Tommy Orange's Novel There There presents a perspective into modern Native American life which is seldom presented by modern media. It offers input into how the old traditions interact with modern elements and new technologies in what might be unexpected to many readers. However, it also presents the relationship between non-native Americans and Native Americans themselves. A comment which particularly stood out to me noted that "you don't have to defend all white people you think aren't a part of the problem just because I said something negative about white culture," (246). I find that this comment nicely outlines Orange's perspective on white culture as presented through There There. Although Orange is not necessarily saying that "white people are bad" he notes on multiple occasions the repeated actions of white Americans disregarding Native culture, attempting to hide or dismiss Native suffering, and generally causing death and destructive to a vast population of Native peoples.
This is also reflected in the noted discomfort of white train passengers when Tony travels to the powwow in traditional Native dress. He knows that his presence is providing a story which the non-native passengers will pass on to friends and family, ironically telling them they saw a Native American despite chances that they may have seen Tony before yet did not recognize him as Native American without the traditional, media-presented image of feathers. Orange also makes an interesting point by saying that nobody notices Tony's facial deformities when he wears the traditional outfit; he is simply a Native American, and he loses his personal identity.
This is further reflected in the interlude, when death of Native Americans is described, foreshadowing the shooting at the powwow. Orange notes that "the tragedy of it all will be unspeakable, the fact we've been fighting for decades to be recognized as a present-tense people, modern and relevant, alive, only to die in the grass wearing feathers," (141). Once again, Orange reminds readers that Native Americans remain Native Americans even if they are not practicing their traditional ceremonies or wearing traditional dress in the moment you meet them.
Through his novel There There, Orange conveys a powerful message about the prevalence of Native Americans in the United States and their continued struggles which began centuries ago with the introduction of white settlers. However, he reminds readers that though these struggles began centuries ago, the Native American population can and has adapted to modern characteristics. He outlines the use of drones, cellphones, and 3D printers. Yet, when Native Americans have a great tragedy which might attract media attention, they are wearing the clothing and practicing traditions which media presents as the only representation of Native Americans in today's culture and society.
Orange wants readers to recognize the presence of both old and new Native cultures, but he also wants us to understand that what we are presented is not necessarily accurate; there is so much more to Native Americans than powwows and feathers. He reminds readers of the families, careers, and every day modern struggles Native Americans face along with cyclical problems that started long ago. Orange cleverly ends his novel with what is perceived by mass media, and thus the majority of culture, in regards to Native Americans in today's America: violence, historical spiritual traditions, and wearing feathers.
From reading this post, it seems fairly accurate. The main theme of the entire novel is depicting people from a long forgotten culture in a modern setting, and showing how the destruction of many cultural elements from Native American history does not define who these people are. Throughout the novel, each character experiences his/her own trials and tribulations, just like anyone else in the world. With every obstacle that each character has to overcome, a little bit of their Native American heritage is shown, whether that be through beliefs or through dialogue. Some characters try to combat their Native heritage, while others embrace it. Either way, no one can escape their ties to a culture that the rest of the world seems to have forgotten.
ReplyDeleteThis post also remains true for many other ethnic groups in America. People who are not from that respective ethnic group, particularly whites, tend to associate the minority group with stereotypical traits within that culture. For example, a white person might be surprised that a girl is Muslim if she is not wearing a traditional Hijab headscarf. It is just another example of people who may identify with a faith or a nationality but do not necessarily have to take on the stereotypical looks of beliefs of that culture. Instead, just like the characters that Orange depicts, they can live a modern, American lifestyle while still holding on to some of their cultural heritage.
I agree with a lot of what is said in this post. Prior to reading There There, I really knew anything about Urban Native Americans. Modern media still presents Native Americans living on reservations and they are never depicted with current technology. Orange provides insight into current day Native Americans through their interactions with the internet, social media, drones and 3D printers. He also highlights how traditions can be passed down through technology when Orvil learns the powwow dance through internet videos, or how Edwin connects with his father on facebook. It is interesting how knowledge of modern day Native Americans have been erased from current culture in a similar manner to how many of their tragedies were erased from US History textbooks. In class, I learned about the Trail of Tears and forced assimilation. I learned nothing about how the federal government attempted to erase Native American identity through bringing them to cities and the Native American occupation of Alcatraz. Orange, like his character Dene, attempts to present a new perspective by telling stories we have never heard before. Beyond that, he tries to combat stereotypes.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that the ending of the novel is powerful because it presents an image that has been displayed all throughout history: Native Americans bleeding from bullets in traditional garb. It is depressingly ironic that all the media would display from the powwow is the tragedy that occurred at it, not how Native Americans joined together to celebrate their culture. However, Orange’s approach is realistic to once again draw attention to the portrayal of Native Americans in current media and how it needs to change.
I agree with your comments about the representation of Native Americans in popular media. I think that there is a huge disparity in representation among native and non-native peoples in the United States, and that when natives are represented, it is often inaccurate. As you said, when there is modern media attention directed towards Native Americans, they are still represented as being stuck in backwards tradition rather than as being fairly assimilated and very modernized. Native Americans are often advertised to be superstitions and rooted in the past, shown wearing feathers and hunting buffalo. However, their identities extend far beyond these images. I liked how you pointed this out by saying that “Native Americans remain Native Americans even if they are not practicing their traditional ceremonies or wearing traditional dress”. In There There, the native characters use drones, 3D printers, and cellphones– Edwin Black is even addicted to the internet. Orange makes a point of demonstrating how Native Americans have adapted just as completely to the modern age as any non-native. Each character in There There has a clear connection to their native identity, but that identity doesn’t make them different from non-natives on any truly essential level. I think that representation is crucial in order to exemplify Orange’s point– Native Americans exist in the present, and while they are still impacted by colonization, they are no different than you and I.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you are saying. Before this course I would tend to only associate Native Americans with the more stereotypical traditional cultural aspects. My only exposure to their culture had been through history class. We tend to only discuss Native Americans in the context of traditional society, or people living in reserves. I think it is interesting how Orange points out that white people tend to not notice or recognize Native Americans in their day to day life. I think he is bringing up the interesting idea that their identity in our minds is strongly associated with traditional culture. I think that Orange focuses the book on characters who are all living in urban environments in order to emphasize the fact that they live lives with similar struggles and goals as all Americans. I believe the discomfort of the other train passengers is created to point of the irony of our attitude. On one hand, we hardly think of Native Americans as regular people who are a part of our society. We have an expectation of Native Americans to act in a specific way. However, as we see on the interaction on the train, even when Native Americans act the way that we expect them to within society, we make a scene about it.
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