tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000858382516594426.post2403516398754875456..comments2023-10-06T08:10:05.853-04:00Comments on Necromancy Never Pays: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time IndianJeannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01374498643286099244noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000858382516594426.post-74028862818260793872010-01-13T19:00:38.312-05:002010-01-13T19:00:38.312-05:00I do okay at this game. Your reaction to this book...I do okay at this game. Your reaction to this book was really different from mine but you make some thought-provoking points. And you've got a great discussion going here in the comments!Marie Cloutierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14938166831865436287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000858382516594426.post-25665913391602178342009-11-23T09:45:53.924-05:002009-11-23T09:45:53.924-05:00Care, that's exactly the point that I couldn&#...Care, that's exactly the point that I couldn't articulate--he thinks the old book shows that kids on the res always get the short end of the stick, when he's thinking this because it's become such a habit.<br /><br />What I like about this book is that he overcomes those habits. As we all should--but the first step is being aware of them.Jeannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01374498643286099244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000858382516594426.post-22761375481682955422009-11-20T18:44:04.496-05:002009-11-20T18:44:04.496-05:00I agree with thelass to some extent - from a HS In...I agree with thelass to some extent - from a HS Indian mind used to thinking of how the white gets EVERYTHING 'good' and they get the dregs, it doesn't really matter that the old math book is FINE, it matters that the whites get the new (and who cares if not 'improved') it's a judgement and eval and it's the point that they have to put up with the old crappy textbooks (even if not actually 'crappy') <br />:)<br />oh - and I didn't even notice or think abt but yea, a geometry text book surely hasn't advanced so much but still. it's interesting what strikes us when we read, huh?Carehttp://bkclubcare.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000858382516594426.post-10082236177793748092009-11-20T12:58:05.597-05:002009-11-20T12:58:05.597-05:00Okay, I think I am finally understanding. My mind...Okay, I think I am finally understanding. My mind is clouded this week - sorry if I came off as confrontational.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000858382516594426.post-9358869468013603422009-11-20T10:19:23.287-05:002009-11-20T10:19:23.287-05:00Lass, of course it isn't amusing to someone wh...Lass, of course it isn't amusing to someone who's lived through it. What I'm trying to say is that it seems totally foreign and immensely odd to me. Why are people brought up with these prejudices? Like the song in South Pacific, "you've got to be carefully taught."Jeannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01374498643286099244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000858382516594426.post-51877530548089332312009-11-20T09:24:30.986-05:002009-11-20T09:24:30.986-05:00Hmmm. Surely it isn't "random" or a...Hmmm. Surely it isn't "random" or amusing to someone who has lived through and is writing about it, yes?<br />I'm still not sure I'm completely understanding where you're coming from on this.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000858382516594426.post-1962307977855094372009-11-19T15:08:10.293-05:002009-11-19T15:08:10.293-05:00Laura, I'm sure such prejudice does exist, but...Laura, I'm sure such prejudice does exist, but I am amused by it because to me it seems so random (like picking out the Portuguese).<br /><br />And the point about old textbooks just seems wasteful to me. There is nothing wrong with most old books. (Although occasionally my students do get led astray by some previous student-without-a-clue comment written in the text they bought used.)Jeannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01374498643286099244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000858382516594426.post-60203442530743152132009-11-19T13:41:00.328-05:002009-11-19T13:41:00.328-05:00I'm confused. Are you "amused" by i...I'm confused. Are you "amused" by instances of prejudice against Indians because you don't think such prejudice exists? And I can sympathize over the old textbooks because while yes, geometry might not have changed in 30 years, I don't think that's the point. I think Alexie does a good job of portraying his experiences in the res and "white" worlds and the conflicts these experiences brought up for him (this is an autobiographical book). Also, I am sick so if this doesn't make sense, I blame the fever. :PAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000858382516594426.post-46169170038579701132009-11-18T09:33:05.883-05:002009-11-18T09:33:05.883-05:00Care, I've enjoyed how thought-provoking it ha...Care, I've enjoyed how thought-provoking it has been to talk about this book!Jeannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01374498643286099244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000858382516594426.post-4310620166749141612009-11-18T08:16:36.479-05:002009-11-18T08:16:36.479-05:00What fun comments this post has generated? So ma...What fun comments this post has generated? So many things I want to respond to. First off, I can only claim Germany in my heritage that I know about. and it since I now live in Mass, I remember being curious about the Portuguese since I didn't meet any or didn't realize it when back in KS/NE. I enjoyed the Alexie book - maybe because I was along for the ride and didn't analyze it. I was quite moved by it.Carehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06478474870247729611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000858382516594426.post-23791624431630418912009-11-18T07:38:47.699-05:002009-11-18T07:38:47.699-05:00Tim, I don't believe that outrage is ever &quo...Tim, I don't believe that outrage is ever "unrighteous" or wrong. But I don't believe that fairness is retroactive.Jeannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01374498643286099244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000858382516594426.post-89426165518024833942009-11-17T21:48:55.593-05:002009-11-17T21:48:55.593-05:00I understand your beliefs about this book and why ...I understand your beliefs about this book and why you could think that it is exaggerated or why you could think that some things really aren't unfair. However, I believe that if you look back to the book, you would be able to find that many parts that you could consider fair or when you feel that junior is unrighteously outraged, like with the text book. I believe that many times you have not been looking deep enough in his writing. Sherman Alexie is not trying to show the unfairness you find everywhere, but the unfairness on the Reservation.Tim Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16486748640785387858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000858382516594426.post-64346702430012766402009-11-16T14:24:29.278-05:002009-11-16T14:24:29.278-05:00Freshhell, I think people who live on the east coa...Freshhell, I think people who live on the east coast have shorter lists than midwesterners. I remember kids who could reel off 9 or 10 countries on each side.Jeannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01374498643286099244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000858382516594426.post-2276440679570501172009-11-16T09:07:26.096-05:002009-11-16T09:07:26.096-05:00I haven't read this book so I can't add a ...I haven't read this book so I can't add a critique but I can tell you where my family is from: England, Scotland, Ireland & Germany. On both my father's and mother's side, they climbed up through the primordial ooze and landed in Virginia ahead of the Mayflower. My father's mother and my mother used to argue about whose ancestor reached VA first. I think it was a tie.FreshHellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13051170717740487431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000858382516594426.post-5655224769463832422009-11-16T07:30:24.202-05:002009-11-16T07:30:24.202-05:00Readersguide, Clearly there's some mystique in...Readersguide, Clearly there's some mystique in claiming Indian blood. My aside about it is that southerners used to use that as an excuse for anyone in the family who had dark skin etc. ("oh that's just our Indian blood")<br /><br />Witchcat, I happen to know that's an unlikely combination. Another friend of mine has a Swedish mother and a Finnish father (or the other way around) and it was like the Capulets and the Montagues, to hear her tell it.Jeannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01374498643286099244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000858382516594426.post-67566450727911002112009-11-16T04:26:04.850-05:002009-11-16T04:26:04.850-05:00Could I get points for the fewest countries? Just ...Could I get points for the fewest countries? Just two: Sweden and Finland.MiL-lyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15879320327956504431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000858382516594426.post-52093652818393859362009-11-16T00:33:03.241-05:002009-11-16T00:33:03.241-05:00My grandfather always hinted that we were part Ind...My grandfather always hinted that we were part Indian, but as far as I can tell it's not true at all.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000858382516594426.post-79958593765337496622009-11-15T13:35:17.019-05:002009-11-15T13:35:17.019-05:00And just for the record, here's my recital of ...And just for the record, here's my recital of ancestors: English, German, French, Italian, and "Indian" on one side and Swedish, Swiss, German, English on the other.Jeannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01374498643286099244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000858382516594426.post-46540677366125225272009-11-15T13:31:16.176-05:002009-11-15T13:31:16.176-05:00Harriet, that does make sense about cultures withi...Harriet, that does make sense about cultures within cultures. (Nothing makes a gently bred Arkansan madder than being called a hillbilly, for instance.)<br /><br />Amanda, I enjoyed reading the book once the narrator got past some of his own prejudices.<br /><br />Lemming, you know more than I do, then!<br /><br />BermudaOnion, that's a traditional rivalry, isn't it--Lithuania and Russia? It's part of the background of the captain of the sub in The Hunt For Red October (Tom Clancy).<br /><br />Cathy, that's interesting that you went to BYU. And that your roots are so mixed and go so far back--seems quintessentially American!<br /><br />ReadersGuide, some of my grumpy attitude about this book may just be that I get grumpy when I'm sick. My brother and I used to call it the "couch grouch" stage.<br /><br />Elizabeth, despite being your acquaintance for years and years I never knew you had such a wide variety of siblings!Jeannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01374498643286099244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000858382516594426.post-91387661797317617762009-11-14T07:03:16.733-05:002009-11-14T07:03:16.733-05:00I've only read books written by Native America...I've only read books written by Native Americans for adults-- Iesp liked the writings of N. Scott Momaday and Luci Tapahonso. Both list their tribes and Luci includes her clan in her biography so it does seem odd that Junior is so vague about himself. <br /><br />Loved this line: f I close my eyes and squint a little I can see some of why it might have started. I felt that way reading one of Tapahonso's books (title entirely escapes me) where she talked about being chastised by her sister for never leaving her children with her sister. That extended family arrangement, with the sending of children to your siblings for months and months, was commonplace in her culture, yet Luci was not participating and her sister felt hurt. That was my "squinty eye" moment, I got a tiny glimpse into a culture very different from my own--I could never in a million years imagine sending my children to live with any of my siblings.<br /><br />I'd mess up your game rules, I'm afraid. While I don't know my genealogy very far back, I do come from a very divorced family so what I lack in depth of knowledge I make up for in width and also oddness. For example, I have one full sibling, three half siblings, and at least seven step-siblings. It only gets more complicated from there.edj3https://www.blogger.com/profile/11137939126171451654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000858382516594426.post-56539599816848207742009-11-13T16:05:01.948-05:002009-11-13T16:05:01.948-05:00I also can't tell if you liked this book or no...I also can't tell if you liked this book or not, and I didn't really like it either -- maybe for the same reasons. Or it just didn't seem to have enough there. In any case, I am quite certain that my kids' latin books were at least 30 years old, and as we all know, latin is a language for priviledged white kids. And I would sadly lose at the game as my ancestors, some of who are actually John Alden and Priscilla Mullein!, are exclusively from the British Isles, assuming that includes the Republic of Ireland (does it?) -- as far as we know . . . I do have a mysterious great grandfather about whom not much at all is known. Harriet -- that's a fascinating story about the name and the China. You should research it, and write a book about it. What part of Germany where they from?readersguidehttp://readersguide.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000858382516594426.post-56686290627933610142009-11-13T14:20:23.766-05:002009-11-13T14:20:23.766-05:00I'd be fair to middlin' at the game. My mo...I'd be fair to middlin' at the game. My mother and grandmother worked on the family history. Got it back to the 15th century. England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Germany, Russia. The list isn't that long. <br /><br />I went to college at BYU although I'm not LDS. At the time 14 credits of religion courses were mandatory. In one class, the professor asked how many students in class were first generation Americans. (This class had about 150 students.) A good chunk raised their hands. By the time he got to the fifth generation, everyone else had raised their hands. "I guess that's everyone," he said. "No, it's not," I called out. 1636 was when the first of my ancestors came over here (to Virginia). Guess they were sick of the old countries!Cathyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01774383554326288663noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000858382516594426.post-77147561788911742472009-11-13T14:14:03.758-05:002009-11-13T14:14:03.758-05:00I've read tons of raves about this book too an...I've read tons of raves about this book too and now I'm really wondering why. I don't like the whole "lumping" together aspect. My grandparents immigrated from Lithuania and would get very upset when someone would call them Russian.bermudaonionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10726401178972099557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000858382516594426.post-65223387302763616772009-11-13T11:35:53.830-05:002009-11-13T11:35:53.830-05:00I somehow missed Louise Erdrich growing up, and on...I somehow missed Louise Erdrich growing up, and only stumble through her books every now and again when they cross my path. (I tend to pick up books at the library which other people have just left on tables.)<br /><br />It's funny for me to read your literary musing on this, as most of what I know of Native Americans and Indians in literature comes from reading historical studies on Indians in literature. (laughter) In your copious free time, June Namais <i>White Captives</i> is terrific fun.<br /><br />re: family countries - no problem, but my list can't compare to Harriet's.lemminghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06767103318863906140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000858382516594426.post-51175479565743120322009-11-13T10:55:55.291-05:002009-11-13T10:55:55.291-05:00I can't tell if you liked this book or not. An...I can't tell if you liked this book or not. And honestly, I can't really say if I did either. I did in some ways but in others, I didn't really feel the book. Not for any of the reasons you mention, though.Amandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07026099426503180472noreply@blogger.com