The Raven Song Analysis

In Raven Song, which is based in the 1950’s, the protagonist is suffering from colonialism. Their world and aspects of their lives are controlled by caucasians. Like the settlers, they still think they have power over all beings, that they are more important than people with darker skin, to them dark skin symbolizes poverty. Some still have this mind set. Colonialism allowed caucasians to control where Native Americans live, how they live, religion and education. Residential schools are an example of the control colonialism gave to caucasians. These institutions controlled whether or not children attended them, the language they spoke, how they dressed and wore their hair, and what to worship. In the novel they controlled the future of some by dangling their status. Want to go to war for your country? Give up your status. Want to marry the man you love who happens to be white? Give up your status. And just before Stacey went to …show more content…
Although they tried to take away the identity of native people and control it they had no power over it. As much as they tried, they had no power over the outcome, no power over the resilient people who fought for their teachings and language. In the beginning Stacey thought they had both control and power over her and her people. As the story goes on, and as she grows, she soon realizes that her earlier assumption was in fact wrong. For example, she thought her principal had both control and power over her and her future. She realized that someone only has power over you if you let them, no matter how they may try to control and manipulate you to think otherwise. Once she showed this to her principal, the power he thought he had over her was gone because she took it. In turn it was almost like she had power over him. Most of the people in her village have the same type of mentality. Their oppressors may have control over how their future may be like but they do not have power over their