Language

It amazes me how much language says about a person. It expresses so much of one's culture and identity. Even though this is the case, people are still being told that their language is not acceptable in America. Oftentimes, people in America think well they live in America, they should speak English, if we go to their country we have to learn their langauge. It this really the case? If you think about it many foriegn places have a huge English-speaking population, especially if it is a big tourist place. Does this not accomodate Americans when they go to visit? America is made up of various groups, the majority starting as "outsiders." The English laugnuage itself was an outside language. Our ancestors did not accomodate for the Native Americans whent they came across the ocean. It is not and has never been about accomodating people, but rather acceptance, tolerance, and understanding. America, from it's birth has been a place of possibilities, where everyone, no matter their background, could express themselves without being persecuted for it...well, at least in theory. Shouldn't language be part of this dream? The different cultures and ethnic groups are what make America and by trying to stomp out someone's culuure hinders America's growth as a nation.

The mixing of cultures in Silko's Ceremony

In Silko's Ceremony, one of the major themes is the mixing of Indian tradition wit the white tradition. Tayo, among other characters in the book such as Betonie, is of mixed ancestry. The difficulty of this is seen throughout the novel, such as his aunt's reaction to him as well as the way the white population treat him. He is stuck between two cultures, never being fully accepted by either one. I think that this is part of the reason that he suffers so greatly. He is blaming himself for his mother's actions as well as the death of his brother and the rain that never comes.
Even the medicine man that helps him uses objects from the white culture to cure him. The reasoning behind this is interesting because instead of rejecting the fact that the white population is around and is not going away, Betonie embraces it and alters his "medicine" to include everything around him, including the white culture. Silko is trying to make the point that even though it is not ideal for the Indian population to have the white culture seeping into their own, it is there and needs to be recognized at the very least if not accepted so that tribes can move forward. Their culture still needs to be kept alive and remembered even though the white culture is intruding. Too often, as seen in the book, many of the tribal population are drawn into the world of white culture and feel as though they can never get back to their true selves. This is seen along the river where people sleep in boxes and would do anything for alcohol, which was they case with Tayo’s mother. Betonie serves as a equilibrium in a way because he keeps the tradition of the Indian culture, while at the same time using white culture to his advantage