The Loan Ranger and Alexie

After watching the first episode of the Loan Ranger, I realized how much I enjoyed the episode. In the end, it left me wondering if the Loan Ranger was going to fall of the cliff or not. I had a feeling Collins was bad guy from the start, and sure enough I found out he had tricked the loan rangers. After the men ambushed the loan rangers, it was disturbing how the leader of the attackers just easily shot Collins as a lesson for the other attackers. However, I guess it was just the time period and the fact that it was a television show. I did wonder after the attackers left, what happened to all of the Rangers’ horses? Maybe they ran away. I was glad that the Indian found the Loan Ranger and mended him back to health. It showed how thoughtful and thankful the Indian was. However, I thought it was interesting how the Indian had a nice saddle for his horse Scout. I would have though that Indians rode bareback. I want to know what happens in the second episode.

When I went to read Alexie, I typed the link word for word into the address bar, but it would not work; therefore, I was not able to read it.

Today in our group discussion, the most interesting idea we discussed was about the type of woman in the novel Calamity Jane. Another interesting idea that I discussed in another group was about comparisons between the Unknown and Deadwood Dick. This was an idea that I never crossed my mind. The Unknown and Deadwood Dick end up being the same character; however, one could describe the similarities of the two characters before the reader finds out these two characters are in fact one character. On the other hand, the type of woman in Calamity Jane would be another potential paper topic. At the beginning of the novel, the two women in the novel, Calamity Jane, and Virgie Verner, are very different. Calamity Jane is a tough cowgirl who would never let a man tell her what to do, while Virgie Verner is a polite and well-spoken lady. Virgie is the typical damsel in distress. However in the middle of the novel, we find that Calamity Jane changes and becomes more like Virgie by being the damsel in distress. She lets two men tell her what to do and acts helpless.

Chapter 12, 13, and 14

I finished reading Calamity Jane. Although it was the end of the novel and a few of my questions got answered, I still have a few that did not get answered. Mainly, my questions are dealing with the characters and how each is connected to the other. I think the best thing to do would be to go back reread the previous chapters. However despite this, I liked how the Unknown, or as I later found out Deadwood Dick, ran the Indians on horses to death notch and stop the auction. It was a good way for Myrtle to be rescued. I never had noticed Poker Jack, but now that he rescued Myrtle I really like him. As I am thinking about a paper topic for this novel, I think something to do with women would be a good idea. The woman always is the one that starts the drama and fighting in this story.

Chapters 9, 10, & 11

After reading these next few chapters, a few of my questions have gotten answered, but new questions have formed. I found out that Virgie Verner and Nic were taken to the Unknown’s cabin in the mountains. However, when Mrs. Morris and the “unknown” had gotten to the cabin, they found Nic dead. I did not understand the part between the discovery of Nic’s death and Shakespeare following the Old Scavenger. What happened in between that time? Also, I am glad that Shakespeare found and rescued Virgie Verner or Myrtle Morris. However, I am confused that if Virgie Verner is actually Myrtle Morris what does this mean? This story has so many characters that are all interconnected in some shape or form that I might need to go back a reread some of the chapters to fully comprehend the story.

Deadwood Dick's Doom;or, Calamity Jane's Last Adventure

When I first started reading, I was glad that this story had somewhat of a plot rather than the other chapters/stories we have been reading. However, for me, sometimes the story is difficult to read. The characters do not use proper English (which is expected for the time period) so at times it is hard to comprehend the story. Because of this, it makes it hard to follow where each character goes and who he or she meets. This story has many characters, each with their own story. After reading the first eight chapters, I am curious as to where Virginia Verner and Deadwood Dick went off too. I also want to know who abducted Virginia Verner. I hope Calamity Jane and Deadwood Dick get to be together at the end, but the title of the novel, “Calamity Jane’s Last Adventure” gives me doubts that Calamity will not even survive. I also want to know who this “unknown” character is.

He has Filled Graves with our Bones, Indians and Identities, and Baum's Editorial

I enjoyed reading He has Filled Graves with our Bones. It gave me a great sense on how the Indians viewed the white man. Since it was a speech, I felt the message was more powerful. Once again I learned about how unfairly the white men treated the Indians. Thus, at the beginning of the speech, I was not surprise when I read how the white man wanted to be paid again. However, I was surprised that when the Indians and whites first met, the Indians treated the whites with kindness and hospitality. I was not surprised about how the Indians acted, but after reading so much about how cruel the white men treated the Indians, I was surprised that after the whites were befriended by the Indians, they in turn betrayed the Indians. It made me wonder why did the white men hate the Indians so much? Why did they break their treaties so frequently? Why make a treaty if they knew they were not going to withhold their end? I liked when the chief called the white man “an unsatisfied beggar”; I like the truth of the statement. The white men were selfish, greedy, and entitled. Did they not realize the Indians claimed the land long before the whites did? Also, the murdering of the old man, daughter, and mother and robbing them of their possessions after the family had helped the white travelers proves that the whites were more “barbarian-like” than the Indians.

In American Indians and American Identities, I liked reading the short passage at the beginning about Benjamin Franklin. To me the passage had an excellent point; you can't just suddenly forget or leave your roots. It takes much time and experience for that to happen. Even so, it still never goes away. You'll always carry it with you in some form. As I read about the Boston Tea Party, I was curious as to why the raiders dressed up as Indians. It was interesting that still nobody even knows for sure why the raiders did dressed up as Indians besides the fact for disguise. I liked Lawrence's quote "wanting to have their cake and eat it too". It answered some of my other questions from our readings as to why the Americans wanted the Indians to go away. Americans wanted to have freedom, yet they wanted it in an ordered and civilized fashion. Also, his statement "The desire to extirpate [him]. And the contradictory desire to glorify him." - this reinforced another one of my questions in another reading. In Baum's Editorial about Native Americans, it said "We cannot honestly regret their extermination . . ." When I read Baum's statement, I was wondering why would they even "exterminate" the Indians if they liked some of their characteristics? When I read Baum's statement it was clear to me that my question was obviously an already known controversy.

In Frank L. Baum’s Editorials about Native Americans, I asked myself why did the whites hate the Indians so much? They had so much hate for the Indians. For someone to say, “ . . . better that they die than live the miserable wretches they are” proves how terrible and cruel one can possibly be. What could the Indians have possibly done to receive so much hate?

Helen Hunt Jackson, Zitkala Sa, Noble Savage

I really enjoyed reading Zitkala Sa's stories. Her descriptions about her every day life and surroundings interested me and helped me imagine what it would be like to grow up as a Native American Indian. Obviously, the white man had a huge impact on everyone, especially her mother. I felt bad for her mother because these people had taken away her family. In the last story, when the daughter went away to the east with the missionaries, I felt really bad for her mother. Even though the girl would get an education, these people had taken away almost everything from the mother that mattered most to her. I thought these stories were very informative about what it's like growing up in Indian tribe. It also gave a sense about the problems the Indians faced.

I had trouble reading Helen Hunt Jackson's story in the beginning, but soon it began to get a little easier. It was interesting to me in the beginning how it said the chief of the tribe deserved to be chief of a better tribe. As I later learned, the tribe he had now was in poverty. There were no buffalo to eat, and people were starving. His tribe was falling apart. I liked how he called 'alcohol' fire-water. I thought it was a creative name! When it got into the history of the Poncas tribe, it showed how unfair the tribe was treated by the white men. The Poncas did nothing wrong most of the time, but they were still treated unfairly. Near the end how the white men killed the mother and shot the children was disturbing to me and cruel.

I'm not sure what to think of the Noble Savage. After reading the beginning and pre-history, I think I understand and agree to what a noble savage is. I believe it is true that naturally and in our basic form humans are just barbarians. We are "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short". I really liked Michel de Montaigne metaphor when he said that people in Brazil eat the bodies of their enemies once they've defeated them. He said when people fight over religion it's even more barbarian like than the Brazilian tradition. I really liked how he stated, "One calls 'barbarism' whatever he is not accustomed to". This stuck with me.