All I Want- Luci Tapahonso

Luci Tapahonso was born on November 8^th, 1953 in Shiprock New Mexico on the Navajo Reservation. According to a biography piece, Tapahonso is one who still considers Shiprock to be home though she spends time away from the reservation. In much of her writing, Tapahonso finds difficulty, “Separating [herself] from the place, [her] home, [her] land, and [her] people…[because] the place of [her] birth is the source of the writing.” (Native American Poet)

“All I Want,” a poem by Luci Tapahonso, is based upon Tapahonso’s experience with cooking bread with an unidentified woman. In the text, Tapahonso describes how she wants nothing more than for her bread, “to turn out like hers just once” (Tapahonso, 16). Throughout the piece, the method that the woman uses is based on memory and the knowledge of making the bread for many years. The woman is older than Tapahonso in the phrase, “you young people always ask those kinds of questions” (Tapahonso, 16). In the woman’s ability to make the bread with such knowledge represents an element of oral tradition. This because she is demonstrating her wisdom that comes with the task and how it cannot be replicated to those unfamiliar with how the process is correctly done.

The piece uses imagery to describe that the setting is during winter where a man chops wood outside. Tapahonso allows the imagery to demonstrate to the audience that her surroundings are comforting and familiar. In doing so, the audience can visualize the scene and be apart of the environment Tapahonso knows so well.

The tone of the poem be admirable because of Tapahonso’s interest in having her bread be similar to that of the unidentified woman. Throughout the piece, Tapahonso also reestablishes her appreciation of her home. In doing so, she draws more connection to why she is a writer and how it stems from her birthplace. Overall, this piece incorporated imagery, an admirable tone, and oral tradition to tell the story of her experience making this bread.

The Video that I included in this post is one that I am familiar with—being that it’s my cousins restaurant. Growing up, I experienced a similar environment of familiar foods and the desire to know more. Ben Jacobs opened Tocabe in 2009 and eventually began to expand and teach those about Tocabe—an American Indian Eatery. In doing so, he allowed people to experience the taste the many of our culture share.

Works Cited:

"Luci Tapahonso: Native American Poet." Luci Tapahonso: Native American Poet. http://nativeamerican-authors.com/tapahonso.html. 20 Feb. 2017.

Tapahonso, Luci. A breeze swept through. Albuquerque: West End Press, 1994. Print.

“Tocabe: An American Indian Eatery.” First Nations Development Institute 31 Aug. 2011. 19 Feb. 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68s-1KLE2hY.

A Life for A Life

Luci Tapahonso was born on November 8^th, 1953 in Shiprock New Mexico on the Navajo Reservation. According to a biography piece, Tapahonso is one who still considers Shiprock to be home though she spends time away from the reservation. In much of her writing, Tapahonso finds difficulty, “Separating [herself] from the place, [her] home, [her] land, and [her] people…[because] the place of [her] birth is the source of the writing.” (Native American Poet)

“Dear Alvin,” a poem by Luci Tapahonso, tells the story of her experience with Alvin’s death. Throughout the first lines of the poem Tapahonso reminisces on the life Alvin lived. Then, there’s an element of oral tradition where Tapahonso describes, “We talking: making pans and telling stories laughing and remembering all sorts of things…” (Tapahonso). Through this oral tradition, it describes how they gathered and shared stories about Alvin so that though his life was over, he could still be alive in his memories he left in everyone.

The tone of the poem then shifts drawing pathos towards the grief as the family laid Alvin to rest. In this section of the poem, Tapahonso uses imagery to describe the setting where, “The clouds were low [with] heavy veils of gray…” (Tapahonso). Throughout the next lines, the burial of Alvin was filled with songs that allowed Alvin to be returned to the Earth.

There’s another shift in the tone of the poem along the drive back to Albuquerque where rain began to fall. Through the rain, Tapahonso describes how, “They say it only rains when a good person dies. It rained. It rained” (Tapahonso).  Through the repetition of the phrase it rained, Tapahonso establishes the characteristics of Alvin—being that he is a good person. As their arrival to Albuquerque came, the setting shifted to being sunny and described as clean. By the end of the poem, Tapahonso elaborates on the concept of newfound strength because of how much Alvin gave to the Earth. In this new strength, the idea of a rebirth of Alvin is introduced.

The video that I chose for this passage is based on death as well. The story is about the singer, Nahko, who is traveling to visit the man who murdered his father. Throughout this journey, he allows the man to be forgiven for his wrongful actions and have a new rebirth to freedom. I found this song to be relatable due to Tapahonso’s setting where Alvin grew to be free and have a rebirth as well.

Overall, this piece incorporated imagery, pathos, and oral tradition to tell the story of Alvin who was laid to rest. The overall theme of the poem is death and the how the grieving process was taken place for Tapahonso.

Works Cited:

"Luci Tapahonso: Native American Poet." Luci Tapahonso: Native American Poet. http://nativeamerican-authors.com/tapahonso.html. 20 Feb. 2017.

Tapahonso, Luci. A breeze swept through. Albuquerque: West End Press, 1994. Print.

“San Quentin.” Nakho 07 Apr. 2016. Web. 19 Feb. 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTLnB8E5ejY.

Hills Brother's Coffee - Luci Tapahonso

Luci Tapahonso was born on November 8^th, 1953 in Shiprock New Mexico on the Navajo Reservation. According to a biography piece, Tapahonso is one who still considers Shiprock to be home though she spends time away from the reservation. In much of her writing, Tapahonso finds difficulty, “Separating [herself] from the place, [her] home, [her] land, and [her] people…[because] the place of [her] birth is the source of the writing.” (Native American Poet)

“Hills Brother's Coffee,” a poem by Luci Tapahonso, tells the story of her and her uncle sitting one morning together sipping on a cup of coffee. Through this story, oral tradition is used to emphasize the memory Tapahonso holds with her uncle and thier bond of sipping coffee. The specific type of coffee is called Hills Brother’s Coffee which, "[is] the coffee with the man in a dress, like church man." In this phrase, Tapahonso is symbolizing one element to this coffee that her uncle and her are drinking, being that it has characteristics to be similar to a churchman. By elaborating on the man looking like the churchman, there's a comparison to her experience with her culture's appropriation towards Western culture. Also, within the setting, Tapahonso is identifying with her home; being one referred source of her writing. Through this, Tapahonso allows the audience to experience her empathy of her home setting.

In the video link below, Tapahanso reads her poem aloud and describes how her uncle had many ways to describe his experience drinking the coffee; yet in English, the only translation came to be very, very, very good. She also describes that Hills Brother's Coffee in Navajo can also be translated to “The Catholic's Coffee” (Tapahonso). Therefore overlying the theme being how Native American language has been slowly been overturned to be translated blandly in English. Overall, Tapahanso is making efforts to reform Navajo language in her pieces because English language has scarce ability to do justice for Navajo language; and also because "it's time for other people to learn our language" (Tapahonso). Therefore drawing on another way to reinforce the oral tradition and language of American Indian Culture.   

Works Cited:

Dailymotion, 05 Apr. 2009. www.dailymotion.com/video/x8w3nz_luci-tapahonso-hills-brothers-coffe_news. 20 Feb. 2017.

Hills Brother's Coffee. 2014. The U.S. [Coffee] Industry Survives the War.

"Luci Tapahonso: Native American Poet." Luci Tapahonso: Native American Poet. http://nativeamerican-authors.com/tapahonso.html. 20 Feb. 2017.

How to Write the Great American Indian Novel Analysis

According to poetryfoundation.org,  Sherman Alexie is a well known Native American poet, novelist, and filmmaker. According to this article, Alexie grew up on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Wellpinit, Washington where most of early childhood was spent reading. Overtime, he grew very prosperous in his academia; however experienced battles of alcoholism. After receiving a publication, Alexie came to the decision to quit drinking.

Through much of Alexie's work, there's many pieces with emphasis on despair, poverty, and alcoholism that link towards common connections to the Native community. This can also be demonstrated in the text in the book Nothing but the Truth by John L. Purdy and James Ruppert.

The text is a piece by Sherman Alexie called, "How to Write the Great American Indian Novel." Within the poem, Alexie elaborates a visual necessity that Native features hold being 'tragic noses, tragic eyes, and arms.'
Alexie then elaborates upon the mentality and emotional characteristics which must also be present with said Natives. One ironic elaboration is the stereotypes that derive from mass media productions and their attempts to portray the American Indian culture.

By the end of the poem, Alexie poses the idea that all of the Indians are merely 'figments of reality' or rather ghosts because the Indian people are actually going to be present as white.

The style of the text is Free Verse where 42 lines are broken down into 21 couplets. The overall tone of this piece would be pitiful due to the emphasis of tragedy. The overall meaning of the piece then would be to demonstrate why the Native culture hold secrets due to the mistrust of Western culture; therefore making Indian people appear as less trustworthy to said culture.

Outside resources:
[https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poets/detail/sherman-alexie]
[Nothing but the Truth textbook]