The Ceremony of Innocence

How does Highwater depict the treatment of Native Americans in his novel, The Ceremony of Innocence?

The Ceremony of Innocence

Asked by
Last updated by Jill W
1 Answers
Log in to answer

Through the eyes of Amana, the main character of Legend Days (1984) and The Ceremony of Innocence, Highwater looks at the treatment of Native Americans by the white man. In establishing the reservations, the politicians and civil servants ignored the Native American culture, picked the best lands for themselves, and resettled the native peoples on land that was "a place of terrible poverty. Nowhere was there the track of an animal." Amana finds that life on the reservation is a stark contrast to the life she formerly lived on the Great Plains. Tied to one piece of land, there are the problems of survival as the buffalo and deer vanish and the Native Americans become dependent on the supplies from the trading post. These supplies include bad whiskey and the sugar that rots their teeth. No longer is the Native American in harmony with self and nature. Instead of honoring the land, Amana sees her people making a junkyard out of the reservation.

Source(s)

The Ceremony of Innocence