Narrator, “History Lesson”
The narrator of this poem is not intended to depict any one aboriginal person. Rather, the narrator is a collective cry from all the Native Americans who were murdered, raped, desecrated, and uprooted. The narrator is an aboriginal individual who recounts the horrors of “civilization” as pioneered by Christopher Columbus. The narrator intentionally uses simple and broken English to make an ironic statement; he or she is depicting themselves as the settlers viewed them: uneducated, unintelligent, and ignorant. In this way, the narrator is reclaiming the savage and cruel way Native Americans were systematically abolished by European settlers.
Columbus, “History Lesson”
Though Columbus is never explicitly depicted as carrying out any of the heinous acts of debauchery and destruction that are described in this poem, he is the face of this destruction. In this way, Christopher Columbus is the figurehead for the “civilized settlers” who wrought nothing but war, sorrow, sadness, poverty, and death upon the indigenous peoples of America. He not only represents Columbus, himself, but also every individual who contributed to the destruction and desecration of Native American life.
Narrator, “Indian Woman”
The narrator of this poem—as the title suggests—is an unnamed Indian Woman. As with many of Armstrong’s poem, this character does not represent a single, named individual. Instead, she is a metaphorical representation of all Native American women who were raped, beaten, abused, and mistreated by European settlers. The narrator of this poem is resilient and powerful. In an attempt to retaliate against the European forces that have aimed to rape and suppress her, the narrator has started to reclaim all that they have taken from her. Though European settlers view her only as a body—to be used for sexual pleasures and childbearing—the narrator is reclaiming her sexual power. She declares herself the “keeper of generations.” She notes that her body is so much more than a mass of flesh and that it is good for so much more than childbearing. In this way, the narrator represents the power and strength and resilience and beauty of Native American women, whose bodies, minds, and souls were desecrated and used by European settlers.
Narrator, “Artifacts”
The narrator of this poem is both unnamed and omniscient. Though it should not be assumed that the narrator is based on any one individual, it can be concluded that the narrator has an in-depth and omniscient understanding of the true stories behind the artifacts that are mentioned in the poem. In this way, it can be assumed that the narrator—though not a “real” person—would be someone of Native American descent. The narrator aims to urge readers to always pursue truth; to always question the “facts” of history.
