Sunday, October 26, 2008

Don't Let the Sun Step Over You: Chapter 2

After reading this chapter I thought about how much time and energy it took the Native families to travel to get food and supplies. In the beginning of the chapter where it talks about the family traveling to get their rations, it apparently took about a week for them to get to San Carlos where the rations were being distributed. I couldn't imagine myself traveling on foot for weeks or days at a time. It is so easy for us to get what we need now; all we have to do is hop in our cars and drive to the grocery store down the street.
Another part in the chapter that was interesting, yet sad to read about, was the death of the narrator's brother. He and three other boys had to tear down a wikiup that had caught on fire during a lightening storm. Because of the fumes and smoke from the yucca the boys all got sick and died. When I read this I wondered if smoke inhalation was even a thought when the teacher made the boys tear it down and obviously it was not. Also the thought that the fumes were so deadly and the teacher new it was terrible because that means that he murdered those children and all that happened after that was he fled and was never seen again. H was not presecuted or anything like that.
The story of the Badger's Eye was a good one. I never knew that Black eyed peas had a story behind them in any other culture besides my own. I knowthat black eyed peas are a huge part of African American culture. We eat them on most holidays, and they are a staple in bringing in the New year because they bring good luck.

1 comment:

Karin said...

I was also amazed by how much was involved in getting the rations that were provided by the government. However, I thought it was wonderful how the family made do with these meager items and were still managing to live off the land while being forced to travel so far, and to such different climates inorder for some members of the family to find work. Also, as the stories are told from the perspectives of a child, eventhough in hindsight she seems a little more aware of the hardships her family faced, most of the time, I get the impression that she is happy with the way her life was going, spening time with her close family, grandparents, and other relatives.