Cardon - Sarajevo

This blog is on the novel The Cellist of Sarajevo and the movie Welcome to Sarajevo both being depictions of the Siege of Sarajevo. The siege of Sarajevo lasted from April 5, 1992 to February 29, 1996 with a death toll totaling 10,000 including 1,500 children. The worst years were the first two. Multiple mass- Mass killings of civilians and structural damage to nearly every building in the city left its demoralized inhabitants in dire straights. Serbs forces targeted hospitals, schools, and public areas which placed the citizens in a medieval state of living. The Cellist of Sarajevo is a fictional telling of three different peoples, Kenan, Dragan, and Arrow, perspectives of the miserable life in the city under siege. Their stories center around a Bosnian cellist who played in the same place at 4:00 pm everyday for 22 days in memory of 22 innocents killed by a mortar bomb while in line for bread. This was an actual cellist born of Bosnia, Vedran Smajlović, who would play in the ruined buildings of Sarajevo during the siege. Smajlović escaped the city in 1993. The movie, Welcome to Sarajevo follows two reporters who live in the city during the siege and attempt to tell the story to the world. The characters have different objectives and motives but work toward the same goal. Michael Henderson, an ITN reporter attempts to convey the story through the images of an orphanage while American star reporter Jimmy Flynn tries to capture the big picture. They do this for different reasons but the ultimate goal is to tell the world about what was happening in Sarajevo. For selfish motives or selfless motives, the world needed to know about the horrors of the siege and they were the only people there to tell it. In reality, the siege was mostly ignored by the media, and the world left the situation resolve itself. The movie shows some of the dehumanization that was occurring in the siege. The book also paints a picture of the citizens of Sarajevo's horrid daily lives. This type of dehumanization is only found in genocides or war. These stories stress the idea that we must respect our fellow man and come to his/her id when needed.

Fisher - Sarajevo

Sarajevo is the capital city of Bosnia. It was known to be a beautiful city with much culture and happy inhabitants. However, during the years of 1992-1996 the city was under siege during the Bosnian War. The siege of Sarajevo was muffled by the media during these years and little news about the on-goings in the area was heard. I was familiar with this terrible event at a young age as a grew up with an evacuee of Bosnia. My friend Amar and I grew up and went to school together since the tender age of 5. I knew he was from Europe, particularly a place called Bosnia, which I figured to be Eastern European. Sadly, this was the extent of my knowledge of his situation at the time. It was not until I entered high school that my mother explained his situation to me. She made me aware of the war and atrocity that he and his parents had fled from. Had I known this when we had gone to school together I don't know if I would have acted any differently toward him, or if I could have even grasped the concept of what his family (in US and Bosnia) was going through. Whatever the case would have been, we are still friends today and he returns to Bosnia quite often to visit his family there. Lucky for him, Sarajevo is the fastest growing city in Bosnia, and a bustling capital with a vibrant culture. I would love to visit with him next time he returns.

With that in mind, the discussion this week is on the book The Cellist of Sarajevo and the movie Welcome to Sarajevo. They show different perspectives of what went on in the city during the siege. The book follows three separate people who are linked by the appearance of a cellist whom played everyday for 22 days in the streets of Sarajevo. He was playing for the 22 innocent lives lost during a bombing. The cellist inspired thousands who heard of his cause and how he continued to play everyday despite threats to his life and proximity to constant danger. This was his way of standing up to oppression, and showing his resolve in the face of a "never-ending" siege upon his city and his people. The people in turn mimicked his resolve, and protected him when he played. The Cellist of Sarajevo gives the reader an image of the victim's standpoint during the siege of Sarajevo.

The movie, Welcome to Sarajevo, follows different groups of reporters who were in the city during the siege. There are those who seek fame, focus on a small section, or try to capture the entire tale. Either way, their efforts were to expose to the world what was happening in the streets of Sarajevo. Regardless of whether this was done for fame, the story, or to save lives, it needed to be done. People need to see what is happening to their fellow man, across the world or in their backyard. Every nation should be aware of what was happening in there, and these were the people to make sure that everyone knew. Yet, despite their efforts, the media turned a blind eye to what was happening in Bosnia. No one interceded on the innocent's behalf or stopped the mass killings. I suppose the world assumed things would work themselves out in 1992... 93.. 94... and so on. The truth must be told, the world cannot ignore the lives of countless innocents lost. We must pave the way the a new future, one where we are aware of the atrocities that mankind is capable of. We must have the knowledge and intelligence to choose other options, or crush ignorance before it rears its ugly head.

Dacula: The Value of Humanity

In both the novel The Cellist of Sarajevo and the film Welcome to Sarajevo, we see the longest siege in recent human history portrayed in very different ways.

The novel centers around four characters: Kenan, Arrow, Dragan, and the cellist of Sarajevo. Kenan is the first character we meet that helps to depict the terror and effects the Bosnian Serb forces inflict on the city of Sarajevo. Kenan tries to avoid the terror going on in the city for four days, but eventually decides to leave and get water for his wife and children as well as his self-centered and mean neighbor (we see his character trait of selflessness when he decides to get water for his neighbor as well). His decision to get water for his family is not an easy task, however. In doing this, Kenan puts himself at risk of open gunfire and the possibility of buildings being bombed around him as he travels. His only motivation for doing this is survival, not only for himself but for his family. Arrow is the next character we meet, though she does not want to face this real name. Arrow’s name reminds her of happier times before the siege began. We read that she is called Arrow “so that the person who fought and killed could someday be put away.” She struggles throughout the novel with this dark time as well as her morality. Arrow is chosen to protect the cellist as he plays for 22 days as a requiem for the 22 people who were killed. Towards the end of the novel, we see that Arrow must face who she is. When the war is over, we read that Arrow longs to be her old self who “hated nobody.” She must face her true self, however, and after the war, comes to terms with the possibility that her old self may not even exist. Dragan sends his wife and son out of the city as the war begins. He is paralyzed by fear. Dragan’s mission is to cross the street to survive. If he doesn’t do this, he will eventually die, but if he does, he risks being shot.

While the novel is called The Cellist of Sarajevo, we do not read much about this character in the novel. We know that the cellist witnessed a shelling attack from her window. This prompts him to play for 22 days in memory of 22 lives killed, lives that were his friends and neighbors. In playing this ode to their lives, we see the cellist’s refusal to lose his humanity. In spite of the risks associated with playing, including the risk on his life, he continues to do so.  

What resonates with all four characters in the novel is the fact that they are everyday people who must act as heroes for their own survival and the survival of their loved ones. Each character’s task is a risk on their lives. However, these characters try to do everything in their power to hold on to their lives and not give up so easily. They find value in their life in spite of the “men on the hill” threatening their well-being every day they walk outside.

In the film, the story focuses on two journalists, Flynn and Henderson. These journalists fly to Sarajevo from the UK to report on the siege occurring in the city. While the film obviously takes a different approach than the novel by initially focusing on the journalists, both works preserve the element of the cellist as the central metaphor of the siege. Flynn and Henderson find an orphanage as they travel around Sarajevo and cannot help but take action to save them, particularly a child named Emira. Henderson tries to get her away from Sarajevo but eventually must bring her back because her mother wanted her back. His attempt to save these children puts his own life and survival at risk in the midst of this war. We see by the end of the film that Henderson was able to adopt Emira. The cellist plays at the end of the film in the middle of the city. The cellist makes it his duty to see that these people do not die in a state of desolation by playing his music for them, even if people were going to die by listening to it. By having them listen to music in the face of death, they would not have to die in vain and misery.

While we see the siege of Sarajevo in different lights with the film and novel, we see one particular theme resonating strongly in both works: the value and worth of humanity. In the novel, we read about four characters whose sole reason for survival is that they value life and the lives of their loved ones too much to give it up so easily to the Bosnian Serbs. In the film, we see that not only do people find worth in living, but complete strangers also find value in others, and as an extension, value in the hope for humanity. The cellist, like Szpilman in The Pianist, uses music as a metaphor to keeping humanity alive in the face of utter desolation.

Pauli - Sarajevo, A city in ruins

In 1992 the city of Sarajevo was seized by Bosnian forces. During the four year war approximately 10,000 people died, most of which were civilians. Both the movie, Welcome to Sarajevo, and the novel The Cellist of Sarajevo try to capture the personal stories of various victims.

The Cellist of Sarajevo, by Steven Galloway tells the story of four victims that are caught in the Bosnian War. For example, Dragan who has sent his son and wife away to safety, tries to make it through the streets without being shot. He often thinks about his family and how life would be if he left his city behind. Kenan lives with his wife and son. Every few days he must venture out into the city to retrieve water for his family and awful neighbor. Kenan lives in fear each time he leaves to get water, not knowing if he will make it back. Arrow is a young woman who is a sniper for the forces within the city. She is torn between her previous life before the war and her current situation. Finally, the cellist connects the three individuals with his music. The cellist witnesses the murder of twenty-two friends and neighbors. To honor each one lost, he plays for twenty-two days in the city unprotected.

The Cellist of Sarajevo, gives insight into not only genocide but the loss of a city. Each individual is affected by the killings. People could not even walk the streets without being in constant fear. The people in the novel have to make the choice to survive and live only for themselves or help others even if it means death for them. Kenan gets water for his family and his neighbor. He choses to not let the war take away his humanity. Similar to the way the cellist holds onto humanity by honoring the people who were murdered. Thus, his playing is his way of revolting against the war. The citizens are trying to cope with the changes within their city. The lives they once knew to how they are living in the war.

Welcome to Sarajevo, directed by Michael Winterbottom is a film that depicts the Bosnian war. Journalist Michael Henderson goes to Sarajevo to find stories. Henderson learns of an orphanage with children who live on the edge of danger. The little concern individuals within the city and outside of the country have for these children is extremely alarming. Henderson cannot seem to leave the "story" alone and becomes attached to saving the children. The writer actually goes to the lenght of taking a girl, Emira back with him to England illegally.

It is interesting how the film is shot from an outsiders perspective. While Henderson is only a reporter, only meant to deliver information about the war, he cannot help himself from caring about the children. It is important to note how an individual can transform into a hero simply by caring and helping another. Henderson risks his life for the young girl, while others choose to not even believe there is a strong need for assistance in Sarajevo.

Coulter-Cellist of Sarajevo

The Cellist of Sarajevo takes an actual event (The Cellist playing) during the four year siege of Sarajevo and take an in depth look at the possible ways it touched the war torn area. Within the novel the three main characters try to come to grips with the vastly altered reality their city has become. Each of these characters are touched by the playing, and each is able to find a form of peace from it. My favorite character from the novel is by far Arrow. To me she represented a perfect internal view of what the siege had done to the inhabitants of the city. She has given up her name in order to deal with hate that she feels and must deal with from the men on the hills. It is only in her last moments that she is able to retrieve her name as a last defiant act against the hate she has been forced to endure and the actions she has done as a means of retaliation against those who brought out that hate. The other two major characters Dagan and Kenan also helped express the internal struggle that the people of Sarajevo had to undergo for the most basic parts of their lives, to go to work and get water for your family. Kenen expressed just how muted reality could become when being forced to try to live in that kind of world created by grey destruction. And Dagan showed how disconnected a person could get from his fellow man when he was unable to help his friend who had been shot. It is only when the outside world tries to interfere, in the form of the cameraman, that Dagan is able to connect again with the world and with the hat less man. This cameraman represents the prying eye of the media that was not concerned with helping the people but with capturing certain aspects of their suffering in order to further exploit them. The outside world as represented here is just as cruel as the men on the hill who actively kill the men and women in the city, due to their lack of true concern for their fellow human beings.
There were several things that made this novel feel very real firstly, the vast geographic correlations within the stories. You could really trace the movements of each of the characters and fell as though you knew your way around the city. Secondly, the well constructed imagery when detailing the vast destruction of the town, how the trams were now shelters against snipers, the plastic over all the windows, and the still intact mirror at the intersection. And the other thing that made this fictional account seem real was the questions that each character asked about the nature of this war. Each of the characters looked at the men on the hill as not just as the victimizer's of the situations but wondered if they shared in the same humanity that they did.
The one character that's voice is only glimpsed at is the title character the cellist himself. Within the novel he actively deals with the suffering of the city in the only way he is capable of doing so, by playing. His is the one voice that ties the whole city and each of the characters together, not in anger but in hope and longing. And though his playing he is even able to touch the heart of the enemy sniper and make a statement that is louder than the falling shells.

Miller-Sarajevo

HAPPY THANKSGIVING/BLACK FRIDAY EVERYONE!

The Cellist of Sarajevo takes place in the early 90’s, when the city of Sarajevo was under siege from Bosnian military forces. All of the main characters are on different paths; however, all of their stories are told in the book, and are intertwined in one way or another. Kenan is perhaps the most innocent out of any of the characters; he is on a journey through town to collect drinkable water for his family. Dragan is on his way to work. However, it is important to remember the circumstances surrounding Sarajevo: total chaos, destruction, and mutiny in the city streets of Sarajevo. Finally, there is Arrow, a Sarajevan sniper who is struggling to maintain her independence throughout the story.

During the course of all the chaos and violence in the streets, a bomb goes off outside a Sarajevan bakery, killing 22 people. The cellist, who is deeply affected after viewing these tragic events, decides to play Albioni’s Adagio on the site of the bombing. He decides to play for 22 consecutive days, one day for each life lost due to the bombings. One point worth mentioning is the symbolism of the cellist to the Sarajevans. To them, he symbolizes hope and opportunity. This helps explain why Arrow, a former champion of the university shooting team, is assigned as a sniper to help defend the cellist; to lose the cellist would mean losing everything.

Welcome to Sarajevo begins with Michael Henderson, a reporter, traveling to Sarajevo in the hopes of getting stories and pictures. Their voyage allows them to truly see the suffering and pain that the people of Sarajevo were going through. Eventually, Henderson visits an orphanage and is shocked at the deplorable conditions the children of Sarajevo are forced to live in. He eventually comes into contact with an aid worker, Nina, and they work to smuggle several children out of the country.

While the situations surrounding the two wars are/were completely different, several comparisons can be made regarding the siege on Sarajevo and the continued occupation of Iraq by American military troops. In both situations, the civilians, who are not involved directly in the war or violence, are being hurt. There have been multiple reports from Iraqi citizens of bombings, shootings, and abuses by soldiers of citizens that include shooting without provocation, beatings, and even allegations of rape. Lawlessness and chaos has taken over. While not nearly the same extreme, we saw this, in a way, after Hurricane Katrina. Looters had taken to the streets, stealing anything they could. Regular citizens were shooting suspected looters, which included people who were taking food from grocery stores because there were no other options. All of these examples show that when lawlessness and anarchy occurs, chaos and violence ensue. It is indeed sad, but it almost seems to be unavoidable.

Asmussen- Sarajevo

In the book The Cellist of Sarajevo, we see the siege through the eyes of three distinct characters and points of view. Kenan is very aware of the destruction and corruption that surrounds him. Each time he goes to collect water he sees how the city has been bombed and thinks about how he will be one of the ones that gets to rebuild it. He seems to have the most objective view of the city. Dragan does not want to see what has been done to his city. He doesn’t want to see people he once knew because he doesn’t want to see how their faces have changed, aged and gotten slimmer. He hides from the reality until he can no longer avoid seeing the destruction. Arrow also gives an objective point of view when describing the death she has seen surrounding her. She is not as sentimental in her descriptions of the destructions of the buildings and focuses more on the death of innocent people.

Even though some of these characters do not want to see the reality of what has happened to their city, they can’t do anything but face the music and its reality. Those who are not citizens, however, seemed to be presented with a skewed perception of the city.In the book we are told that the outside world really doesn’t know much about what is going on in Sarajevo. The world would not comprehend what is going on. We are told that one street in the city has been given the nickname “Sniper Alley.” However, this nickname has been given to the street by the foreigners because it is the street that leads from the airport to their hotel. Dragan finds humor in this because in reality any street could be named this. However, foreigners seem to be only aware of what affects them. At the end of the book we also see

In the movie Welcome to Sarajevo, we are shown the view from the perspective of journalists. They are part of the outside world but temporarily placed in Sarajevo. Michael Henderson, the main character, is a journalist who is attempting to show the outside world what is going on in the city. At one point he it outraged that the news of what is going on in Sarajevo has been placed second because the main headline is about the a possible divorce of two prominent people in England. This shows how the world truly sees Sarajevo, as only the 13th worst place in the world!

In most cases, modern warfare is dehumanized because it is done from afar. There is no face to face combat and in the movie the enemy is never shown. Because there are such large explosions. The attempt to dehumanize the war doesn’t work on Michael, he gets pulled in. While Flynn seems to think that its all a game and constantly jokes about it, Michael is very much affected by the death he sees around him. He sees death for the individual and not the masses. Michael gets so involved that he takes Emira out of the orphanage and back with him to England. Unlike other journalists he doesn’t just stand by and record everything. He brings back humanity into the war and no longer stands in the background pretending that simply because you are a journalist means you don’t have to get involved.

Weed - Media

The cellist struck me the most because I am a person who expects to see quick results amongst practical reasoning. The cellist on the other hand would go outside and play his cello for the purpose to mourn the dead , and eventually became a symbol. People were trying to kill him, but he continued to play. I expected someone rushing into danger and rescuing people or someone taking physical action to end evil, but he did so peacefully. From doing so he was able to inspire many, he was able to give hope, and people would protect him as he played. His actions showed how far people would go to save others.
“Welcome to Sarajevo” on the other hand attempted to show how the media, and the life Sarajevo truly was. By watching the media, it revealed the multiple perspectives on how people view them entirely. There is the man who is out there for the fame, there is the guy who focuses on the smaller picture (the orphanage) and there is the group who looks at the entire picture. As they do so people are being killed, murdered, and captured because of who they are. The UN struggles to get involved because they fear to take the risk of going against or upsetting a group’s beliefs. Some people think if you continue to show the same thing they will get results, filming the orphanage. Some think if they show people dying on the way to a wedding, or people starving and barricaded behind bars that they will get results. Then there is the guy, who doesn’t care and does what sells. In this case, the man appears to be a hero, but really is not. The film leaves it up to the viewer to decide, how they should view the media.
Although the film didn’t show a lot of it, the viewer is able to see the terrible actions that were taking place in Sarajevo. We see people starving and being starved on purpose. We see people capture and being withheld against their will. Children are unable to leave the country because of who they are or where they have come from. In the film, we learn that the mother of the girl simply abandoned her child. So it is easy to consider that she wasn’t the first. Then there are those that are separated against their own will. All these things are difficult to take in.
The question that comes up is “why we have never known about this war?” The UN kind of answers it by telling the media how their problems are ranked. This draws up an interesting theory or question. What is the best course of action to handle problems? Should people watch and report the problem? Should people focus on all the problems as a whole, or focus on one problem at a time? Maybe do they simply need a hero to rise up? The hero basically reflects back upon the other questions.

Fuhrer: The Siege of Sarajevo

On April 5^th 1992, the Siege of Sarajevo began in the now broken up nation of Yugoslavia. The Serbs who believed that they should be in control of the city began the attack in order to counter the newly elected government which had been formed by both the ethnically Slavic and Muslim population who resided in the city. The Siege not only utilized military attacks such as bombings but also surrounded the entire city making it incredibly dangerous for the people of the city to leave their homes even though they had to as the Serbs stopped food convoys from entering the city to feed the population in order to starve out the population. These kinds of all out attacks while absolutely atrocious was not the first instances of these types of tactics. WW2 with its increased weaponry technology, military tactical formations and policies brought on a much fiercer brutality than with its predecessor which paved the way to many acts of dehumanization to come.

In the film Welcome to Sarajevo and the novel The Cellist of Sarajevo by Stephen Galloway we see two very different perspectives on the siege and although both have been dramatized for effect theses two works help bring one insight in to the everyday lives of the people trying to survive in the Siege.

The Cellist of Sarajevo is a fictional rendition of the true story of Vedran Smajlovic a Cellist for the Sarejevo opera and Symphony (Sarajevo itself had been a thriving metropolis for art and culture before the Siege) who upon learning of a bombing on a breadline during the early days of the siege decides to play Adagio in G Minor for 22 days, each day representing a victim of the assault. His role therefore as the main character shifts to almost a symbol of hope to the people of Sarajevo encouraging them to not give up. After the first chapter we are then introduced in to the lives of three more characters. Dragan a man in his mid sixties who becomes separated from his family because he chooses to stay and look after his apartment, Kennan a man in his forties who is forced to leave his home and risk his life in order to find water and Arrow a female sniper who protects the Cellist while he plays. All three of these characters introduce us to the hardships, which must have been faced but also indicates the reactions of Smajlovic’s music as all three become positively influenced by it.

Welcome to Sarajevo while being completely fictional is set in the style of a documentary and follows reporters as they cover the Siege. Since it is a movie, it is afforded all the advantages of dramatic story telling that is harder to capture with a novel and while I preferred the novel over the film. Its impersonal style gives one a broader outlook on all the citizens rather than points of view of a few key character as with the book. It does also indicate how people who had no personal ties to the siege itself reacted to it and brings up the question of how long can one hide behind a camera before they find it necessary to intercede?The reporter's struggle to get their story heard becomes their personal oppression which they must overcome same as the the citizens of Sarajevo.

Shaw: When does genocide end?

It was very interesting to learn about the Siege of Sarajevo from two very unique perspectives, especially since I'm very unfamiliar with the entire situation. I'm not entirely sure as to why I have yet to encounter this piece of history through my education, and I think it's a bit sad that no educator ever thought it pertinent to teach the story. I think this is one of the overarching themes in these stories though: the ability for society to know about devastation and simply ignore it.

In both stories, The Cellist of Sarajevo and Welcome to Sarajevo, I was amazed by the power of art and creativity to inspire hope. Especially in the story of the Cellist, we see how the cellist's music is not only inspiration for others, but also a force against the occupation. Through their attempts to kill him it is as if they feel threatened by his presence. Since I don't completely understand the mentality of a siege (or war for that matter), I found it difficult to understand why the Serbs cared if one man played an instrument. However, I do understand how captors wish to break the psychological, emotional, and physical wills of their captives. In this instance, through seeking out the cellist, the Serbs are directly acknowledging the power that he has in inspiring others.

In Welcome to Sarajevo, we see a very different perspective of an outsider trying to survive in order to spread a message about what was going on. This story is different from the Cellist because in the Cellist we see the daily lives of several people who have no other options and are forced to survive in an atrocious setting. However, in the film, they are intentionally in Sarajevo trying to get the story out to the rest of the world. What I find fascinating in viewing this film is learning that there were journalists inside Sarajevo and that the real story was being told, yet no one did anything for so long.

I think what bothered me most in being exposed to the Siege of Sarajevo is why it took so long for anythign to happen. I think many Americans identify with the feeling that we are not the "world police," which ultimately I agree with. However, Americans as human beings do have an obligation to their fellow man to do whatever within their power for the greater good. It's fascinating (lack of a better word) that such a horrible event could have occurred so recently, and in fact there are many situations like this still occurring, some on a far worse scale. I think it's easy to talk about genocide and occupation in the context of 60+ years ago because it feels so far removed and it's much easier to say, "we would never let anything like that happen again." But the truth is, we haven't stopped allowing this behavior, we simply turn our heads as long as it's on a smaller scale and doesn't directly threaten our society.

Otto - Connections to Sarajevo

The siege of Sarajevo was one of the largest and longest of modern times where thousands of children and adults were injured and
killed. The Cellist of Sarajevo and Welcome to Sarajevo (1997) are two examples of how different perspectives can bring different themes forward that fuel war, as well as fight and stand against it.

In the cellist of Sarajevo, four lives of four different people who don't know each other are told. While they all seamlessly connect and their lives cross, they have never met. These people are all connected through a cellist, who every day will sit in the middle of the street playing the cello. He does this for twenty two days in a row in memory of the twenty two innocent people who died from a bombing while they were trying to purchase bread that was most likely overpriced. The cellist brought people out and gave them hope; each day he returned to play for the people who died, while those still living listened. This fictional novel, based off of real events and characters uses the power of art and music to bring a society together and to give them hope, and we see this through the perspective of each character. We begin to understand their daily lives, with the horrors surrounding them, as well as how issues were dealt with and how far people will go to save others, may they be family, neighbors, or strangers who inspire.

In Welcome to Sarajevo, director Michael Winterbottom creates Sarajevo as how the rest of the world saw it during the years when it was under siege. In the film, we follow a group of reporters who are all trying to get the best story, while putting their lives in danger, as well as trying to make the world understand the horrors of what is going on in the world. Humanity runs through these journalists as they attempt to save children of an orphanage, as well as connect with anyone willing to share their story to the world. This film is yet another example of how the world turned its back on a group of people.

Both of these works illustrate the horrors of the
siege of Sarajevo from 1992-93, yet one portrays Sarajevo from the perspective
of the victims, brought together by music and hope, while the other shows what
the world was seeing from the view of their reporters and humanitarian aid, and
how the world reacted, doing nothing or saving lives. Depending on the
connection a person had to Sarajevo would likely lead to what horrors were read
or seen, and seeing Sarajevo from multiple perspectives allows us to view the
picture as a whole to really see how horrible humans can be, as well as how inspiring
they can be to themselves and others.

Campbell- Humanity

The film and the book were all right even though the movie did not follow the book. However, with this we are able to get a sense of what is going on in the city during the siege through three people going through it in the book and get a look on what the rest of world is seeing from an outsider’s perspective through the film.

In the book, The Cellist of Sarajevo, three people, two locals by the names of Dragan and Keenan and a soldier who goes by the name of Arrow, tell us the story of the Siege of Sarajevo through their eyes and experiences. All three of them are living inside a figurative wall of this siege giving us an experience within the city of Sarajevo. Looking at the cellist, who actually has a bit of a minor part that plays an important role in the story, he is more human than anyone because he plays for each victim that fell not because he knew them, but because he cares about people whether he knows them or not. Arrow is sent to protect the cellist for his compassion. The three main characters all show the reactions of one person’s reaction to what a siege can do.

In the film, Welcome to Sarajevo, we do not get several perspective’s of the inside of the siege, but an outsider’s look beyond Sarajevo into the rest of world surrounding Sarajevo through the journey that reporter Michael Henderson goes through while trying to write an article about the siege. Henderson chose the orphanage first as a pace to focus an article for the front page, but wound up getting attached and, thanks to the humanity in him, decided to try and save them from the siege. We also do not necessarily get a cellist who plays for his compassion, but we get a cellist named Harun who will play when Sarajevo become the number one worst place to live. At the end of the film, Harun plays his cello because Sarajevo is now the number one worst place to live. So, instead of having a cellist who is a minor, but prominent role, playing for compassion and in honor of those who died, we have a cellist who plays for Sarajevo’s new status in the world as the worst place to live. The book shows that there are people out there who do care for others, the film does not, but the film does show that people care about their home.

Cardon - Powwow Highway & Saint Marie

I was rather surprised to read and view material on Native Americans considering that the name of the course is Holocaust in Literature in Film, but it was a nice break from the familiar scenery and storylines. It was also nice to have some female characters with Marie Lazarre and Bonnie Red Bow. The two mediums dealt with identity much differently compared to one another. Red Bow and Phil were very proud and protective of their culture/heritage compared to the short story’s main character, Marie, who was more focused on hiding her ethnicity. She also went to the extreme of converting to Catholicism because of the Sacred Heart nuns. The Sacred Heart Convent was interesting to see in the reading, because I attended the Academy of the Sacred Heart on St. Charles and we were always taught about Philippine Duchesne and how she taught the young Indian children. The tribe that she taught was the Potawatomi who gave her the name of “Kwah-kah-kum-ad,” the Woman Who Prays Always. We were never taught the discrimination faced by the Indians from the hands of the religious, such as Sister Leopolda. Erdrich brings up the fact that through the feeling/emotion of displacement can stem racism. Marie and Leopolda understand one another and more importantly each knows the extent to which the other will go to manipulate the power granted through institutionalized religion. In Powwow Highway, the one particular scene that screamed to me how Red Bow and Phil feel towards the white man is after they leave the Christmas powwow and stop at the rest stop by the factory/power plant. They are sitting at a picnic table and Red Bow is going off on how the white man intends to rape their land and resources (their history & culture as well) for a profit. Even though Phil through out the film appears to be aloof and somewhat out of it, his intentions and desires to be a warrior for his Cheyenne tribe are really shown. Red Bow’s intentions are good as well, but his rough exterior sometimes got in the way of him properly expressing himself. He doesn’t appear to be quite so in touch with the traditions that Phil is so intrigued and respectful of. We also see this as they are driving to Santa Fe and Red Bow finds the spider in the glove compartment. Phil swerves so Red Bow wont kill the spider. He believes that it is one of the three tokens that are good luck or what he calls medicine in helping them on their “journey” of sorts. In the end they wind up sort of “sticking” it to the white man: Phil busts Red Bow’s out of jail, he takes about four thousand grand in cash from the police vault, and they escape the cop chase successfully.

Fisher - Pow Wow

For this weeks topic there are three strong characters of the Native American people to compare and contrast with each other, with the Jewish Holocaust, and oppressed people throughout the world. There is Buddy Red Bow and Philbert Bono in the movie Powwow Highway and Marie from the short story "Saint Marie". Each of these characters is struggling to find their identity and dealing with it differently. Their stories address the oppression that whites demonstrated over the Native American people. It is seen in each that the characters cope their people's oppression and handle it differently. This idea can be construed with the same conception of the Jewish people's oppression by the Nazi party during the Holocaust. However, the genocide of the Native American peoples is much more drawn out. Where the mass-genocide of the Jewish people occurred over a few years during World War II; the genocide of the Native American Indians extended from the the middle of the fifteenth century into the twenty-first century.

Powwow Highway tells the story of two men, Buddy Red Bow and Philbert Bono, who are Native Americans living on a reservation. A mine was discovered beneath their land and they were offered a deal to vacate their reservation. Buddy, thinking of the past when his ancestors were cheated and robbed of their land, denies the deal. He is distracted then by the news of his sister being arrested on charges of possession in New Mexico. This was a ploy to get Buddy to leave the reservation. Which was successful as Buddy leaves on a cross-country trek with Philbert in his "War Pony", a car in complete disrepair that surprisingly still runs. During the course of the trip, the viewer sees Red Bow struggle and fight against his oppression with a chip on his shoulder, as we see in the car radio scene. He lashes out against those who he thinks have wronged him. Reacting much like an animal backed into the corner of his territory. He does not handle his position well, and often times seems to not know why he is fighting or is angry. Over the trip he reconnects with his past/identity and finds a path. Meanwhile, Philbert is on a personal/spiritual quest to become a warrior. Bono is a gentle soul who finds his Native American identity elsewhere and by different means. Instead of fighting his fate like Buddy, he wishes to walk the same path as his ancestors and thereby establishing his identity as an Indian. What is interesting to note here is that the entire time that Buddy is acting violently and fighting, like a "warrior", Philbert walks the true path of a warrior. They both represent different reactions of people under oppression. They either fight against it or cling to their origins in vain hope.

Marie, from "Saint Marie" somewhat represents a third option, conformity. Despite her treatment by the nun Sister Leopolda, she considers herself "as white" as any of the nuns in the convent. Marie survives her physical abuse to eventually be looked upon as a saint after the satist Sister Leopolda stabbed her hands with a fork, creating a false stigmata. This situation with the Indian children in the convent can reflect the oppression of the Medieval Catholic Church over the Native American people. Interesting that the same people who come over to preach and convert, many of whom died as martyrs, were also responsible for much of the early oppression against the "savages".

Pendergast - Different Psychological Responses To Oppression

In Pow Wow Highway, Buddy and Filbert have very different approaches for reclaiming their tribal and personal identities in response to their oppression and victimization by the Whites. Buddy takes a very rational and physically violent approach to protecting what is rightfully his, as demonstrated in his political activity and by his decision to carry a gun. Filbert’s approach, on the other hand, is guided by an inner or spiritual aspect of knowing that defies reason, is based on faith and is non-violent. Filbert has a strong faith and pride in his Cheyenne roots and spiritual traditions and uses his faith and its mystical powers to see him through the obstacles created by the Whites which separate him from a life and identity that he belongs to. Filbert’s perspective can be seen as naïve, and rightfully so perhaps, but the film does not portray his approach as deficient in any way. His lack of “common sense” or sense of “reality” does not seem to hamper his goals, but rather, his faith in the mystical and traditional Cheyenne teachings helps him and his loved ones overcome seemingly impossible obstacles that reason and brute strength could never have accomplished alone. In contrast to Filbert, Buddy is extremely street-smart and logical, and quick to raise his voice and fist when confronted by discrimination and oppression. These qualities have proven effective for Buddy in protecting the rights and dignity of his people and community, perhaps especially in Vietnam, but Buddy is also acting from a very broken heart. As a result of his and his people’s oppression and victimization, Buddy has lost his faith and pride in his Cheyenne roots and spiritual traditions. Buddy’s loss of faith and cultural pride, as byproducts of victimization and oppression, has manifested in rage, vengefulness and cynicism, and in some ways has transformed him into the role of victimizer. As the Vietnam vet who helped Buddy at the Pow Wow told him tearfully, he “got mean.” Although Buddy’s barbaric and rational approach is effective in some circumstances, the film clearly portrays Buddy’s methods as flawed and in need of spiritual rehabilitation. For instance, the extreme violence Buddy instigated at the electronic store proved to be based on a simple misunderstanding on his part. Also, the rage Buddy exhibited in his attempt to see his sister at the jailhouse proved ineffective and unnecessary. In both of these scenes, the film demonstrates a less harmful and more effective way of resolving the problems at hand. It’s as if the film is trying to say that brutality shouldn’t be used but as a last resort, and that a warrior without his heart intact is liable to cause more harm than good.

In Saint Marie, Marie handles her oppression and victimization similar to how Filbert deals with his – through faith. She, like Filbert, has a strong reliance on an inner, intuitive knowing that transcends reason. She does not become the victimizer as Buddy does, although she almost does I suppose when she tries to push Sr. Leopolda in the oven, but ultimately she does not fall into the victim/victimizer trap. Her extreme faith carries her through her trials with Sr. Leopolda effectively and miraculously. At the end, when Marie could have relished in Sr. Leopolda’s inferior and beaten-down position, she wasn’t able to as her compassion for humanity, even for her oppressor, was too strong. Both Filbert and Marie demonstrated great spiritual wisdom in the face of oppression and victimization.

Dacula - Defining "Crimes Against Humanity"

Powwow Highway gives us a glimpse into the struggles that Native Americans have experienced and continue to experience in the United States today. In the film, we see blatant examples of discrimination and destruction of their properties. The film’s protagonist, Bobby Redbow, is an impulsive person who reacts with a hot-tempered mindset. In the first scene, we already see this characteristic of his when he discredits Youngblood by calling him out on his backwards political stances. He reacts with violent outbursts at several points of the film. While some may find Redbow’s hot temper as just adding to the stereotype that Native Americans are violent savages, I tend to empathize with his situation. He seems to find himself interacting with different people throughout the movie who are unnecessarily ignorant and close-minded. I am not excusing quick-temperament, but in his situation, I will say that it’s understandable. If I were to place myself in Redbow’s shoes, I, too, would find it difficult to stay calm amidst the oppression that is encapsulating my surroundings.

In “Saint Marie, ” we read of oppression in a different context. Native American student Marie is a student in Sister Leopolda’s class. Here, we not only see an example of cultural oppression but also see an example of religious oppression. Leopolda is described as a “hard trial for everyone.” She views Marie as a person who contains “evil” on the basis that she is Native American. Sister Leopolda dedicates herself to ridding Marie of the “evil” that she strongly believes resides in Marie because of her cultural background, and in the end, stabs Marie in the hand. This action leads those around her to believe that the marks on her hands are stigmata. Because of this, everyone, including Sister Leopolda, begins to revere Marie instead of viewing her as a residence of evil. By the end of the passage, Marie is exalted and symbolically triumphs over the persecution and oppression she felt at her school.

While the Holocaust in Europe during World War II was undoubtedly one of modern history’s most vivid and crucial examples of crimes against humanity, I think it is just as important to recognize the oppression and persecution of other groups of people as well. Covering the suffering and oppression of Native Americans is just as crucial for us to know as the Holocaust of World War II. By informing ourselves of both devastating situations, we can hopefully realize that persecution of another group is not simply persecution of another group; oppression towards another is oppression towards one of our own, our own being another human being. That is the true definition of the phrase “crimes against humanity. 

Allen-Persecution In Modern America

I will consider the film Pow Wow Highway and the short story "Saint Marie" separately in order to consider the aspects of both these works, and how through their characters they show us the complexities of human belief--or by another word, faith.

In Powwow Highway, we are given two characters who are united by their Cheyenne bloodline, as well as their inbitance on a Native American reservation in Montana. The conditions of such reservations are poor, underfunded, and generally forgotten or ignored by the remainder of America. The people of the Cheyenne tribe (and of every tribe) are forced to exist and carry out their culture inside a sectioned-off environment. These designated crops of land, which have been automitized and therein exempt from federal laws and regulations, function not unlike the ghettos of World War II era Poland. The design of the reservations and Jewish ghettos both seek to accomplish a segregation of a people. Whether united by bloodlines, religious background, or socioeconomic status, these ghettos fulfill the purpose of containment. Containment facillitated by the same principles as prison confinement; succeeding in it's goal to remove and isolate 'undesirables' from the bulk of American urban society. This is done under the veil of ethical treatment and condoned through the lost notion of 'fairness' in American society.

Native American culture has been constrained and mangled by these legislative actions against them, as portrayed excellently in the film. Philbert symbolizes the man of faith; Whirlwind Dreamer; he that wishes to believe. Red Bow represents the man of desperation, who sees his struggle for security as a war between an 'us' and a 'them'. Philbert is portayed in the film as an unintelligent and uncomplicated man who is out of the loop on most issues. Red Bow is clever, perceptive, and has been taught to expect deception from the White Man who offers him false promises of prosperity. Philbert's genuine motivation for escaping the confines of the reservation is the pursuit of a higher spiritual experience through the adventure of a cross-country voyage. Red Bow concentrates only on the immediate physical realities that threaten him; incarceration, likely through a betrayal of misplaced sympathies. Philbert is more trusting of the world, and allows himself to wander and explore the untouched shrines of nature in search of a form of enlightenment. As the film progresses, each of these characters learn to accept the beliefs of the other: Philbert's spirituality as a means of togetherness softens Red Bows' cynicism, and allows him to see the positive connotations of the events of his life. Philbert learns, through his adventure, to discard and abolish all illusory necessities he requires to live a fullfilled life.

In Louise Erdrich's story, the narrator Marie is caught up in the midsts of a spiritual identity crisis brought on by a conflict between a Catholoic conception of God and the Native American conception of god. Marie is an intensely empathic and faithful character, and she uses these abilities to gain insight into the behaviors of Sister Lepolda as a means of understanding her faith in her God. Leopolda scolds and berates Marie because, like Marie herself, Leopolda has powers of personal perception enabling her to understand the inner-workings of another person's mind. She is able to recognize Marie's aversion to being indoctrinated in Catholic teachings, and attributes this aversion to lustful thoughts of sexual immorality. Marie and Lepolda are united by the fact that they both believe strongly in the presence of evil: Leopolda calls her concept of evil 'Satan', Marie refers to evil as 'The Dark One'. The reason there is a central conflict between Marie and Leopolda is because Leopolda's Satan is an object of immense fear for Leopolda, and she seeks to escape her sensation of it through abolishing It's presence wherever she can find it. Marie's Dark One is not an incarnation that inspires fear and panic in her, but as something familiar to her soul. She sees this Dark One as irremovable from her spiritual being, but also as a necessary element that keeps her soul in balance.

In both of these works there is a presence of persecution and injustice. This injustice is brought primarily upon the characters due to a lack of common association between differing--yet fundamentally identical--faiths and beliefs. The atrocity of segregating one person's spiritual needs from another person's spiritual needs has no justification or reprieve. A Belief (a.k.a. a faith, or one's dreams, ambitions, wishes, fantasies, self-discoveries, intuitions, and so on ad infinitum) are created for the purposes of the individual human being that has adopted them into their spiritual existence.

To persecute a people for their Beliefs on the basis of any physical justification is pure human debauchery; displayed proudly and shamelessly as though someone, somewhere, had given omnipotent approval which condones certain acts of hatred and ignorance as though they werent any different from murder or torture.

Fuhrer: Finding Agency in St. Marie and Pow Wow Highway

The short story St. Maria by Louise Eldrich tells the tale of Maria a young Native American girl who joins a Catholic convent in search of a life away from the reservation.  In the beginning of the story Her identity as a Native American is not something she seems very proud of, as she is quick to describe herself as light skinned as the nuns themselves. In this way Erdrich begins her story by commenting on the inherent shame Native Americans must have endured when they were given no choice but to assimilate to the Western traditions of European settlers who among many things also used Christianity to assimilate the Native American population in to conforming with their own.

Once she has joined the covenant Maria quickly finds herself at the mercy of Sister Leopolda a senior nun at the covenant whose methods of punishment and enforcement of piety border on Sadism. She torments Maria scalding her with hot water and continuously tries to make her believe that she is riddled with sin. At some points it seems Leopolda is almost commenting on Marie’s native American heritage being the cause of her immorality as she says that Marie’s eyes are filled with “only wild,cold dark lust."

Maria however uses Leopolda’s abuse to her advantage claiming that the wounds she had received from Leopolda were in fact the signs of the stigmata and were therefore divinely given. She is then proclaimed a saint elevating not only herself but also the status of the people much to Leopolda’s dismay as she must play along or else confess her own acts of abuse.

The two main characters from Pow Wow Highway Filbert Bono and Buddy Red Bow deal with the idea of agency in very different ways both from each other and Maria. Buddy Red Bow represents the young Native American who is tired of being treated as a second-class citizen. He is frustrated with his situation in the reservation as well as the mining companies efforts to exploit what little natural resources the reservation has left. His agency comes therefore from his frustration and anger at his situation and that of his sister who is framed by the Police.  This itself insinuating how the law and industry surrounding Native Americans often are put in to place to protect the interests of Whites.

Filbert Bono on the other hand seeks spirituality and to become a warrior in the traditional way of Native Americans. His ties to his own culture seem an effort to remember his own identity as that of a Native American. Not the new identity given to them as criminals and degenerates but rather the proud rich heritage of their past and whose mysticism and rituals helped them survive in the New world long before it was even discovered. His celebration of his ancestry and the remembering of traditional customs and rituals become his form of finding agency in Social Genocide.

Pendergast-Pow Wow Highway-It May Be Right But Is It Realistic?

Regarding Pow Wow Highway, I see Buddy and Philbert as wounded warriors on individual (and joint) hero quests towards self realization. Although the characters’ quests share the same goal, to recover a sense of personal and cultural identity, they approach their quests from very different, perhaps even opposite, philosophies. Philbert’s non-violent and spiritual approach to his quest is pitted against Buddy’s comparatively hostile and faithless approach. In the beginning of the film, Buddy appears to be the stronger of the two warriors, but by the film’s end, we realize that it is Philbert, the unlikely warrior, that has the superior philosophy. Despite the film’s clear message of Philbert’s superior strength and Buddy’s shortcomings, I still wondered if perhaps the film intended for us to appreciate some sort of balance or middle way that exists between the conflicting approaches. Specifically, I wondered if the film attributed even the smallest value and/or relevance to Buddy’s approach. I can see how Buddy, having served in Vietnam, may have become faithless and mean. If he served in actual combat, his hostility and animalistic knee-jerk reactions would have been very valuable qualities. And it is my understanding that war veterans who have served in combat often suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder that basically locks them in fight or flight mode well after they have completed their service. From this perspective, perhaps it can be interpreted that Buddy was no less a warrior than Philbert, but that Philbert’s approach was perhaps simply conducive to their current circumstances. Or, alternatively, perhaps Philbert’s nonviolent and faith-guided approach was intended to be interpreted as an ideal which Native Americans and all oppressed cultures can perhaps strive towards and look to for guidance in their healing, while simultaneously recognizing the inevitability of our falling short of this ideal. In this way, Philbert’s approach can be affirmed as the superior path, while Buddy’s path, although inferior, can still be acknowledged as having served a purpose, as opposed to something that is useless and can be absolutely avoided. Buddy, as in the case of all people who have served in combat, was courageously responding to the needs of less-than-ideal circumstances in a less-than-ideal world. Just as the most enlightened among us strive daily to trust in the good yet, knowing the inevitability of evil, they lock their doors, so too do those struggling against oppression who strive to use only “good medicine,” may periodically carry a gun. It’s not ideal, but it’s reality.

Weed - Pow Wow

From the Article’s to Pow Wow Highway, it is clear that Native American’s were experiencing Genocide from the beginning. In the Movie, Buddy Red Bow and his friend Philbert Bono go on quest to save his sister from the police. The FBI accused her of smuggling a bag of weed across the country. They did this in order to force Buddy Red Bow out of their town in order to increase their odds of occupying the mines that their people rest on. Buddy Red Bow didn’t see it as an opportunity because for hundreds of years their people have been signing contracts and have been screwed and forced to live the way they are today. First they were forced out of their lands now they are living in what appears to be a third world country. The people are struggling to survive. Even Philbert Bono couldn’t buy a car that would come close to passing an inspection.

The interesting part of the trip is how Philbert Bono reveals how their culture is what keeps the community going. On his trip he is trying to become a warrior, and is constantly having visions. He eventually gets Buddy Red Pow to allow himself to become reconnected with his past; and realize what he fighting for. The thing they are fighting for is the one thing that separates them from their oppressors. During the Holocaust the Jewish people continued to practice their faith even though it risked their lives. In “Saint Marie,” her darkness was her culture, her past, and the nun exemplified how the people were taking them away.

The other factor that is interesting is how they continue to practice their culture after a couple hundred years of oppression. Also It is interesting how the Jewish community continues to practice their faith after dealing with thousands of years of oppression. Their culture and past is what brings the Native Americans and the Jewish community together. It creates a sense of pride, and creates unity, a unity of people that will go the extra mile to take a bullet for one another. Philbert Bono literally stopped whatever he was planning to do, and go break Buddy Red Bow’s sister out of jail.

Another factor of interest was seeing how mercenaries were affecting the Native American people. They were being forced to learn the catholic religion. The idea that the American people today are unaware of how they are suppressing the Native Americans from having the life they truly deserve.

Also a very impressive factor is how Native American continue to survive. They faced small pox, they were forced to live in areas where most people would die. They continue to adapt and become wiser.

Asmussen Powwow Highway and Saint Marie

There are many different ways that one can protect their cultural identity. In the movie Powwow Highway and in the short story Saint Marie we are shown a number of ways to defend ones personal identity and culture against modern day genocide. Filbert Bono is a very unique character with a very strong sense of identity and a strong bond with history. In the movie we are shown his desire to find the Indian American Dream and become a warrior. One of the first instances we see this is when he buys a car, his pony, and sees a field full of wild horses to choose from. Then the camera zooms back into reality and we see that he is still looking at a junk yard full of old cars. He seems to see things through the eyes of the old Indian warriors. Filbert is trying to protect both his personal identity and community identity by continuing traditions that have been done by his ancestors. He believes he is on a quest to be a warrior and has already picked out a warrior name.When they are stopped on the road, Filbert tells an old tale to the group and the story ends with a moral. Red Bow criticizes him and says that telling stories will not solve their problems. Filbert disagrees and says that this old tales can help then and tell them how to save their reservation. Filbert deals with the modern day genocide of his people by not only practicing traditions but also trying to preserve them by educating others about them. He asks his grandmother for advice of the old days and on the road trip he stops by places of importance to Indian American culture and history. One of these is the mountain that they stop by where he leaves his Hershey bar, a little token of his personal identity in a place full the identity of his ancestors, represented by the ribbons and bells.

Buddy Red Bow’s struggle to protect his identity is on a much more realistic and less spiritual element than Filbert’s. Red Bow wants to protect his tribe and is one of the only ones that speaks out during the meetings discussing the future of the reservation. He stands up and tried to convince his people that they are being fed lies and that jobs have in fact decreased and the reservation is being exploited. Red Bow deals with a lot of discrimination and he always fights against it. He protects his identity by actively fighting and therefore is frequently getting in trouble with the law. An example of this is when he is buying a radio for Filberts car. The salesman doesn’t think that they can afford the most expensive model in the store and when Red Bow asks for it he calls him “chief” and tells him that one isn’t on sale. This blatant discrimination bothers Red Bow and this is why he has no problems running back into the store and beating the salesman when he thinks the radio isn’t working. When it comes to dealing with genocide, Filbert takes the more passive road of preservation while Red Bow believes they must defend it.

In the story of Marie and Sr. Leopolda, we see that Marie deals with her struggle to protect her identity in a very unique way. In her story we see that her and Sr. Leopolda do not get along at all and she is abused by her. Sr. Leopolda makes her superiority to her very clear and even says that she has two options “ she can marry a no-good Indian, bear his brats, die like a dog. Or two, [she] can give [herself] to God.” Because of this, Marie is determined not to run away, even though she is being abused and burned, and become superior to Sr. Leopolda. She wants to beat her at her own game. She was determined to show them that their ideas of being superior to them were wrong, that she would in fact turn the tables and make them kneel before her. However, in the end we see that she doesn’t enjoy making all the nuns kneel before her, she doesn’t enjoy being superior and abusing her power like they do.

Coulter-Powwow Highway and St. Marie

Powwow highway and St. Marie both have something to say about the spiritual attacks that are still being made Native American spirituality. In St. Marie a 'mission' has been sent to the reservation in order to introduce religion to the Native Americans living there. This is a practice that is still going on today church groups from around the U.S. send representatives to reservations in order to proselytize the children of the reservation. The problem with this kind of religious interaction at the reservations is that it degrades the natural spiritual practices that have already been diminished through generations of genocide, leaving most children ignorant of their spiritual history, much like the children in Powwow Highway were ignorant of even their tribe. Though there has been a resurgence in gathering this historical data many practices are lost forever, like the original form of the ghost dance which contributed in the Wounded Knee Massacre, which lead to laws banning many Native American spiritual practices. When Filbert tells other in his tribe that he has had visions, such as his aunt, he is laughed at even though visions on the path to become a warrior were at one time commonplace. This echos this degradation of spiritual past that Native American Genocide article we read spoke about as shadow. This insurgence form other religions has been so great, and so many of their spiritual leaders lost to genocide, that now even Native Americans themselves have ceased believing and practicing the acts of their own religion.

The other main player in Powwow Highway Buddy Red Bow dealt primarily with the economic genocide of the Native American people. When he said that the reservation was like a third world country he wasn't far off. Nationwide over 80% of Native Americans living on reservations are below the poverty line, with the same percentage of teens having/recovering form some form of drug addiction/abuse. Also the amount of teen pregnancy and STD's are the highest in the nation. When Buddy gets so upset about the mining operation trying to lease the land it is with good cause, because those tribe that did succumb to the mining operations in the late 80's are now dealing with massive amounts of tainted water tables(from dumping), infertile/eroding land(from mineral draining), and worse of all disease from air born particles(from dust thrown in the air from blasting and drilling).

While this may not deal exactly with the film or story, as a youth I spent many month on the reservations at Inlow, New Mexico. Which is actually one of the better off reservations, but I still remember the amount of poverty and alcoholism that was prevalent. Most of my time was spent as a councilor of a summer camp for reservation kids, who gave me the Indian name of Tall Grey Crow, most of them told me stories about their fathers alcoholism and how they would never want to drink. Though I really enjoyed my time there and was well treated by the Native Americans, they were still suspicious of me. It wasn't until I got older that I would come to realize the reason for their suspicion, even though I am part Cherokee I was raised white and therefore part of a people who have been trying to remove every part of their culture. Like the article on Native American Genocide talked about I can now look back and see my own role as victim and also as victimizer.

Miller-Pow Wow Highway & Saint Marie

Both Saint Marie and Pow Wow Highway deal with very specific issues regarding genocide and prejudice. In "Saint Marie," both racism and prejudice are overarching themes throughout the short story. One example of this is when she examines the various ways Sister Leopolda discriminates against Native Americans. At the same time, however, Marie pushes her readers to understand why it is important to question such behavior. Faced with an ambitious Marie who seeks sainthood and to "inherit keys," Sister Leopolda senses implicit animosity from forces outside her order. While some of these forces may be literal, some also appear to the reader as metaphorical. Leopolda's behavior indicates how racism can stem from fear of displacement.

However, despite their different ages and backgrounds, Marie and Leopolda understand one another. Each one recognizes the soul of the other, which is fundamental in their relationship. Additionally, each one realizes the limits that the other will go to to make use of the power of organized religion. Perhaps the best example of this is when Marie is being attacked by Leopolda, which included stabbing her with a bread fork and burning her with boiling water. When Marie wakes up and sees the sisters kneeling before her, she believes that she has achieved sainthood. Despite Christian ideals that dictate she serve others, her first priority is to settle the score with Sister Leopolda. Yet, when Marie looks into Leopolda's eyes, she sees a pitiful and weak person. Despite the fact that feelings of malice and desire for revenge are still prevalent, she eventually forgives Leopolda.

Powwow Highway is part drama and part comedy in a road movie where two Native American friends – Philbert Bono and Buddy Red Bow - with conflicting personalities journey off the reservation in Lame Deer, Montana, to free Buddy Red Bow's sister from jail in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Some of the most overarching themes in this film are heritage and prejudice. It is interesting to see the different ways Buddy and Philbert not only interact, but how they view their heritage and ancestry. For example, Philbert is able to retain his warrior name and discover more about his heritage because he is connected to it on a deep and spiritual level. Buddy is the more impatient, younger, ambitious one of the pair, but he is able to learn from Philbert’s deeper insight and understanding of his own heritage and nature. One example of this is when Buddy actually demeans his own heritage: “"You'd think a few lousy beads and some feathers was a culture or something.” It is also important to note the different natues of each man’s journey. Philbert’s journey was more spiritual than Buddy’s; one could describe Buddy’s journey as more materialistic in nature.

Otto-Stealing Agency

Agency is a key component to living a full life and one without it may not necessarily be considered to have a valued human life, as well as do serious damage to an individual. In sociology and philosophy agency is how a person acts in the world. Human agency is the capability for a person to make conscious choices and to exploit these choices onto others. The Native American genocide in the United States, as well as the overall treatment of Native Americans living on reservations is a dulled down tragedy of American history. This period of time could be likened to that of the Holocaust, where the Native Americans played the part of the Jews; they were being forcibly moved into restricted areas, having essentially no rights, and being treated poorly due to their race. This poor treatment is emphasized in Louise Erdrich’s “Saint Marie” when a young girl joining the Sacred Heart Convent who is tortured by one of the sisters, Sister Leopolda. Similarly, in Pow Wow Highway(1989), the Native Americans are treated without respect or compassion and are merely being used by the white American for their resources and land. While “Saint Marie” is about a young girl attempting to join the convent, a white idea, Pow Wow Highway is about a group of individuals trying to preserve not only their land, but also their old traditions and stories, namely the history of their people.

Philbert Bono(Gary Farmer) appears to be simple man, but one who wants to live out the old traditions and legends that his aunt has told him about. He dreams of being a Native American hero, naming his “horse” which was really a beat up car, “The Protector.” He tells stories to young children about their ancestors because the stories are being lost in this youthful generation emphasizing how the white Americans were slowly driving out the Native American ideals. The fact that Native Americans could also be sold into slavery takes away even more from these people’s agency. They were being stripped of their rights and began to lose their culture within the fast-pace movement of the white American. Buddy Red Bow(A Martinez) attempts to save the reservation land, and he is angry about how his people are being kept down at the bottom, with no equal rights and status.

Marie Joins the nunnery but is too prideful to run away after Sister Leopolda first abuses her. Marie uses her pain and wounds against Sr. Leopolda when all of the other nuns believe that Marie is a Saint. This emphasizes the individuality of Marie. She goes against the odds and through her diligence is able to make these women believe that she is something to be valued. This is what the Native Americans want, to be valued and respected, but American were not treating them as such.

White Americans took away agency from the Native American population, which is a disturbing thought for modern times that “the land of the free” would commit such crimes and have their own Holocaust, their own genocide of an innocent group of people. This treatment of people from Americans seems surreal, but it happened, and we have to face the consequences.