John Trudell

Before watching the film, I had heard of John Trudell, but I didn't really know anything about him at all. I thought the opening was interesting with the "Extremely eloquent, therefore extremely dangerous" quote from the FBI. I was surprised the FBI didn't think he would therefore probably be helpful. A guy that eloquent is probably very smart, able to give insights others do not have access to. I found him to be a very endearing man, with noble motivations despite so much hardship in his life- from his battles with the U.S. government and the resulting loss of his family in a fire. I thought the Alcatraz incident was an interesting showcase in the battle of sovereignty and the disregard for treaties. Some compelling comments or quotes from him I thought were "America does not have the spirit to live". "The great lie is that it is civilization, or civilization is a lie" Some interesting things about his life to me was that his mother died when he was only six years old. He said he didn't like God, didn't trust him. I was surprised to find out that a such a peaceful protester type of guy that he is had been in the military, even though he only did it because he wanted to get away from his current situation at the time. I found interviews with him to be very compelling. He is a very engaging speaker; I can see why many people listen to what he has to say. I also thought it was pretty ballsy of him to burn the American Flag on the steps of D.C.

Week 4 Post #1

I thought the reading in Chapters 4-6 to be very informative. From the decisions of John Marshall and its impact over tribal sovereignty, to the abandoning of making treaties with Indian tribes, the United States played a huge role in the fragmentation of Indian tribes and their removal from their own lands. This lack of acknowledgment of the Indian tribes to be involved with the making of treaties showed that Indian sovereignty was dead. The United States denied viewing Native Americans as a foreign nation or entity, but instead a ward that needed to be protected by its guardian. I think the United States did this because they didn't want to have to justify their seizing of land from the Native Americans, who were technologically incapable of preventing the Americans from pushing them aside and doing whatever they wanted. The United States, when you look back at history, was pretty harsh and very inhuman in its treatment of the Indians. For as romantic as the making of America is made out to be, we sure have our dark spots. Regarding language, some of what I find striking is their distinguishing between animate and inanimate nouns. Also, the intricate nature in which their language is created with close attention to 'details of position, direction, motion, form, shape, and texture' (87 Kidwell). Native American language is also highly metaphorical; words are not simply things, they express in highly complex and imaginative poetic thought the relationship between physical and spiritual forces. In Indian literature and aesthetics, telling a story is a way of maintaining the order of the world.