Oglala

1 Pages 347 Words

The first few chapters that were assigned for Monday painted a picture of an Indian society that has been influenced by a white majority in a negative way. Like the Bedouins Stories book, Oglala Women shows the change from tradition to modernization. The colonization of the west has ruined tradition in the Oglala culture, not to mention every other Indian culture in the US. This cannot be changed, this is forever.
Reservation life is the major factor for corrupting the Lakota and Oglalas. When the whites forced Indians to live on reservations such as Pine Ridge, their lifestyles changed completely. I believe this is one of the biggest reasons why tradition is no longer prevalent in many Indian tribes today. Living on a reservation is like living in another country within a country. The Indians are forced to live by our government, but at the same time live off their own government. Powers’ description of “the compound” was eerie to me. First off describing a community as a compound is just wrong. It makes it sound like Waco or another cult complex. Christianity on reservation really pisses me off also. Why does the BIA or tribal councils take steps forward to get rid of these American ideals? I can go on and keep talking about this, but everyone knows the US screwed when they began relocating the Indian. What our government should do now is help these tribes get their tradition back.
The last or second to last chapter on gender roles really illustrates the unique role change that is going on with the Lakota and Oglala. This is a big deal because for the first time women in these Indian cultures are becoming professionals and leaders. This is contrary to how the Indians were back in the day. Modernization is a tricky subject to debate. In one way it is good for the Oglala Women to achieve higher standards, but in a way they are losing all they once were....