Week 9: Settler Colonialism Microlecture and There There

    Most of the adult characters in There There comment on the U.S. government’s treatment of indigenous people, both the horrendous slaughter and division of the past and the current, more subtle oppression that remains or at least goes unfixed. While not directly mentioned in the microlecture, I don’t think there is a more affected character by this historical injustice than Opal and Jacquie Red Feather. Having to do some outside research, I learned about the very real event named the Indian Occupation of Alcatraz, lasting from 1969 to 1971. Opal and Jacquie’s mother put the remembrance and honoring of her culture at the forefront of her life, especially detailing the government’s oppression to her daughters. The fact that Opal, who was not even 12, could recount the reasoning for the name “Teddy Bear” is proof enough. Joining in on that protest by living on Alcatraz for several months further confused Opal and Jacquie’s sense of home, a powerful theme throughout the book that applies to both the characters and the experiences that indigenous people have endured for hundreds of years. The microlecture’s biggest connection to the book is probably the Indian Relocation Act of 1956. Directly mentioned in the book, notably the introduction, the entire novel consists of native characters put into urban settings, alongside the disadvantages that come with families being relocated to urban areas with fake promises and the attempt at assimilation. Dene Oxendene takes a step against this by allowing other indigenous people to tell their stories, but the government’s control of native people is consistently felt throughout There There.

Comments

  1. John SawyerNovember 21, 2022 at 10:27 PM

    I also found the Indian Relocation Act to have the most direct connection to the book. As you said, it was directly mentioned in the introduction and set up the rest of the story.

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  2. CassiNovember 25, 2022 at 12:06 PM

    Hey Andrew! I think its really awesome that you did outside research for this, the occupation of Alcatraz was definitely something that I was surprised I had never heard about. The Indian Relocation act of 1956 definitely has a large connection to the book, and I like all the places you identified that! I wish these were things I was able to learn about sooner.

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  3. Critical Thinkers and WritersNovember 27, 2022 at 10:53 AM

    Do you have any thoughts on the teddy bear and its connection to Theodore Roosevelt?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Paulos HabtewoldNovember 28, 2022 at 6:43 PM

    The occupation of Alcatraz is something I also found interesting. I was kind of confused whether Jaquie and Opal's mom went because it was hard to find housing or to protest the government. Maybe it was both.

    ReplyDelete

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