We came away from our discussion of The Night Watchman with new awareness of and respect for Native American lives. We noted Louise Erdrich’s ability to capture and convey Native American beliefs and the realities of reservation life—its family bonds, its poverty, the government schools. Her vivid treatment of magic and folklore, and its suggestion that what we might call “superstition” depends a good deal on one’s perspective was reflected as well through the comic illustration of cultural assumptions by Mormon missionaries about what’s real. Erdrich wove together several story lines in different modes—the Night Watchman’s verbal battle with the U.S. government, Pixie’s surreal experiences in the “nightmare” city as she searches for Vera, the story of Wood Mountain’s boxing and his changing feelings, expertly. But she always kept the central focus on the novel on the actual story of her grandfather and his struggle to maintain Indian lands and identity granted by federal law against the 1953 congressional act that would “terminate” them.
We enjoy catching up with our former colleagues and enjoy welcoming new members to the group. Zoom meetings have provided a great way for colleagues not in the immediate vicinity of the Lincoln Park Campus to participate and renew old acquaintances!
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