Heritage

  In this poem the girl describes all of the features she takes after her family members. She feels as if this is important because she wants to fit in with her family. Being able to describe the same features her other family members have is important to her. All of her family members are full blooded Native American and she feels like she is a disappointment." It was the brown stain that covered my white shirt, my whiteness a shame". (28-30) this girl should be accepted for how she is because she is a part of the family. She is the only one that sees her as a disappointment to the family. "She said it is wise to eat flesh of deer so you will be swift and travel over many miles" (40-41). Her grandmother says this to the girl because she wants her to understand that by eating flesh of deer, it will help you stay strong when traveling. The grandmother sees her heritage as very important because they are seen as very important people. "She says tobacco would purge your body of poisons. It has more medicine than stones and knives against your enemies." The grandmother thinks of tobacco as being something good for the body when she mentions how it has more medicine than stones and knives against your enemies. This girl is proud of her family's heritage and shows that she wants to learn all the things about it. The girl takes after some of her mom’s features such as her skin her breasts. "She left me with the smell of baking bread to warm fine hair in my nostrils; she left the large white breasts that weigh down my body". (3-6) I think the girl is complaining about the features that she takes after her mother because of how she says, her breasts weigh her down and she sees her face take on lines that her mother has. The uncle that had sang to her, sang of chants. The father did not want her to remember the words to the songs. Her father must have felt like it was an unneeded thing for her to know. "From my grandfather who never spoke I learned to fear silence." (17-18) I feel what the grandfather meant by this is, don't always trust the silence because it could end up being a bad situation.  At the end of the poem the girl mentions how she has learned the family's secrets. She has learned history and important things that need to be known of never having a home. I can see from this poem these people are smart and have common sense. They have pride in what they describe about their heritage because they are proud of it. I think it is important for people to show their happiness for the nationality they have because that is a part of you. These people show that they are strong willed determined people that appreciate the things that they have in their life at the time.