Peyote Doesn’t Kill People
In “The Menace of Peyote” the narrator makes an interesting metaphorical analogy. “If the cure for snake bite is to kill the snake, then the cure for peyote is to kill its unrestricted distribution to the American nation.” The suggestion that if snakes are killed (outlawed) there simply cannot be any future snakebites aligns with the author's argument that if the sale of peyote is outlawed, the natural outcome will be far fewer peyote-related tragedies. It is an interesting theory that posits the apparently radical notion that the criminalization of the precise cause of a tragedy results in a reduction of the frequency of that specific type of tragedy.
White Man’s Words
The author learns the truth of the white man’s ways through advice intended to be merely metaphorical. “Don’t believe a word they say! Their words are sweet, but, my child, their deeds are bitter.” While often critical of the American government in particular, this is actually one of the few outright denunciations of the entire race found in the book. One might almost be tempted to suggest that these words are somewhat more than merely figurative, but words themselves are not literally sweet any more than deeds are literally bitter.
The Statue of Liberty
Throughout this collection of writings, American institutions are routinely celebrated in a way that might surprise many. One of the defining icons of America receives some of the most glowing praise. “At this moment her torch flamed brighter and whiter till its radiance reached into the obscure and remote places of the land. Her light of liberty penetrated Indian reservations.” Using metaphorical imagery, the author takes the spirit of the famous statue to heart and applies it by looking westward rather than toward those arriving by boat across the Atlantic Ocean. Much of the writing in this book is a truly heartfelt desire and demand for members of the indigenous tribes to become fully recognized Americans. While undeniably critical, taken as a whole, this book sometimes almost becomes a love letter to America existing theoretically if not in practice.
“America’s Indian Problem”
In the selection which bears the title quoted above, the author sets forth plans to fix the referenced “problem” by applying pressure on the U.S. government to begin treating its indigenous people as if they were actually the natives of the country they call their own. “The stain upon America’s fair name is to be removed, and the remnant of the Indian nation, suffering from malnutrition, is to number among the invited invisible guests at your dinner tables.” The metaphorical richness is indicative of the overall tone of the piece. The piece was composed in 1915 and, of course, as of slightly more than a century later, the “stain” remains in place and quite clear. The problem is that the genocide of natives is a stain that cannot—and should not—be erased any more than the stain of the Holocaust should be removed from Germany’s history.
