Essay Questions

The white frontier armies were responsible for the disastrous end of the American native cultures. Do you agree with this statement?

The Kiowa people had their unique way of worshiping before the arrival of the white frontier armies. Kiowas celebrated their culture by observing their religious rights and other important days of the year. However, when the white frontier armies started intruding the area, things started taking a wrong turn for the people of Kiowa. The White troops introduced a new way of worship called Christianity because they thought the local people were made by observing what they termed 'barbaric' traditions. Later, the white army introduced strict measures that the local people had to follow during worship. The main aim of the whites was to transition the local people to Christianity. At last, the whites managed to put Kiowa traditions and customs under siege, and that is how the native American cultures vanished into thin air. Therefore, it is true that the white frontier armies were responsible for the vanishing of the native American cultures.

How genuine is Christianity, according to Momaday?

Christianity is an invention of the white, and it is imposed on various cultures globally. Momaday recalls his early days with his grandmother in Oklahoma near the Rainy Mountain, where people in this region believed in their Kiowa cultural traditions. Momaday's grandmother, Aho, was a strict adherent to Kiowa customs. The Kiowa customs started disintegrating when the white man intruded the region and started introducing Christianity by force. The local people were forced to convert to Christianity. Aho is among the ancient people who were forced to transform to Christianity. Momaday recalls how the white discouraged the Sundance, which was a joint Kiowa tradition custom event. The white people thought that the local people were vicious and mad for observing their religious beliefs. The notion that Christianity is superior to the traditional way of worship is itself barbaric. According to Momaday, the ancient people had their creation story, and they believed in doing what is right. Therefore, Christianity's role is dominance, which is why it kills cultures to manipulate people to believe in what it says.

Why do you think that this book has a sad ending?

Towards the end of the book, Momaday realized that the house is empty and gloomy since his grandmother's abrupt demise. The place is cold and uncomfortable because there is no warmth anymore. Grandmother brought a lot of joy into the house, but she is no longer there. The author remembers that his grandmother is among the last people who strictly observed the Kiowa culture despite being a Christian convert. Consequently, the death of Aho signifies the end of the Kiowa culture.