A History of Native Americans in Cinema/ Smoke Signals

I thought the reading was a little boring. I thought it was too long but I did learn a lot about Indians in the film history. I didn't know they had it so hard and had difficult times.

I'm really starting to like the movie Smoke Signals. I enjoy how they change the scene within the scene from the present to the past and visa versa. I think Victor is kind of a jerk though to Thomas. Thomas is my favorite character because I like his stories and his personality. Its obvious that alcoholism is prevalent within Native American backgrounds and in this movie with Victor's parents. I'm excited to see the rest of the movie.

This Is What It Means To Say Phoenix Arizona- Alexie

This story was about a man named Victor whose dad passed away. Throughout the story, he tries to find someone to loan him the money to go back to Phoenix, Arizona. I really enjoy reading Alexie's work. I feel that he has a great sense of humor that shows through his work and he builds character through his fictional characters that he writes about in my opinion. I think that the reservation would be really hard to live in. I think that he expresses these feelings in this story because I was frustrated even reading about him trying to find money to get back to Phoenix to bring his dad who passed away. I liked how I learned a lot about the lifestyle on the reservation and how these people get by with their lives. Although, I felt for these people because I'm sure its a huge struggle to live there and making a living if they even can.

Fleur

I don't know why but I thought this story was kind of creepy at first, however I ended up liking it in the end. I think Fleur had good intentions for who she was. She almost drown twice in cold Lake Turcot. I wanted to know more about her though. I felt that they really didn't explain her very well. I think she likes to be invisible and that no one really knows her. I wonder why the game they played was cards. I thought that was kind of random. I was wondering who people said she was married to and if the child was really her kid. I think it was sad that she only had the narrator that visited her because I felt she was lonely. I really liked this story because it created an image kind of like a movie in my head about Fleur.

Truganinny

I really liked this poem because I felt emotional while reading it. I felt that it was sad because she was passing away, however I'm glad she stood up for herself and told her dying wish. I would be upset too if I had to see my husband be stuffed and basically put on display. I'm happy that her body was never put on display like the rest of her family was. This poem has feeling behind it which is important when reading a piece of writing. It makes me more interested in it. The quote that I liked in this poem was "They will take me. Already they come; even as I breathe they are waiting for me to finish my dying." I feel sad for her that she knows she is only wanted when she is dead and she doesn't want that to happen to her.

Online Poems by Wendy Rose

I really liked reading all of these poems. They all kept my attention and I wanted to read more. I feel that Wendy's poems are all well written. I feel like I can create an image in my head as I read her poems. I enjoyed her sarcasm and her fiery attitude during her poem about "The White Poets Who Would be Indian". I feel that she says what she feels and doesn't hold back. She has the ability to describe images and describes into such detail which I love. I would like to read more of Wendy Rose's poems.

How to Write the Great American Indian Novel

First of all, I really like Alexie and his writings. I feel that I have a better understanding of who he is as a person and a writer after seeing his interview in class. He describes in this short story that whites stereotype Indians. I really like this short story because it related to my first paper because it was about stereotyping Indians. He says that the hero has to be half white and half Indian which I think is kind of stereotyping in a way. I feel that in all of Alexie's writings that he compares Indians and whites. I wonder where he has come up with some of his sayings in this because it didn't have any citations. I guess he came up with these himself. I feel that he is bitter towards white people because he was bullied when he was younger for being different. I only think this because he always is upset that the white person is the good person which would make me upset as well. I hope we get to see the rest of his interview.

Note to a Culture Vulture

I feel that the author of this poem, Adrian Louis, was angry at the person who was mocking Indians. I don't really understand the poem thoroughly. I think that the author was upset the entire poem until the ending when the author admits that they liked their book but just a little bit. Hopefully other people in class will have a better understanding of the poem than I did.

"Crimes Against Humanity"

I don't get why the names of mascots are so controversial. I feel like the names are not meant to be racial or anything like that. I understand why people would get mad about them if they were putting a bad name out there against Native Americans, however, if they are not doing that then I feel that there is nothing wrong but that is just my opinion. I do feel bad about people getting offended by the names of the teams. Although, I have never put that much thought into the names of team mascots which has broaden my opinion about this situation.

"Cowboy" a little late

I really liked this story. This story wasn't something that we usually have read. It was a story actually about normal people and not just a cowboy. This story was easier to read than most of the other stories we have read.I don't get why the older woman was so mean to the man. She has no reason to be mean to him. I felt the cowboy appreciated what this older woman and man did for him because they gave him a place to work. I was sad for him when the old lady died because he was upset because she gave him a life and she had passed away.

Brokeback Mountain

I like the beginning of Brokeback Mountain because it is so descriptive of what Ennis is doing. I have a perfect clear image in my head of what is going on in the story which, in my opinion, is good writing. In the story, I'm glad the author gives the reader a background of how the children's life were in the past. Their lives were not easy and they had to work for everything they had. Reading through the story, I can tell the strong friendship that is forming between Ennis and Jack. It was a little hard to understand the dialogue between the two, but it was manageable. I thought the sex scene was a little much but I was expecting something like that from what I have heard about Brokeback Mountain. I felt that it was a little bit awkward after it happened and their friendship was affected by it. I expected that Ennis would marry his fiance because he was embarrassed by what had happened with Jack because it was unusual in the west back then. The same goes for Jack with his situation. I really didn't think they would cheat on their wives with each other and that was very surprising to me. Alma and Ennis had trouble in their marriage with money problems and Alma had suspicion with Ennis and Jack. I didn't think Alma and Ennis would last because of all of their problems and because everyone was so frustrated, Jack and Ennis were having problems as well. I'm glad Ennis and Jack settled their differences before Jack passed away. It was sad in the end when Ennis mourned over Jack's death because he never really had a full on relationship with him. However, the story was a little raunchy for me, but I liked it.