Chapter 11 – “Distances”
By: Kelly, Joseph, Chandler, Jenna, Caroline
INTRODUCTION:
VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aN9ssrVTkk8
 The clear distances in this video, between Native Americans and whites, is demonstrated
through the distances of the Lakota people and whites in the video
 The speaker in the video wrote a text similar to Sherman Alexie
 The reference to the despair and loss of hope on reservation life is similar to the themes
addressed in chapter 11.
QUIZ:
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:
1. Why did the Indians burn down the houses?
a)
b)
c)
d)
For fun
They wanted to destroy everything associated with whites
They were bored
The house was old and needed to be burned
2. Who are the Urbans?
a)
b)
c)
d)
The whites
Old Indians
City Indians who made there way to the reservation
Alcoholics
HIGHER LEVEL THINKING QUESTION:
3. What were the tribal meetings for? When did they hold these meetings? Explain.
CHARACTERIZATION:
CHARACTER: TREMBLE DANCER
SPEECH-does not speak in chapter
THOUGHTS-shares her hardships with the narrator
EFFECT ON OTHERS-the speaker loves her, feels like he can see her
life/hardships
ACTIONS-climbs up a tree and holds the narrator, gives birth to a
salmon, loves the narrator
LOOKS-cuts on her legs, scars and scrapes, pregnant stomach, ill, one
of the urbans,
SYMBOLISM:


FIRE: represented destruction when the tribal council made the tribe burn down
the houses of the whites. The fire also symbolized death because every time
someone would die in the tribe they would burn them and claim their bodies were
evil
RADIO: symbolized civilization outside the reservation, in the story the main
character was too afraid to press the button afraid because he didn’t know what he
was going to hear. This also symbols how people fear what they don’t know or aren’t
familiar with.
THEMES ADDRESSED IN CH. 11:




LOSS: Loss of traditions, loss of people, death and destruction because of Custer
INJUSTICE: technology being introduced and repeated shows the injustice of
assimilating to white culture
AUTHORS PURPOSE:
To inform readers of what the world would be like if Wavoka’s prophecy came true
and Native American life could be revived to the capacity it once was in the past.
To give the reader insight as to how the white culture has caused Native American’s
to die out (figuratively and realistically)
CONCLUSION:
Click here for video
 “Anything to do with the whites has to be destroyed” (Alexi). That shows how
anything to do with white culture is considered evil.
 Video clip represents the chapter because it shows how after years of poor relations
it finally has to end.
 President Obama has taken initiative and wants to mend the broken relationship
between Native Americans and whites. After years of being cast aside the
government is just now starting to hear what they have to say and in doing so they
hope that they can eventually put aside their differences and coexist in a peaceful
world together