Rebecca A. (qitten) reviewed From Sand Creek: Rising in This Heart Which Is Our America (Sun Tracks) on + 7 more book reviews
There is quite a lot here tying the massacre of Native Americans (at the site that is this book's namesake and in general) to more contemporary instances of American attempts at imperialism and the atrocities that happened there (Vietnam). Seeing self as a victim vs. moving beyond that victimization. The commonality of people "on the ground" before those spouting The Message corrupts that sameness. Manifest Destiny. Cultural dissonance.
I suppose if this feels a little redundant in the sense that I've seen or come across all these messages before already in contemporary writing from other Native American / indigenous folk, I also had to stop look at the publication date. This book is nearly thirty years old. It's like watching a classic movie after seeing all of the more recent movies that borrowed what were, when the classic first came out, totally new and original ideas.
All encapsulated in sparse poetry with short prose introductions (that frequently explain, in fewer words, what is going on in the poem in question).
The rating has nothing to do with the significance of this collection but more to do with the fact that I personally don't enjoy sparse poetry. 'Never say in five words what you can take six paragraphs to incoherently address' is my motto.
I suppose if this feels a little redundant in the sense that I've seen or come across all these messages before already in contemporary writing from other Native American / indigenous folk, I also had to stop look at the publication date. This book is nearly thirty years old. It's like watching a classic movie after seeing all of the more recent movies that borrowed what were, when the classic first came out, totally new and original ideas.
All encapsulated in sparse poetry with short prose introductions (that frequently explain, in fewer words, what is going on in the poem in question).
The rating has nothing to do with the significance of this collection but more to do with the fact that I personally don't enjoy sparse poetry. 'Never say in five words what you can take six paragraphs to incoherently address' is my motto.
