Page 1 - MM-CUTTING OF MY LONG HAIR-PDF
P. 1

MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD



               Cutting of my long hair


               About the Author

               Gertrude  Simmons  Bonnin,  born  in  1876,  was  an  extraordinarily  talented  and  educated  Native
               American woman who struggled and triumphed in a time when severe prejudice prevailed towards
               Native American culture and women. As a writer, she adopted the pen name ‘Zitkala-Sa’ and in 1900
               began publishing articles, criticizing the Carlisle Indian School. Her works criticised dogma, and her life
               as a Native American woman was dedicated against the evils of oppression.



                   Zitkala’s first day at the Christian Missionary School
                        A woman with yellow face and white hair went up to see the girls. Zitkala was    placed in the
                        line of the girls who were heading towards the dining hall.
                       She  describes  that  they  were  the  Indian  girls  who  were  wearing  hard  shoes  and  tight
                         dresses.
                       The small girls were wearing sleeved aprons and their hairs were cut short
                         .
                       Zitkala was walking without making any noise of her shoes. She felt so ashamed when her
                         blanket (scarf, shawl) was removed from her shoulders.

                        All the other Indian girls seemed to be very indecent to her as all of them were wearing
                         tight clothes which were not a good thing as per the writer.

                       As they were going to the dining room, the boys came from the opposite door.
                        The writer notices the three boys who according to her were brave; she says so because
                         they were also the new entrants into the school and were not wearing the dress like others.
                       She looked at them while they were standing behind her. They were also not comfortable
                         like her.



                        A small bell rang and all the students dragged their chairs. The writer also pulled her chair
                         and she at once gets seated.
                       But she found herself being noticed by all others as none of them had seated. The next bell
                         ranged and all the others seated themselves.
                       The writer also did it once again just to mend her mistake. Suddenly she heard a manly voice
                         from one corner of the room.

                            She tries to see the man but found everyone looking down towards their plates. While
                     she was looking at them she saw that the yellow faced woman was constantly looking at her.

                            A woman with yellow face and white hair went up to see the girls. Zitkala was    placed in line


                                   Of the girls who were heading towards the dining hall.
   1   2   3   4   5   6