A Spirit Broken.

Melissa McMahon

English 48 B

Journal on Zitkala Sa

January 22 2009

"I cried aloud, shaking my neck all the while until I felt the cold blades of the scissors against my neck, and heard them gnaw off one of my thick braids. Then I lost my spirit." (1116)

Zitkala Sa writes about this moment during her schooling where the teachers use physical means to "steal" the Indian out of her- giving her an American haircut and thoroughly conforming her into a more "proper" role. This is a significant part of Sa's short story, "The School Days of an Indian Girl," because it is the one scene where Sa has been "transformed" and must now submit to the way of the 'paleface.' Sa draws the reader in with her descriptions of this horrific experience- and shows them the conditions in which children's spirits were routinely broken in the name of Christian education.

"Young eight-year-old Gertrude was strongly lured by their promises of apple orchards. Having never been deceived, she trusted them despite her mother’s warnings. The young child’s innocence led her to desire the apple orchards and to choose to be educated by the missionaries. Taté Iyòhiwin finally gave in. She knew that it would be a hard transition for her child from innocence to experience, but she also believed that her child would need the education when there were more Euro-Americans than Native Americans."-Wikipedia

This was the reason young Zitkala Sa was sent to go to this Quaker school- her mother allowed it, and only because she feared that her child would not have the luxury of living in peace with her tribe the rest of her life. Knowing that it would ultimately silence her child's spirit, she pleaded with Sa to stay- when Sa decided she did want to go, her mother could not stop her- out of fear for what lay ahead.

It was a move that would ultimately change Zitkala Sa- for good, and for bad. From her extensive education, she gave to us a beautiful account of her life and of her thoughts, written in such a way it captures the reader from the very start. Unfortunately, her "spirit" remained broken for some time- she even went back to teach at the very school that had robbed her of her youth and of her heritage. However, Zitkala Sa soon left after not being able to handle the abuse she was witnessing on the students daily. Pouring herself into her writing, she left us with an incredible part of herself that remains embedded in history.

Sa was an amazing woman, full of spunk and spirit that ultimately could not be taken from her by anyone. Her legacy is one of strength and beauty, and she continues to live on in her written words.