American Indian Stories

Zitkála-Šá’s mother appears in several sections of American Indian Stories. She is not named, and few details are given about her physical features or biography. Instead, the book characterizes her as a key influence on Zitkála-Šá. Her mother warns her early in her life not to trust White people. Later, when Zitkála-Šá becomes interested in attending a mission school, her mother specifically warns her, “You will cry for me, but they will not even soothe you” (22). The warning is prophetic and describes exactly what happens to Zitkála-Šá.

Later, when Zitkála-Šá visits home after beginning work as a teacher, it is her mother’s plight that convinces her she must reject the practice of assimilation, return to the Sioux, and seek justice for American Indians. She is shocked to see her mother impoverished, worn down, and worried about the encroachment of White settlers on the Sioux reservation, and understands when her mother “sent a curse upon those who sat around the hated white man’s light” (54). However, the essay “The Great Spirit” reveals that Zitkála-Šá’s mother ultimately converted to Christianity. Thus, the story of her mother symbolizes the progression from a proud member of an indigenous tribe to a broken and deracinated individual.

The narrator of “The Soft-Hearted Sioux” in some ways parallels Zitkála-Šá. Both were born on the Sioux reservation but left to attend mission schools. Unlike Zitkála-Šá, however, the narrator chooses to convert to Christianity and work as a missionary. His attempts to convert members of his tribe are largely failures, and his story is doubly tragic because he also fails to provide for his family and dying father. The narrator’s personal conversion and belief in assimilation are tested by the reality of his people and their problems, but the test ultimately fails to encourage him to change. The narrator epitomizes the plight of converted American Indians, as Zitkála-Šá characterizes them, who preach the virtues of a culture that does not fully accept them and who lose their connection to their roots.

The grandfather in “The Trial Path” provides an example of traditional Sioux culture, at least through Zitkála-Šá’s interpretation. A fierce warrior, the grandfather exemplifies traits of independence and bravery that Zitkála-Šá characterizes as important to the Sioux. Moreover, the story of his murdering a man out of anger and then facing an unusual punishment—riding a wild pony without falling off—showcases Zitkála-Šá’s vision of Sioux life, even if it is fictional. There is a parable-like quality to the grandfather’s story, whereby he makes a mistake, accepts his punishment, is redeemed, and becomes even more renowned. His story leaves a legacy and is told years after his death. Within American Indian Stories, his example supports the book’s emphasis on family, storytelling, and Sioux culture, while also suggesting that stories continue to shape and uplift the Sioux.

Tusee from “A Warrior’s Daughter” exemplifies the theme of female empowerment that runs throughout American Indian Stories. The story opens by describing her early life on the Sioux reservation, surrounded by stories and examples of brave warriors. As the story shifts to Tusee’s early adult life, it describes her developing love for a young brave admired by her community for his valor. However, when an enemy tribe captures him, Tusee shows her own bravery, confidence, and skill by successfully rescuing him.

Tusee’s actions invert the traditional plot of a man rescuing a vulnerable woman. They also show how Tusee is distinguished from other characters in American Indian Stories, like the narrator of “The Soft-Hearted Sioux,” who fails to exemplify Sioux cultural values. Tusee’s growth into a powerful heroine symbolizes Zitkála-Šá’s belief that women will play a pivotal role in the movement to exert and secure rights for American Indians.

The narrator of “A Dream of Her Grandfather” parallels Zitkála-Šá in that both work as liaisons between American Indians and the US government. The story gives few details about the narrator’s personality beyond describing how she has followed in her grandfather’s footsteps. Given that the story is very short and gives little background on the narrator, she cannot be said to develop throughout the story.

Instead, her character represents Zitkála-Šá’s generation and their struggles to navigate between the world of indigenous culture and the world of the mainstream United States. The narrator dreams that she is gifted a wooden chest by her grandfather, and it is filled with a vision of a proud American Indian existence. The dream is a turning point and inspires hope within her. She implies that this vision of hope is one that can be shared by other American Indians.

Blue-Star Woman from “The Widespread Enigma Concerning Blue-Star Woman” has experienced marginalization on several fronts. She was orphaned as a child and does not know her family lineage. As an adult, she is denied rights to land because government policies tie those rights to documentable, written confirmation of lineage. In her situation, Blue-Star falls victim to exploitative Sioux who claim to be her nephews and secure her land rights in exchange for half of what she receives.

Blue-Star is suspicious of the false nephews’ plan from the start but agrees to go along with it. Her character does not undergo an evolution. Rather, she exemplifies how American Indians have been victimized by outside policies and practices. Those unjust policies came from the government, but Blue-Star’s plight implies that injustice breeds more injustice, since the men who exploit her are Sioux. Blue-Star’s vulnerability leaves her effectively no better off at the end of the story than she is at the beginning.