Native American Poetry

Sometimes I Feel Like All Indians

Author: Chrystos
Date: 17/04/19
Setting: 1995
Event: Death, Murder, Suicide, Addiction, and Violence
Characters: People
Memorable Quote: "I close my eyes and keep praying sometimes there's nothing to do but brush back the tears and keep on folding the laundry"

The poem mainly transmitted me hopelessness because the author is trying to portray the real struggles and suffering of Native Americans by telling different tragic stories and events about death and addiction throughout the piece. However, while reading the poem, I noticed that these stories do not only exist within the Indian community but all communities. They are raw and sad events that happen all around the world and have been increasing throughout the years, and, as in the last stanza, sometimes there is nothing to do but to keep going no matter what. Thus, I strongly feel that, for me, this is not a poem about Indians but humanity and the darkest side of all its social problems. For me, it is not "Sometimes I Feel Like All Indians" but "Sometimes I Feel Like All People."