Identity

One of the major themes of this book was identity. Gertrude struggled with identity when she entered White's boarding school. Up until then, she had a solid identity as an Indian child on the Yankton reservation. She loved Indian dress, traditions and stories. When she attended White's, she first lost her identity when her braids were cut. Indians with short hair were prisoners or mourners in the Indian culture. Therefore, Gertrude felt a great shame in cutting her hair. It was the first step in losing her Indian identity. At school she learned the white way of doing things. She loved books and music, what she referred to as "artificial things." When she returned home, Gertrude did not know her identity. She was not fully Indian anymore, but she was not white. Gertrude was in the midst of an identity crisis.

Gertrude began to miss her Indian life...