Native American Literature

Silently, the wounded brave
Offers his final prayer
To the eternal clan bear;
Totem and guardian
Of his battle slain tribe.
The enemy, exultant,
Are almost upon him,
Yet he looks not behind:
He sees only the Great Spirit,
Surrounding him kindly
In loving, firm embrace.
While the enemy closes in,
He straightens himself;
His voice rings loud and clear,
Echoing across the land
To the distant cloudless sky.
One last defiant war cry
As he spurs on his pony,
And leaps...
Into the world of his ancestors.

REFLECTION
I feel that the Indian warrior is defiant towards his enemies when, even in death, he has the power to hold to his beliefs and enbraces the Great Spirit. This shows his fervor and respect for his religious and cultural beliefs, holding on to them even in the face of death.

Dear Diary,
We lost many tribesmen today in the battles. I saw many warriors fall, but one stood out in particular, Roaring-Bear. He was the last to fall, and he gave a prayer to the Great Spirit before his death. This was done in front of his enemy. Roaring-Bear did not care about the fact that his enemy was drawing near; he needed to give him self to the Great Spirit. His war yell to defy his enemy was testament to his willingness to give him self up to the Great Spirit.
Peace be with those who lost thier lives in battle,
Grand Oak

ESSENTIAL QUESTION
How has the American Dream changed over the years? And how does this change reflect community values?

The American Dream for the Native Americans is to be in harmony with nature, honoring and showing respect for the land. This has been skewed by the arrival of the white man, who takes liberally and destroys without thought for the land or its inhabitants. This change in the way of thinking reflects that while the Native Americans as a whole hold nature as an equal, the white man's community takes what it needs and moves one, not repairing or saving what it could.