Telling about Whites, Talking about Indians: Oppression, Resistance, and Contemporary American Indian Identity
Author(s)
O’Nell, Theresa D.
Abstract
Many of the stories told by the Salish and Pend d’Oreilles Indian tribes living on the Flathead Indian Reservation, Montana, are based on the encounters of the Flatheads with the whites. The narrative style of the stories is generally simple and the Indians are depicted as tolerant, restrained and compassionate while the whites are depicted as lacking these qualities. However, resistance or acceptance of the situation is not present in the stories. These stories have been helpful in instilling and maintaining for the Indians a strong sense of identity and feeling for their community.
