Hello all,
Hope you are all enjoying your summer break! Summer is flying by. Please read April's post. This will give you a better understanding of what is expected from this summer book club. I really appreciate seeing you all take time from your summer to participate. Thank you so much.
This week's assignment will be to read Part One "Preseason". Please list ah ha's from this section of the book, what essential understanding does this section of the book cover, one to two questions you have or you can pose to the group relating to part 1 only.
Please post by Sunday the 11th. All posts will be due on a Sunday. This weeks is extended due to the holiday weekend. Thank you.
Have a great 4th!
Kim
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Essential Understanding:
ReplyDelete“There is great diversity among individual American Indians as identity is developed, defined and redefined
by entities, organizations and people. A continuum of Indian identity, unique to each individual,
ranges from assimilated to traditional. There is no generic American Indian.”
Thoughts:
Colton came to Hardin with some very typical biases of Native Americans. I have to wonder if it clouded his vision of his experience in Montana.
A good read, but can’t help but think his writing has to offend the Crow people.
Question:
What drives Coach Macs discrepancies in disciplining her players?
I agree with Sue. I am uncomfortable reading this book. Colton presents himself as a simple bystander; observing and reporting. He seems to bring some real biases to town along with him. His writing seems to just further these stereotypes. Examples of these stereotypes include where he talks about the drunken Indians, Crow Time, and Indians blowing government money. I also feel uncomfortable as he describes these young kids. I feel he is almost voyeuristic. I get this visual of him looking these young girls up and down, with more than just basketball on his mind. An example of this would be on page 4 when he first sees Sharon. He states,
ReplyDelete“Tall and slender, she has a quiet beauty—high cheek-bones, dark hair, mahogany eyes—yet she is not a celluloid Pocahontas or a black velvet rendition of an Indian princess [more stereotyping]. Her appeal is subtler. It is the way she moves, a grace, languid, fluid, sexy. All without effort. She seems mysterious, detached.”
Now I know that he is trying to present a picture for the reader, but these first observations seem odd to me. I agree that this author surely offends the Crow people. If I find it offensive, surely they must.
I believe that the main Essential Understanding being addressed is number two: There is great diversity among individual American Indians as identity is developed, defined and redefined by entities, organizations and people. A continuum of Indian identity, unique to each individual, ranges from assimilated to traditional. There is no generic American Indian.( I also see some others being worked in, but by in large Part I is all about stereotypes).
My question would be: Do any of the rest of you feel as I do about Part I? Also, he writes about Sharon’s feelings a lot in these chapters. I find myself wondering if he acquired this personal information from interviews, or if he is just taking some liberties. He doesn’t often directly quote anyone. What do you all think?
In response to Sue’s question: What drives coach Mac’s discrepancies in disciplining her players? This is another thing that makes me uncomfortable. I believe all of the players should be treated the same, but even in schools all around us, some athletes are favored over others and I see inequities. In Hardin, with Coach Mac, it seems to be all cultural. I get the feeling she doesn’t want to offend, doesn’t want to deal with the controversy that would arise if she questions the absences excused by cultural events, and mostly, she doesn’t want to lose her best players, so she just ignores it all.
I had to laugh when I read Dori's observation/thought about the author being vouyeristic when talking about the physical attributes of the female students. I totally agree! I think using the word "sexy" to describe an underage girl is a little touchy, to say the least (no pun intended).
ReplyDeletePart one is COMPLETELY about stereotypes. Like Sue and Dori, I too was uncomfortable reading some of his descriptions of the Crow people and Native Americans in general. I understand that, as an author, it is important to paint a picture of the people you are writing about (he has done a great job in doing so). However, I think that he should be quoting more of his subjects when referring to such things as "Crow Time" (that really made me uncomfortable!).
Was it as surprising to anyone else that basketball is such a driving force on the Crow Reservation/Hardin area? That was a real eye-opener for me. Maybe it's because the high school I attended in Montana was Class AA, but I would think that, with so much talent over the years coming out of the Crow/Hardin area, I would have heard something along the way.
Hello all,
ReplyDeleteThis first week’s reading was very difficult to read. I had so many pages marked that would have to be addressed, researched, and talked about that it was almost overwhelming. I believe that the author should have taken more time to interview more of the tribe to gain more perspective of the Crow culture, history, and present issues before ever publishing the book. He did not reference anything in the first part which is a red flag warning when it comes to using native stories in the classroom. Books like this should be read by the tribal elders to be approved before someone publishes it.
I too believe that the essential understanding being addressed most is number two: There is great diversity among individual American Indians as identity is developed, defined and redefined by entities, organizations and people. A continuum of Indian identity, unique to each individual, ranges from assimilated to traditional. There is no generic American Indian. The author in the first part seems to lump the Crow into one or two categories. His biases truly cloud his vision of the people and the culture. He creates a very negative image of Crow people. That is too bad.
One question that came to mind as I was reading part one was how can a person work in community and not want to learn about the culture, history, and importance of present issues? How can one not want to teach native perspective in history, not want to use Native American Literature, etc in the classroom? If one wanted students in Big Horn County to buy into the western education system they one would need to make it meaningful to the learners. It seemed to me that most educators and coaches did not want to take the time do any of this. It made me really sad.
I really agree with Dori’s comment about the appropriateness of the author when he speaks about Sharon. It seems very wrong. Sue’s questions a great one. I do wonder if Coach Mac was afraid to get involved or have to face anger community members. Had she taken the time to get to know the people and the culture she would have had less problems and been able to hold all players to the same rules. She put a knot in the team by her actions or should I say no action at all.
Dori,
ReplyDeleteI too wonder how he could write what people were saying and use quotations unless it came straight from the person. I believe that this author did no such thing. That makes this story even more difficult.
I agree that this book addresses Essential Understanding two. The author does bring his biases to the story but he does state that these were things he was led to believe before he even arrived in Montana. I think he is disturbed by the challenges the young men and women face. He goes to Hardin to discover why “ these intelligent, very capable young men” who are outstanding athletes finish high school without scholarships or skills for their future. This is an important question and it is still a problem.
ReplyDeleteHe shares his biases and writes about how he was led to believe that Indians are emotional people who blow their money and have family and booze problems but adds sarcastically, “Doesn’t everyone know that?” He then continues to share his own experiences and problems with money and alcohol. I think he tries to help the reader see that it is not simply an “Indian problem.” It is hard to hear what (some) of the people of Hardin think of the Crow but it is also important to understand the students’ lives and the bias and prejudice Indians face. If we, as educators, are going to help rid people of their biases we have to know what they are.
@ Dori- at first read Colton’s language didn’t stand out but after you commented I reread and did think his choice of language was odd. I think he was trying to explain how this young woman drew him in and how his idea for a story changed. He definitely could have use more appropriate language especially considering that he goes on to write about her relationship with her older boyfriend.
@Sue- I think Coach Mac’s response is a combination of fear of cultural backlash and not wanting to lose her best players (as Dori also stated). As a teacher I find it hard at times to punish a student for something that maybe isn’t their fault because they do not know differently.
I guess my question is: If Sharon has grown up in a society that doesn’t fit into schedules or lives by “Crow time” is it right to punish her? If she is to be successful and try to earn a scholarship isn’t that important she learn?
I agree with all comments so far about biases, the essential understanding two, and some of the language. However, I come at this from a different point of view. I read the book when it was originally published in 2000. I hadn't taken any Indian Ed. classes but have lived on or near Indian reservations. The first time I read it I thoroughly enjoyed it because I was reading it from a sports angle as well as having lived in that area. I was familiar with all the towns and the sports teams. I didn't think about biases because a lot of what the author writes about and his first impressions were what I thought and a lot of others thought. I read it for the pure enjoyment of a good sports story. Reading it for a second time, I can see where the content is upsetting to the Crows and "students" like us who are more knowledgeable about Native Americans. That's my "aha" moment--reading it through different eyes than the first time. I have to agree with the author, though, that many Native American athletes are given a golden opportunity to further their education for free, but have trouble adapting to college. That's why it's exciting to see the Native American program and building at the U. of M.
ReplyDeleteNow about Coach Mac. She treated the white girls and Native American ones the same. She played her star players almost to the point of exhaustion and rarely substituted either whites or Native Americans. She is not unlike many coaches I have been around--anywhere. Their goal is to win at the varsity level and star players are often treated differently. They shouldn't be but they are.
@Annika--You said you were surprised at the pressure and the driving force of basketball on the Crow Reservation. Again, having lived in Montana almost all of my life and living in different areas, this is true of all towns where Native Americans play. For example, when Arlee comes to to play Victor, there are a lot of spectators. That is why there was so much pressure on Sharon. She was a star.
ReplyDelete~Vicki-- I loved reading about how you had a different perspective. It gave me a lot to think about. I'm sure my thoughts would be different if I didn't have so much recent training. I kind of envy your position; it must be interesting two read it through the second time. I'm sure you are noticing all sorts of things you hadn't noticed the first time. You made me think of it in both lights, and I have found ways to appreciate the story as well as be critical of it.
ReplyDelete~Tracy--I think Sharon shouldn't be "punished" for the values (or lack there of) she has grown up with, but rather educated more about it. As educators (coaches) we are to do our best to make sure our students are successful. Letting her get away with missing practices and being late without having her pay the same consequences as the others is not helping her in any way. It also created a lot of animosity from the other players, which just furthers the stereotypes and ill feelings. I think she needed to know that the team is just that, a team. Teams work together for the good of the whole. Fighting this particular cultural issue would not make Coach Mac popular; but she is not there to be popular. I guess I compare it to those kids in my classes who never do their homework because their parents don't place any importance on it. This is how those kids have grown up, but I don't let them get away with it because I feel that is not leading them to be successful in the future.
Ha, please ignore my typos! I should always have someone else read my writing before posting it! Sorry!
ReplyDeleteHey, book club, Jennifer chiming in.
ReplyDeleteI've read the blog comments and wanted to bring up a few things. Colton appears in town as an observer with some prevalent biases. (Sue correctly sets the tone). He introduces us to the cast and tries to hint at what drives each character. It is because of this that EU 2 applies to this section. (My take). He also tells a compelling story. His description of the bleak surrounding plays into his tried and true sports cliche-Sharon may not be the "celuloid Pocohontas", but she is "Cinderella outta nowhere". (I just had a friend visit from the big city and tried to see Montana through his eyes--plus, we visited Butte. There is great beauty in this state and also much neglect. It makes the boarded up buildings, or the surprise of a basketball genius pounding the rickety pavement poignant, to say the least. Will these diamonds ever get polished up so they can shine)? That's the sports story he came to Hardin to tell. He just thought it initially would be about the boys team. He's all about the game.
I'm not a sports fan, so I appreciate someone talking me through that stuff and making it interesting. His initial description of Sharon didn't bother me so much. "Sexy" didn't bother me. I find the choreography at dance recitals more overtly disturbing because those kids really are trying to be all that. I did think the sleepover with Holly a bit voyeuristic in that he described an intimate and ostensibly true situation. It reads like a mood piece. Suddenly he knew all the dirt on what they did and what they thought while compulsively chasing Randy Not Afraid. Fiction or non-fiction? Heresay or fact? Colton won the ear of many a teenaged girl for this story. Would we be so upset if he had carried out his original storyfinding mission with the boys team? Not likely. It is notable that Colton was a high school teacher at one time. As an athlete and a parent he doesn't see himself as an outsider. From the female teachers who have weighed in on this blog perhaps he should. Small town scrutiny of what people think and feel really varies. (EU 2)! There are many versions of the same story in a small town.
I agree with the other book club members that Essential Understanding # 2: There is great diversity among individual American Indians as identity is developed, defined and redefined by entities, organizations, and people. A continuum of Indian identity, unique to each individual, ranges from assimilated to traditional. There is no unique American Indian. Larry Colton arrives to spend a year on the Crow Reservation researching and writing a book on high school basketball with what seems a generic bias of all American Indians. It is unfortunate, at this stage of the book, he doesn’t come in more open minded and just focus on the Crow people and community of Hardin. Having lived in Northern Arizona and spending time with many Native Americans, such as the Navajo, Hopi, and Apache, I’ve developed an appreciation of how unique each tribe is.
ReplyDeleteNever having read this book, I am hoping the author will personalize the remainder of the book to incorporate more of the uniqueness of the Crow people and move away from these generalizations of all American Indians.
The author includes some comments from the Crow in his interactions with them that let me know they have quite the sense of humor. On page 15, when the toothless women circles around him riding his bike and says “In case you’re interested, you’re going four miles an hour” shows a humor of the Crow that I hope to see more of in this book.
Questions I might pose to the group are: Do you think the author will move away from a generalized bias approach of writing to a more personal interaction approach or continue with this form of sensationalism and Do you think the author will share more of the beauty he finds in his interactions with the people and landscape of the Crow Indian Reservation?
Dori, and others bring up the “voyeuristic “approach of the authors “picture” of some of the girls. This did cause me to second think his choice of words and I agree it was a bit odd.
My ah ha moment had to be how dysfunctional the community seemed to be in the fact that the American Indians and white people do not communicate with each other very well. Here they are living side-by-side and, for whatever reasons, seemingly don’t want to help each other. This seemed even more prevalent in the school setting, which is more disturbing to me. I also enjoyed Vicki's ah ha moment and look forward to hearing how "different" it will be for her reading through a different set of eyes.
I agree with the other book club members that Essential Understanding # 2: There is great diversity among individual American Indians as identity is developed, defined and redefined by entities, organizations, and people. A continuum of Indian identity, unique to each individual, ranges from assimilated to traditional. There is no unique American Indian. Larry Colton arrives to spend a year on the Crow Reservation researching and writing a book on high school basketball with what seems a generic bias of all American Indians. It is unfortunate, at this stage of the book, he doesn’t come in more open minded and just focus on the Crow people and community of Hardin. Having lived in Northern Arizona and spending time with many Native Americans, such as the Navajo, Hopi, and Apache, I’ve developed an appreciation of how unique each tribe is.
ReplyDeleteNever having read this book, I am hoping the author will personalize the remainder of the book to incorporate more of the uniqueness of the Crow people and away from these generalizations of all American Indians.
The author includes some comments from the Crow in his interactions with them that let me know they have quite the sense of humor. On page 15, when the toothless women circles around him riding his bike and says “In case you’re interested, you’re going four miles an hour” shows a humor of the Crow that I hope I see more of in this book.
Questions I might pose to the group are: Do you think the author will move away from a generalized bias approach of writing to a more personal interaction approach or continue with this form of sensationalism and Do you think the author will share more of the beauty he finds in his interactions with the people and landscape of the Crow Indian Reservation?
Dori, and others bring up the “voyeuristic “approach of the authors “picture” of some of the girls. This did cause me to second think his choice of words and I agree it was a bit odd.
My ah ha moment had to be how dysfunctional the community seemed to be in the fact that the American Indians and white people do not communicate with each other very well. Here they are living side-by-side and, for whatever reasons, seemingly don’t want to help each other. This seemed even more prevalent in the school setting, which is more disturbing to me.
I'm also interested in hearing from Vicki as her ah ha moment is the opportunity to read the book again, through a new set of eyes. Like Dori, I'm looking forward to hearing how you "see" the book through this time. As far as Coach Mac goes, at this point I am going to give her the benefit of disciplining as she sees fit. I know it doesn't seem fair, especially to some of the other girls, but their apparent acceptance of it so far leaves me to believe Coach is doing the right thing for all the girls
ReplyDelete