Topic > The racism depicted in Silko's 'Ceremony'

Ceremony is the tale of a marginalized community. For many years, interactions between Native Indians and whites destroy the Natives. Native Indians suffer from genocide, racism and exile and all of this is blamed on whites. The government takes away the natives' ancestral land and forces them to reside on reservations. The reserves are inhospitable and it is not possible for Indians to carry out livestock and agriculture activities there. Native Americans in modern America still suffer from racism today. Silko uses metaphorical boundaries to elaborate the effect of racism on Native people. Racism alienated the natives from the whites and this made them feel out of place. Tayo, for example, notes that: Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The first time you walked down the street in Gallup or Albuquerque, you knew. Don't lie. You knew the right path. The war was over. The uniform was gone. Suddenly that man at the store is the last one to wait for you and makes you wait until all the white people have bought what they want. And the white lady at the bus station, she's very careful not to touch your hand when she counts your change (Silko 42). Tayo means that the way whites treated natives before and after World War II was different. During the war, Native people were treated well because they were American officials fighting for their country. However, after the war, they no longer wore the uniform, and the boundaries between whites and Natives were enforced. The natives returned to their normal status and were therefore no longer significant to the whites because they did not fight for their country. Whites used psychological boundaries to make it clear to Indians that they were "aliens" and therefore could not have the same status in society. Native Indians in the Silko ceremony face the challenge of environmental discrimination because they are pushed to live on unproductive reservations. For example, Emo complains that "you know we Indians deserve better than this damn dry country around here. Yes, that's true... but they have everything. And we don't get shit, do we?" Although the Indians help the whites fight in World War II, after the war ends they are treated as misfits and forced to live in poverty. Whites take all the productive land and leave the parched country to the Indians. Environmental discrimination by the whites reminds the native Indians that they are not the same or similar to the whites even though they fought in World War II. Therefore, the challenge of environmental discrimination against natives that began during the colonial period is still prevalent to this day. Structural racism has perpetuated economic and social inequalities among Native Indians According to Reading and Sarah “The continued existence of 'Indian reservations' serves as one of the most visible reminders of race-based segregation. the natives” (4). Various governments have played an active role in sustaining the racialized form of discrimination against Native people across generations. Even in the contemporary context, there are not many social and economic developments on Indian reservations. As a result, Native people have difficulty accessing important resources such as housing and financial resources (Reading and Sarah 6). The federal government's investment in reservation shelter networks has declined, resulting in overcrowded, low-quality, poorly ventilated homes on Indiana reservations. Furthermore, educational opportunities for Native people are limited compared to other racial groups because the government has not provided them with sufficient funds to support the development of education on reservationsIndians. Interestingly, native Indians face discrimination in electoral matters. Discrimination reduces their turnover during elections. To elaborate, Dillion writes that “turnout among American Indian and Alaska Native voters in the 2012 election was a full 17 percentage points lower than among white voters” (Dillion). Voter turnout among native Indians is lower because they are assigned distant polling stations, so they have to spend a significant amount before arriving at the polling stations. Additionally, there are physical barriers, such as rivers, that prevent Native Indians from reaching polling stations in time. They are therefore prevented from exercising their right to participate in state and federal elections. Additionally, low turnout among Indian voters in elections is attributed to intimidation in towns bordering reservations, language barriers and animosity that prevent them from voting. The Department of Justice has failed to offer sufficient resources and legal support to empower Native Indian communities, which is why their political participation is low. Discriminatory patterns of prejudice against native Indians are evident in the Silko Ceremony. Tayo's experiences with racial prejudice exemplify the racial prejudice that Native Indians face to this day. Tayo says that “I am half-breed. I'll be the first to say it. I will speak for both sides." (42). Tayo uses the "term" half-breed to show that the way people treat others in society is dictated by their race. Tayo is torn between two heritages and this is because he cannot find a sense of identity in either because people on both sides do not accept him. Tayo feels inferior because he is a half-breed Prejudicial experiences deny him the joy his life needs racism discourages people from appreciating the people's inner beauty because it is based on skin color. Racism implies that some races are pure while others are not. Therefore, Tayo believes the lie that he is impure because he is half-blood regarding prejudice and purity condemns the existence of. Tayo because he is half-breed. Likewise, racism has permeated the American scene and this is evident in the widespread use of the term “redskin,” he explains. “Less known in much of America, but well known to Native Americans, is the hidden racism that afflicts Americans with “red skin” rather than black” (Giago). The use of the term redskins when describing Indians means that they are “not equal to” “less than” separated by “or” not as good as “whites (Giago). The overt form of racism causes whites to view native Indians as a form of property. The Indians were demoted because of the use of the term Redskins and this prevents other people from honoring them. Their value in contemporary America has diminished because the use of the slur redskins indicates that they do not have the same value as those with white skin. White people are ignorant, that's why they continue to use the term redskins even though they know it hurts the feelings of the natives. They have not learned that they are hurting the natives. Racism aimed at Native Indians is similar to racism against African Americans, and it is time it was addressed because Natives are frustrated with the never-ending discrimination against their community. Furthermore, mascots have increased discrimination against native Indians in contemporary America. In his article, Jacobs states that “Native people who lived on or near a reservation before moving to Northeast Ohio (reservation and city), however, are more likely to participate in protest against, 2006.