The Injustices faced by American Indians in the Past and Present
“ You ain’t really Indian unless, there was some point in your life that you didn’t want to be Indian. “(P 81, Shermaine)
The mixed-race is after the colonial phenomenon that has brought forth good and evil in the world. American Indians are one of the results of intermarriages between the white people and the Indians to form a new breed of people. Alexie Shermaine, in his book Reservations Blue, depicts the challenges American Indians face in their day-to-day lives as they cannot associate themselves with being either white or pure Indians ( Dixon, p 105). Some of the injustices in the book include discrimination, oppression, and police brutality in the area of Wellpint and Missou. This paper analyzes various injustices that American Indians have gone through in the past and present, as well as a comparison with the injustices that other minority groups have endured in the past and present.
Discrimination has been well canvassed in the book in several ways. The prominent form of discrimination that Shermaine strives to showcase is racial discrimination. Discrimination based on race on Indians has been recorded since the 1860s in the United States. There were genocide attacks on the Indians, whether pure or hybrid, who had portrayed more genetic features of Indians than white ancestry. In the book, it is observed that Betty and Veronica, who were pure white women, lived in Seattle and owned a book store jointly (Shermaine, p 59). The two ladies travelled to Wellpint, a six-hour drive to take part in the Coyote Springs performances as well as cheer them. Word got to the residents of Seattle that Veronica and Betty were associating with Indians and refused to purchase books from their store, leading to closing the bookstore.
Racism is not only faced by American Indians alone but also the African Americans and Hispanic Americans. The discrimination is more prominent on the black community than on any other community in the United States as they are more skin-colored than any other colored community. The black community is associated with poverty, violence, and any felony or misdemeanor. Thus, they are not allowed to grow or make progress in their lives ( Moling, p56). It is argued that it is for this reason that the dominant white community is afraid of associating with them. Hispanic Americans also go through racial discrimination like the American Indians; it is worse for them as they are all viewed to be undocumented immigrants forcing them to barely survive on the little source of livelihood they can get.
Another instance of racial discrimination is observed when the Calvary Studio Records describes the Coyote springs as just Indian and with nothing more to offer. Wright is also seen to dent the rock band another chance to produce and make music because they were of Indian heritage, yet he advises Betty and Veronica. They are purely white women to undergo surgeries to change their appearance to be more Indian. Alexie Shermaine writes that “Overall, this band looks and sounds Indian. They all have dark skin. Chess, Checkers, and Junior all have long hair. Thomas has a big nose, and Victor has many scars. We‘re looking at some genuine crossover [mixed] appeal.” ( Shermaine, 190). These were the racial statements by Wright to Sheridan when they were discussing the Coyote Springs. The quote is vital as it depicts the view that white people possess on Indians.
The preference of American and American Indian women over the pure or even Indian women by Indian men is also observed in the book. The Indian women were not happy with the concept leading to rejection and resentment as they believed that they deserved to be married by Indian men. Victor Joseph prefers white women over Indian women because they are white and provide something different. Thomas tells Chess, “You ain’t really Indian unless, there was some point in your life that you didn’t want to be Indian. “. It is an essential quote of how American Indians suffer from their skin color and wish they were white to live a life with no injustices ( Shermaine,p 81). Chess finds it distasteful that Victor goes after white women leaving their kind with no husbands. She talks about having a generation of pure Indians and the fear of having an upsurge of children and people having Indian descent without their knowledge.
The existence of reservations in the remote areas of the United States describes how white people endeavored not to interact with the Indians ( Shermaine, p2). Wellpint was a six-hour drive distance from Seattle and was secluded like other reservations as it was noticed when a black person visited the town; everyone was shocked by his presence. Therefore, it is prudent to deduce that reservations were built to prevent the Indians from mixing with the white race. It was a means of oppression to the people of Wellpint and any other reservations. Minimal resources characterized the reservations, and most individuals dwelled in poverty and lacked means of survival. The people of Wellpint dwelled in the Housing and Urban Development houses, which had not been completed; they lacked social amenities such as water, excellent healthcare services, and professionals and food.
The houses were in poor conditions such that Victor and Junior preferred to sleep in the car rather than go home and get a decent sleep. The reservations were characterized by such poverty that during the election period WalksAlong, the chairman of the Community’s tribunal won the election because of a dollar bribe. The medical services provided by the IHS services were very scarce, and they were being provided by white nurses who did not understand the needs of the people of the reservations ( Moling 21). An instance of when a life was lost due to the poor medical services was seen when Chess brother passed away since they knew the medical services would not come to help them since they were Indians and poor. The Indian community feeds on very little food that they can get; in the book, Thomas checks in his cupboards to find what he can offer his guests but only finds a jar of peanuts. Junior has to deliver water to the people of Wellpint since there is no tap water in Wellpint.
Alcoholism has been used as an easy way to oppress the lives of the people in Coyote springs as well as in the reservations. In the book, we see the Catholic priest wondering why the American Indians are happy, yet they dwell in poverty, alcohol, and suicide. He does not find a reason to be happy. In Coyote Springs, Victor and Junior are two drunkards whom the little money they get is waste on drinking alcohol. Chess and Thomas are victims of drunkard fathers who drink and sleep on the lawns and do not care about their children’s lives. Alcohol has been used as a way to oppress the American natives as they are easily bribed by alcohol by the white community to stay in the reservations ( Dixon,119). The minority groups are easily convinced to give up their resources when alcohol is involved without thinking about their future.
Another instance of oppression is seen when Big Mom witnesses the killing of Indian horses at the beginning of the writing. The killing of the horses can be viewed from a metaphorical aspect of the white community, getting rid of the limited resources that Indians have as a source of livelihood. The killing of Indian horses was also witnessed in the 1830s when there was the enactment of the Indian Removal Act that instigated the genocide and eviction of Indians from the United States land. In the book, it is observed that the Calvary records studios oppressed the Coyote Springs band by inviting them to New York to partake in the signing of a deal which was not the case as they were only interested in their economic value and how they would get it from them without the rock band knowing the truth ( Moling, 22). Wright and Sheridan did not have genuine intentions with the band.
Police brutality is also depicted in several instances. One of the instances is observed at the beginning of the book, where it is seen the military shooting at horses for no justifiable and reasonable cause ( Dixon, 54). Secondly, Wilson threatens Samwel. They do not go home peacefully. He would call on the federal bureau agents and other federal agents, and in the middle of the night, they would quietly make the members of the community vanish. The issue of enforced disappearance is viewed in the minority group.
Compared to other minority groups, the black community is the most affected by oppression by the police. Young black lives are taken away every day without reasonable course from the white community as well as other minority that deem themselves better than African Americans. The number of American Indians is low as compared to other minority groups.
In as much as there are compelling arguments provided in the book, on discrimination, police brutality, and exploitation, several writers may have a contrary opinion on the different concepts. For example, on the issue of discrimination, a writer may argue that American Indians face a problem of self-identity as they cannot associate with a particular culture, which makes them easy prey to discrimination. Secondly, on the Indian men’s preference for white women, It is prudent to note that people have their preferences and should not be viewed as discrimination. Everyone has a right to exercise free will on whom they can associate themselves with and marry ( Moling, 19). The same case goes with the white people prefer to associate themselves with other white people more than American natives is their free choice. They can indeed exercise their free will to associate with the people they deem comfortable. However, if a specific pattern is noticed that they only associate with people of the same skin color as theirs, it is conclusive to state that its racial oppression.
American natives have faced discrimination since the pre-colonial and post-colonial period, which has become an ingrained culture by the dominant community, the white people. American natives, more specifically, in this case, the American Indians, have been oppressed in several ways, such as commercial exploitation and mental oppression. The marginalized and minority groups still experience police brutality in their day to day lives. Alexie Shermaine has addressed these issues in his text Reservation Blues in a language and style that is clear and easy to comprehend for readers. This paper has sufficiently examined the injustices faced by American Indians and other minority groups such as the African American and the Hispanic Americans in the United States.
Works cited
Dixon, Castiel. “20-Falling Down, Falling Apart, and Finding Home in Reservation Blues.” (2018)
Moling, Martin. “Anarchy on the Rez”: The Blues, Popular Culture, and Survival in Sherman Alexie’s Reservation Blues.” American Indian Culture and Research Journal 40.3 (2016): 1-22.
Shermaine, Alexie,” Reservation Blues”(1995)