In the book On The Rez written by Ian Frazier the author tells the story of a few members of the Oglala Sioux and their life on the reservation. The author’s imagery through words paints a vivid portrayal of everyday Indian life on the reservations. It is far from what most people perceive.
In chapter 6 many of this books recurring themes reappear, such as the heavy influence of alcohol and alcoholism and the stress the put on different people throughout the book. At the same time showing the almost overwhelming comradery that the main character Le and the author share as well as with many of the other characters.
The chapter starts of with Frazier driving to Le’s from his motel In Chadron, Nebraska since the town nearest the reservation (Pine Ridge) neglected to have any motels. When Frazier first arrives at Le’s, he is greeted with a note from Le saying he was across the river visiting his brother Floyd John’s. Later that day when he returns he finds Le at home with a 24 OZ can of Olde English and immediately starts the first dialogue of the chapter. Le tells Frazier;
Listen-- I want to tell you something-- you know I’m a do soldier, right? You know what that means? It means i fight for my people, that I'm a warrior. You understand? I’m A dog soldier, today is a good day to die! Im standing on my own two feet on the bosom of our mother earth. I go where I want, I do what I want. I take no orders from anybody. The spirits tell me what to do. I’m just a man…… He began to cry. (pg. 93) Le walks around the room while burning sage and singing in lakota but “so quietly that only occasionally did audible phrases emerge.”
Le then tells Frazier “I talk to you because you have a curious mind and an innocent heart. And you're not my friend you're my brother. “He set the smoldering sage in a empty can that once held commodity pears. He prayed for me, asking that I see with clear eyes that I see with clear eyes that do not judge. He shook hands with me complicatedly, feeling the pulses in my wrists with his thumbs.” (Pg. 94)
This is the first time in this chapter when you get a obvious message that the sense of brotherhood between the men in this story.
The duo the drive north to the sundance grounds so that Le could collect more sage (not yet ready to describe the sundance grounds.) As Le is collecting his sage he is talking to Fraizer about Lakota words he should know. Things like “oski-ski, which means badlands and mitakuye oyasin, The phrase you say when the heat becomes too intense inside the sweat lodge and you want to get out, it means “all my relatives.” After leaving the sundance grounds they depart for Floyd Johns where they were immediately greeted with “Floyd John on the ground by the propane tank outside his cabin, lying on his back propped up on both of his elbows. His hair was every which way and his eyes were remote and intent at the same time. He gestured for me to sit on the ground beside him and I did. Then he turned to me and said, “What is love? Love is a piece of shit.”
“He and Wanda had had a fight, and he had broken a glass and cut his hand. Wanda came around the corner, gave us an unencouraging look, and went back inside.” Pg.95
Frazier then tells the reason for their visit. Frazier writes; The day before , I had loaned Floyd John $20.85 to buy a new regulator for A car he was trying to get running, and he wanted to pay me back. He went in the cabin and came out with an army fatigue shirt that he had worn in vietnam. He went in again and this time came out with a belt buckle of embossed and painted leather he had made himself. I really didn't want to take this, and I protested as much as I could, he kept saying he had made it in the V.A. hospital and he wanted me to have it because I was his bro. I finally I took it. Later that day Frazier, Le, Floyd John and Wanda go to a rodeo west of town even though the tensions between Floyd John and Wanda are still at a heat. As the arguments escalated throughout the night Frazier takes periodic walks around the rodeo arena. His close relationship amongst the Oglala gives Frazier a certain freedom on the reservation.
As the four leave the rodeo the now three way argument escalated to Frazier’s horror. The arguments ridiculing personal involvement in the Vietnam war and the couples ongoing argument between He describes it, “My driving terror reached its peak. In every set of oncoming headlights, I imagined I was seeing the final frame before the film goes black. Old time plainsmen used to say you haven't seen a fight until you have seen Sioux Fighting Sioux.”
When Frazier drops off Wanda and Floyd John, “Le discovered that Floyd John had forgotten his cane in the back seat, and got out to give it to him. “You're still my bro, Bro,” Le says to Floyd John.
It was at his point that when it comes down to it The people on the reservation are different than everyone else, and that they truly are a big family. To me it was clear that one of the main themes that the author was trying to project in this chapter was one about their unity and bond with each other. Later in the chapter the duo meet Edgar High White Man. Le’s “uncle.”
“He was a short, Deeply wrinkled, eighty-six years old, with bowlegs like parentheses. He wore a straw cowboy hat with red,yellow, and black feathers in the hat band,” Frazier writes Frazier asks Edgar where his family name came from and he explains it as such: My grandfather was leading a group one day when they saw a wagon train, He walked up to the wagon train from the opposite direction and if anything happened the others could ambush them. When he approached the wagon train the whole thing stopped. Then they saw the Wagon master come over to my grandpa and shook his hand, when the others saw that they said “Well, lets call him Washicun Wankatuya, High-up white man. The wagon master gave my grandpa molasses and bread, all the others came to the wagon train and got molasses and bread too, so they didn't have to attack‘em. Pg.101
To me this passage was purposefully placed here in the book. I would consider it past- shadowing in the sense that even though this event happened long before any of the characters were born, it is a great comparison of for Frazier's relationship with Le. Just like Edgar’s grandfather, Frazier just up and walked up to a man he did not know while also fulfilling the same “white” role that was played out with Edger’s grandfather, Frazier also assumed. In the same way the wagon master only intended to help the one man the others followed suit, the same thing happend to Frazier, just like the people on the reservation, like Floyd John.
For me this chapter was a step for the rest of the book. It left me with more questions then answers. Regardless the chapter brought to light the significance of their brotherhood and what it means to the Ogala.