The Struggle of the Pueblo Indians
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Leslie Marmon SilkoÆs Ceremony is about the struggle of the Pueblo IndianÆs to retain their culture and heritage which is threatened by the incursion of the White manÆs world into their own. In the years following World War II, in which some of their own people served, this struggle became more difficult as returning soldiers tried to fit once again into reservation life and the old ways. In Pueblo life, storytelling is used to pass on history and religious beliefs, and acts as a link between the mythical deities and the people themselves, whose ritual life is based on the myth, and Silko uses these stories throughout the novel. The three most important figures in Pueblo mythology are Thought Woman, Corn Mother, and Sun Father. Thought Woman is attributed with creation of the universe, and the Pueblo believe that it consists of the world we live in, earth, and the four worlds below where the spirits of the dead go. Corn Mother, or Corn Woman, is synonymous with Mother Earth, and represents growth, life, and the feminine aspects of the world. She reflects the importance of corn as the staple crop of the Pueblo, and ritual corn dances are performed to bring rain, increase fertility, and assure abundant corn crops. Sun Father is the most powerful creative force in the universe and represents masculinity and light. In Ceremony, Silko portrays the endangered state of the Laguna reservation after World War II: the land has been damaged by runoff from the uranium min
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Eventually, Tayo discovers a woman living on the rim of a rock who is still in touch with the old ways, and lives in close contact with nature. She teaches him the traditional ceremonies of ritual offering and the healing power of many plants and other natural objects. She is a symbol of Corn Mother herself, and loves Tayo as he has never been loved, and gives him the power ôemanating from the mesas and arroyos...the rhythm that had been interrupted long ago: (Silko 227). Tayo wants to bring water to his native lands, quenching the drought and bringing it back to life. He believes this will heal his soul because he will have made a connection with the earth and with the old ways if he succeeds. While in the Philippines during the war, he uttered a prayer against the rain, and he believes this is responsible for the six-year drought on the reservation, so it is very important for him to succeed.
Tayo eventually finishes his ceremony by spending the night in an abandoned uranium mine, which incorporates the element of White culture. While hiding there, he witnesses Emo and Pinkie ambush and kill Harley, and has to restrain himself from killing Emo to protect Harley. He returns home, and goes back to see KuÆoosh, w
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Native American, Native Americans, Auntie Josiah, War II, Corn Mother, Americans Promises, AÆmooÆooh Tayo, Pauline Johnson, Mother Earth, Leroy Pinkie, native american, native americans, white manÆs, white world, white manÆs world, corn mother, manÆs world, pauline johnson, war ii, tells tayo, uranium mine, world war ii,
Approximate Word count = 1818
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)
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