“Singing Down the Moon”tAccording to Scott O’Dell’s “Singing Down the Moon’, the Navaho Native Americans endured many long years of suffrage from the United States and the “Ute’s” Native Americans. The Navahos tried to protect themselves by creating treaties with the U.S, but they ran into trouble because “most of them were broken, some by the whites, some by the Indians”. (O’Dell.122). By 1863, things took a turn for the worst for the Navahos because the U.S. became savage and looted for Navaho’s land and left them homeless, hungry, dead, and made promises the other Indian tribes Navaho female children. The U.S. sent a large fleet of soldiers to force the Navaho’s off of their resourceful land in Arizona into a more dry and barren land in New Mexico. But through it all they managed to maintain their loyalty, strength, dignity, and respect for each other. If it meant dying, then so be it. By 1865, “the group that survived has grown to more than 100,000”. (O’Dell.123). The Navahos had two strong things to help them survive which was their will-power to live and sticking together.tThe Navahos thought that all was going good. They had bargained with the U.S. and been given promising news about keeping their land which they did keep for a while. Treaties had been created to make the promises legitimate by putting them in writing. But little did the Navahos know that the U.S. could change their minds and void the treaties and make promises to other tribes such as the Utes “the livestock, the women, and the children they captured”, (O’Dell. 122), since they didn’t get along with the Navahos. They had been double crossed by the U.S. government and their on Natives, and the trouble didn’t stop there. The Navahos had lost out twice. They couldn’t defeat other Native tribes, and they certainly couldn’t defeat the U.S. government, especially since they had lost at least a large group of their men, and one of their most successful warriors “Tall Boy” had been injured to the point he couldn’t help them anymore. This was bad.tForcing the Navahos from their land wasn’t good enough for the U.S. “In June 1863, the United States sent Colonel Kit Carson through the Navaho country with instructions to destroy crops and livestock. At the head of 400 soldiers, Carson pillaged, pursued fleeing bands of Navahos, and killed those who fought back”. (O’Dell.122). Some Navahos ran and hid, but eventually had to give themselves up because they could not survive. They had no food, were exposed to the elements, no weapons to fight back, and developed diseases that they could not get rid of. They had no choice but to join forces with the rest of the Navahos that had survived but were captured. Joining forces was an aid to their survival.ttThe same soldiers that destroyed the Navaho land was also ordered to escort them out of their area in Arizona. The Navahos had already lost all of their resources, and was now hungry and being forced to take the “Long Walk” which was a “300-mile journey” to “Fort Sumner” in New Mexico. The soldiers rode on horses while the Navahos walked. This also took a toll on their people and killed a lot of them. The new land that they were being taken to was “a sandy wind-swept desert of little rain”. (O’Dell. 123). All in all, the Navahos lost “1500” people at “Fort Sumner”. They died from starvation because the land was too barren to grow crops, they had no livestock, and diseases such as “smallpox” because they had no supplies or anyone to help them. It was a terrible time, but eventually things look up.tMany Navahos died between 1863 and 1865. But they banded together and took what came to survive. “The Navahos were held prisoner at Fort Sumner until 1868”. (O’Dell. 123). But they did have some that managed to live and that group has now grown to “100,00”. The U.S. freed the Navahos and gave them gifts of “sheeps and goats” to leave with which was a good start at rebuilding their lives. They could multiply their livestock to have plenty of food. They also moved to a better part of the country where they could grow crops again. They had now been given the freedom to live again and their Native enemies could no longer steal their women and children. This was a good year for them and after all that suffrage, they deserved it. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend because it shows you can go a lot further in life with loyalty and dedication even if it is just a friendship.
When I was a child, Scott O'Dell's Island of the Blue Dolphins was one of my favorite books. I loved reading about Karana's survival skills and her fierce determination in the face of terrifying odds. I was hoping that Sing Down the Moon would provide the same level of interest. The story itself covers a turbulent and tragic period in the history of the Navaho people. America is no longer only their domain; the Spaniards and White men (or Long Knives) have come to stay. The Spaniards prey on Navaho women and steal them away to be slaves, and the Long Knives enforce military law on the Navaho's proud warriors. The ending is optimistic, but anyone who knows anything about the history of Native Americans won't be consoled by such an ending.Though I read the book very quickly, I don't believe I ever fully connected to the novel or the main character. Bright Morning has the qualities of a strong heroine, she's brave, clever, and loyal. However, the voice O'Dell gives her is detached, almost cold. I feel like he was imitating the way he thought a Navaho girl would speak, rather than allowing Bright Morning her own voice.This is, I think, due to the fact that O'Dell was white and writing about a culture different to his own. I'm very happy to have read a book about Native Americans (something I do rarely, to my regret), but I'm disappointed not to have read one by a Native American author. O'Dell can certainly have empathy and understanding for the Navaho plight, but at the end of the day, he is an outsider writing the story of someone totally different to him, and it shows.
What do You think about Sing Down The Moon (1997)?
I wasn't sure what to expect when I began to read this. I can't exactly say it pulled me into, and I probably would have been content to put the book down half-way through and never pick it up again. However, I pushed through and reached the end. I am not really sure what I should have gotten out of it. I neither enjoyed it nor hated it. I recognized that the overall message was the cruelty of white men to native americans. Perhaps cruelty, in general. Though I will never re-read this book, it is probably a good thing I was reminded of man's capacity to be horrible to other men. Warnings (SPOILERS):Sex- None. Language - None that I remember. Violence - Kidnapped by slave traders. Tall Boy killed a bear, killed a man (is shot as a repercussion), and later tries to kill another man with his crippled arm. White men force the whole native tribe to leave their village, and tries to starve them out by destroying their homes and garden. Needless to say, a lot but nothing really graphic. Drugs/Alcohol - None that I can recall.
—Julie
t“Sold into Slavery in Mexico”This book reads quickly and captivates the reader, drawing one into the pre-Civil War Southwest. Narrated in the first person by a teenage Navajo girl (whose true name we are not given) this book describes the ongoing persecution of the Navajo tribe. Of course the US Government is determined to relocate them onto reservations, while the enterprising Mexicans seek to line their pockets by kidnapping young girls, then selling them into slavery in Mexico. Callous individuals on both sides of the border exploit the vulnerability of Native Americans. The young heroine falls victim to both evils: the book is the story of her struggle for personal freedom and more—her coming-of-age to such an extent that she can inspire greatness from her warrior fiancé. Hers is a matriarchal society, where women control the wealth by virtue of sheep ownership. SING DOWN THE MOON proves a fascinating tale of bravery and personal dignity, which will enlighten and interest most teenage readers. (April 27, 2010.I welcome dialogue with teachers.)
—Gale
This was my first book by this author, and I really liked his simplistic writing style. The story is heartbreaking at times, and beautiful at others; but what I appreciated most was the main characters philosophy and approach to life. At first, I am puzzled by her apparent unconcern and quiet acceptance of the "white man" dictating to her people where and how they must live. Partly, I think this is because she is a squaw, and young, and therefore used to being told what to do. But I soon realized it is also a credit to her wisdom. She was wise enough to pick her battles. She knew she couldn't win a fight against the soldiers, so she chose to go along, at least for the time being. She was proud, but she was not hasty.I admired her patience as much as her courage. It is harder, sometimes much harder, to be patient. She truly had the wisdom to know the difference between the things she could not change and those she could. Between that acceptance and wisdom, she was at peace, regardless of her external circumstances.
—Melissa T
