha’s behavior can be sharply contrasted with her ex-husband, George’s. George is not Indian, but he is American. Norma himself speaks of white men to Leonello. But George can be compared in this matter, albeit loosely, to Leonello. Lionel is Blackfoot, but not “authentic” in Norma’s eyes. He and George are white in the same boat, then, if resolved by Norma. This is not where the comparisons stop. If George and Lionel can be united, so can Norma and Latisha. These two have no problem using their heritage to bring in tourists. It is used for him in the form of a trendy city in his case, the other praises the development and sets an example for those who think that they do not embrace their American roots, but try to be white. The former two, George and Lionel, both have a keen interest in Blackfoot culture. While Lionel knows Blackfoot’s past, George is interested in knowing it. In memory of Latisha, the reader can see the Germanness of George. He remembers “George had come in relief during the days of the Indians…he stood at the back of the waking crowd and watched. At the end of the day he was still there watching, listening…” 144). Through Latisha’s memory, we see George standing as the circulator of all. The happy crowd, as Latisha mentioned, paints a picture of all the tourists’ brains who are like the future and are well pleased with the Indians without any more than a thought about what they see. The reader may assume this because of the silly picture the word “gawk” puts in our minds. There is an overweight, white tourist sleeping in the sun with a fanny pack around his waist and binoculars hanging from his neck; gazing with his eyes, his mouth lowered, and hissing. But George was separated from that crowd. The back stands by itself disconnected for a certain reason. He sees, but the reader gets the sense that he is separated from the crowd, that George is also trying to understand the culture. And after all the revelers had departed, at the end of the day George was still standing there, watching and hearing everything around him. He shows an interest and curiosity with the Blackfoot tribe that could be labeled as genuine and sincere. This is what fits sharply with Latisha’s perception of the same, her own, culture. Living makes her exploitative, yet Norma is seen as authentic. George, a white man and an outsider, is really more “authentic” with outward care and fascination, and seems to care more about Blackfoot culture, and in a healthier way, than Latisha or Norma, even though he knows a lot. less about that.
How important is the question of authenticity and who is most interested? It is clear, as we have seen, that Norma means more than much. And in another way, like Latisha, who needs to make a living. However, in a somewhat different way, the truth means most to Latisha’s clients. Tourists from all over the world come and eat Dead Dogs.
“The pilgrims circled around the front of the restaurant…pointed to the sign of the dog in the stewpot and took pictures with each other” (118). Tourists love the chance to stand outside the cafe to take pictures. As they demonstrate and give attention to the sign, it is clear that the case in which he claims to serve dog food is something out of the ordinary for them, and now, when we go around and demonstrate, we see that it is easy to believe and accept. all in As the tourists fill up for dinner, Latisha takes orders to one stage when a woman asks, “Are you Indian?” (142). This blunt casually thrown question to Latisha shows that this customer cares about Latisha’s authenticity and possibly her restaurant. We know that Latisha is Indian, and we can assume that this is the way it appears, to clarify this customer’s suspicions. The same tourist asks Latisha sometime later, “were you born on the reserves?” (145). If the first question wasn’t enough, this one helps to explain the customer’s need to verify Latisha’s authenticity. If the owner of the restaurant was born in the reserves, then it makes the case much more real and real. And while these questions aren’t really typical of asking someone, this buyer feels good asking Latisha about her environment and her heritage, which she feels she should know because she’s a buyer, and Latisha is there to make her experience a good one. ; authentic
Through the king’s green grass, the running water, the reader can see different characteristics of himself through different degrees of authenticity of the American Christmas. Like Norma, who just wants to show Lionel that she cares by visiting and helping with reservation functions, Latisha, who uses her story to make a profit, George, who doesn’t know anything about being a Blackfoot, shows more. He values a true commitment to learning and spreading the health of culture more than any of the other characters in the novel. We see the focus of truth in different ways, as clients have concerns unlike the writer Norma, or Latisha, or especially Leonelli.
Sources:
King, Thomas Green Grass, Running Water. Bantam. 1994
