Louise Erdrich Round House Analysis

Denise K. Lajmodiere “American Indian Females and Stereotypes: Warriors, Leaders, Healers, Feminists; Not Drudges, Princesses, Prostitutes.” National Association for Multicultural Education (2013): 104-109. Web. 7 Sept. 2015. This article, written by native female author Denise K. Lajmodiere highlights the racial stereotypes that surround Native American women and how they are historically inaccurate. She argues that the true role of Native American women in their tribes had been misinterpreted by European colonists who failed to understand that they were important figures, and not just drudges or prostitutes. She does so by giving clear examples of how many tribal cultures were matriarchal highlighting women’s roles as healers, leaders, warriors

The prescribed question that I have chosen is Power and Privilege: “How and why is a social group represented in a particular way?”

Honestly, what is loyalty? One can’t even begin to define such a word. It’s one single seven letter word yet, it has a deep profound definition. As a matter of fact, typically one does not use loyalty until they are put to the test. Without a doubt, the test can be anything. Consider the following, staying a devoted fan to the patriots or staying allegiant to your best friend. When he gets down to the despicable core of tough times one can see who 's truly loyal. Justice works the same way. For instance, one can be guilty and be granted freedom or vise versa. In the novel, Montana 1948, Larry Watson reveals conflict between two necessary values loyalty and justice which is exemplified throughout.

To gain a true understanding of Native Americans and their culture, historians must not only examine the trials and tribulations Indians endured in the past, but also the contemporary issues the group faces. Currently, physical illnesses, psychological disorders, economic instability, and negative stereotypes continue to plague Native American communities. Popular sayings, like “Indians will be Indians” and “noble savages,” continue to haunt the culture. The use of the stereotypical Indian or “uncivilized savage” in toys, books, cars, foods, and sports teams, demonstrates how the American society is unfortunately accustomed to the prevalent stereotypes against Native Americans. The

Theda Perdue`s Cherokee Women: Gender and Culture Change, 1700-1835, is a book that greatly depicts what life had been like for many Native Americans as they were under European Conquering. This book was published in 1998, Perdue was influenced by a Cherokee Stomp Dance in northeastern Oklahoma. She had admired the Cherokee society construction of gender which she used as the subject of this book. Though the title Cherokee Women infers that the book focuses on the lives of only Cherokee women, Perdue actually shines light upon the way women 's roles affected the Native cultures and Cherokee-American relations. In the book, there is a focus on the way that gender roles affected the way different tribes were run in the 1700 and 1800`s. Native

Throughout the course of American history, Native American women have repeatedly become primary targets of sexual violence from non-native men. Around one in three Native American women has been raped or had undergone attempted rape, which makes them the largest race to experience sexual abuse than any other race in the United States. Before any contact was established between the Natives and the European settlers, the Native population had thrived off the land and they had their own criminal justice systems, which was meant to help all Native citizens find justice (Griffith, 5). Unfortunately, their efficient way of life would soon be interrupted forever following the arrival of white setters upon their lands.

Going through a traumatizing event such as rape may alter a victim 's life, including those of their family. To recover from such an incident finding justice can be the best resort. Geraldine the victim in “The Round House” was raped and found covered in blood. Life on the reservation means that Geraldine will never be able to seek justice against her rapist. Her son, Joe, the protagonist in the novel further explains how he feels at the young age of thirteen. In the novel “The Round House” written by Louise Erdrich depicts the story from the perspective of Joe. Joe’s point of view outlines the development of his childhood. The themes of the novel tie together to tell the story of Geraldine 's rape. The novel “The Round House” incorporated three themes which include the discrimination on native women, the Judicial System, and having to grow up too quickly.

In this excerpt from “The Beet Queen”, by Louise Erdrich, Mary and Karl Adare give the impression as diverse characters. The passage explores their retorts to their surroundings in the environment and of their perspectives around them during the time of depression. Erdrich uses literary devices such as tone, imagery combined with juxtaposition, selection of detail, and point of view to convey the impact from the environment.

Louise Erdrich, author of “The Red Convertible,” is the daughter of a German-American father and a Chippewa Indian mother. They were both employed at the Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding school and from an early age, Louise was encouraged by her father to write stories. She says that “my father used to give me a nickel for every story I wrote” (Madden 241). After years of writing, Louise received the National Book Award for Fiction in 2012 for her novel “The Round House.”

The final concern in which needs to be addressed is the fact that these negative stereotypes of Native Americans make it very dangerous for them because of the rise of crime rates against the Natives. The rates for crimes against the Natives has increased and puts many of them in danger. These crimes are classified as hate crimes because of the fact that these crimes are done in hatred of them as a people and not a personal cause. According to Department of Justice analysis, "American Indians are more likely than people of other races to experience violence at the hands of someone of a different race." These factors only show that we need to take serious actions soon in order to prevent this violence to continue before its too

First Generations: Women of Colonial America, written by Carol Berkin, is a novel that took ten years to make. Carol Berkin received her B.A. from Barnard College and her M.A. and Ph.D. from Columbia University. She has worked as a consultant on PBS and History Channel documentaries. Berkin has written several books on the topic of women in America. Some of her publications include: Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for America's Independence (2004) and Civil War Wives: The Life and Times of Angelina Grimke Weld, Varina Howell Davis, and Julia Dent Grant (2009). The prejudice that the author brings forward strongly is the notion of feminism.

“Compared to non-Native women within the U.S., Navajo women experience domestic violence and sexual assaults at a greater frequency and intensity” (Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission). There is a loop-hole in the Navajo Nations law that men from outside of the Navajo Nation have been taking advantage of. The women of this nation are being put in danger due to the nation self-governing system. While they wish to continue this way of government they do not wish to put their people in danger. “Non-reservation members are not subject to tribal law or prosecution. And that fact has led Indian reservations to become a safe haven for rapists” (Wear Your Voice).

Anthropologic studies of culture are about observation through a lens that is defined by the observer. In order for it to be free of bias, the observer needs to remove any and all preconceived notions and their own ’world’ references while functioning ‘emically’(Kottak 2013). Part of the observer’s job is to look into the past and present, reconciling roles within that culture (Kottak 2013). Gender roles are an important area of study (Kottak 2013). In the study of roles of female and males within a society, some early tradesmen, scholars and observers often overlooked women’s roles when addressing Native American culture (Mann 2000). However, looking back at early settlers,

Domestic violence in Aboriginal community is a cause for concern regarding Aboriginal women 's health and safety. According to Kubik, Bourassa, and Hampton (2009) “In Canada, Aboriginal women have faced destruction in their communities and families as a result of multiple forms of oppression. Aboriginal women experience the highest rates of violence and abuse of any population in Canada”(p.29). Domestic violence is defined by Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary (2015) as “ the inflicting of physical injury by one family or household member on another; also: a repeated or habitual pattern of such behavior”. The objective is to look at the cause of domestic violence aimed at Aboriginal

Yet, Louise Erdrich’s poem, “Advice to Myself”, she talks about feminism and how women need to make their way in the world, she tends to focus a lot on multiculturalism including conflicting religious beliefs. Most of her poems and books are mainly about supernatural happenings with odd events. She is important because from her novels more readers have begun to appreciate that contemporary Native Americans have important stories to tell that go beyond retelling their ancestors’ rich creation myths and legends. Her life accomplished experiences and culture beliefs within her writing. After all, she is a poet and novelist of Chippewa and German descent, Erdrich has become one of the most important authors writing Native American fiction in the late twentieth century. Many writers would mine this observation for tragedy, but Erdrich instead turns to healing. In book after book, she finds ways to resolve the extremes of life while never shying away from hard facts: death, pain, guilt, and