Journal #6: Zitkala Sa (Gertrude Simmons Bonnin)

"I was a wild little girl of seven. Loosely clad in a slip of brown buckskin, and light-footed with a pair of soft moccasins on my feet, I was as free as the wind that blew my hair, and no less spirited than a bounding deer. These were my mother's pride, -- my wild freedom and overflowing spirits. She taught me no fear save that of intruding myself upon others."



In Impressions of an Indian Childhood, Zitkala Sa beautifully crafts the images of her youth as a Sioux Indian on the verge of major transition, but so far, unaware. Although the whole story is rich with exquisite language, this particular passage is one of my favorites. The author makes it so easy for the reader to "see" the little girl, wild with beauty. The passage says so much about her as a child, about her mother and their relationship, and about the spirit of a Native American child before unfortunate "detribalization."

The story is an autobiographical account of Zitkala Sa and her struggle with the white man as he forces her to comform to a life like that of white children. She is resistant, and describes the desirable life she left behind, which she was lured away from by the empty promises of the white missionaries.
What strikes me most about Impressions of an Indian Childhood is the wonderful imagery! I can't get over how lost I was able to get in her scenery, and she accomplishes this in an uncomplicated way. She was a master of simplistic but effective metaphor, and there is such an impressive flow in her language and form. I think I'm overdoing it now... My point has been made. ;-)