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Back to Subjects - American History

Green Grass Powerful Women

Green Grass Powerful Women White culture misinterpreted, ridiculed and even outlawed native beliefs. Natives, in turn were forced to live according to the absurdities of the white man. In Green Grass Running Water, King portrays these absurdities through four old Indians and a coyote that are trying to fix the world. This task becomes very difficult for them, when the Christian God appears and messed everything up. Now they are confused and the world is in chaos. King shows how illogical and foreign the natives found the Christian religion; especially in it’s views on Women’s inequality. It all started “in the beginning.” Everything was fine with this [Indian] beginning until that crazy Christian God (or dog) got a hold of the world and mixed everything up. So, there was a Sky World and in that sky world was a woman. Big woman. Strong woman. First Woman. First woman falls from the sky world into the water world and decides she better make some land. G O D thinks this is ok, but a garden would be better. First woman makes a garden and lives there with Ahdamn. Nobody knows were Ahdamn came from, but things like that happen, you know. (King, 40) At first this novice Christian G O D does not realize that there is anything wrong with First Woman being called Strong Woman. Naturally, no (Christian) G O D in their right mind would let a woman have a name with that much power. This new G O D also does not realize the insignificant role that Adam plays or the humiliation that he brings with a name like “Ahdamn”. Aside from his name, Ahdamn is a foolish man. While First Woman is busy finding them something to eat, Ahdamn is naming the animals. You are a microwave oven, Ahdamn tells the Bear. We got to get you some glasses, says the Bear. You are a telephone book, Ahdamn tells the Cedar Tree. You’re getting closer, says the Cedar Tree. You are a cheeseburger, Ahdamn tells Old Coyote. Everything is fine and G O D does not think anything is wrong until First Woman comes across that forbidden tree. It has all sorts of goodies such as apples, melons, bananas, hotdogs, fry break, corn, potatoes, pizza, and extra-crispy friend chicken. But G O D does not want anybody eating his food and so his Christian rules are made and women are suppressed. In this next story G O D has more control over the situation and is not as novice. Changing Woman falls from the sky directly into Noah’s ark or, as Noah put it, onto a canoe full of animal poop. A little man with a filthy beard jumps out of the poop at the front of the canoe. Who are you? Says the little man. I'm Changing Woman, says Changing Woman. Any relation to Eve? Says the little man. She sinned, you know. That's why I'm in a canoe full of animals. That's why I'm in a canoe full of poop. Noah's blaming of Eve for his dilemma comes from the time-honored Christian belief that women bear primary responsibility for the fall of man. This attitude has its roots in I Timothy, assigning more blame for sin to Eve than to Adam: "I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she is to keep silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a sinner" (I Timothy 3:12-14). Unfortunately, these rule do not apply to Indian women, because according to them, woman was formed first, then Ahdamn. Of course, no one told this to Noah, who confronts Changing Woman with the argument of I Timothy. In any event, man should be the one suppressed, and as we will see later on in the novel, this is exactly what happens. But for now lets get back to our story. Noah mistakenly believes that Changing Woman is a new wife sent to him directly by God (he abandoned the first Mrs. Noah and her children to the Flood when they protested his decision to throw many animals overboard). Immediately, he attempts to intimidate his lucky bride with the first rule of the Ark, which is, "Thou Shall Have Big Breasts.” This Christian world is anything but safe for Changing Woman, or any woman for that matter. But Changing Woman is not frightened, she knows she is an Indian woman and does not have to submit to these Christian demands. “We’ve got to get rid of these rules,” she says. For the next month, Noah chases Changing Woman around the canoe trying to have his way with her, but he is never able to catch her. This is the second time a male is illustrated as the pathetic half of the human race. First was Ahdamn with his foolishness in naming animals and his degrading name, sigh “Aw, damn,” now it is Noah with his lack of sexual hormonal control or dominion over First Woman, who in his eyes should be in submission to his every command. Even his description is that of a weaker being, “said the little man.” When the ark finally reaches an island, Noah continues to chase Changing Woman until exhausts and frustrated, he angers and says, "This is a Christian ship, I am a Christian man. This is a Christian journey. And if you can't follow our Christian rules, then you're not wanted on this voyage!" (King, 125). Although this might be a distortion of the true Christian principle, it is not surprising that Indian’s would gain this opinion of Christians, after all, when Early European Settlers came to this land, Indians were given that very ultimatum. “If you can’t follow Christian rules, we’re going to kill you.” Changing Woman is discarded as a bad wife, or a savage Indian and Noah’s Ark leaves without her. These Biblical/Indian stories of our beginnings slowly turn into our modern world where female equality is still being battled between the two religions and society. The third example of women supremacy and male’s pathetic state is found in Norma’s conversation with Lionel concerning his relationship with Alberta. Babies, she said. That’s all you need to know. You deaf? Alberta wants children. That’s what men like to think. Makes them feel wanted. Not much good for anything else, I can tell you that. She’s never mentioned it to me. Of course she’s never mentioned it to you. She doesn’t want to put up with a man. A woman who gets married and has a child winds up with two babies right off the bat. You get the picture? Norma took Lionel by the arm and sat him down on the couch. She pulled up a chair right in front of him, and she reached out and took his face in her hands and held it there so she could see his eyes. First of all, Norma said, Alberta wants children. Most women want children. Why do you think there are so many human beings in this world? You think women are that crazy about men? You think women are that crazy about sex? Day after we find some other way to get pregnant, you guys will be as attractive as week-old fry bread. Lionel smiled and nodded some more. He could feel Norma’s fingernails at his ears. (King, 135) Poor Lionel seems to be clueless when it comes to women. For a male with supposed power over females, he’s a lost cause. Once again, the woman comes out on top, twice! First Norma, has to clear things up for him, and in the process shames him by treating him like a child. She has to grab his face to keep his attention; and second, Alberta’s control over him. She holds all the cards, he is just a player in her game, and he’s about get loose. She doesn’t really need him, in fact, if she can find a way to do without him, it’s done. She would rather have a one-night stand or be artificially inseminated than to have a man tag along. It is clear that the role of a man is very diminished, not needed to make the baby and not wanted to raise the baby. This is outside of the social Christian norms, but Luckily Alberta is a Strong Woman, an Indian woman and has the economic means to support a child on her own, which is more than she can say for Lionel. Poor Lionel is left in the dark with no role to play but that of a child whose fate is controlled by the women around him. The four old Indian’s must have done something right, despite the Christian G O D getting in the way of their culture and messing up their story. Even outside of this novel, we live in a chaotic world of mixed up stories and combined religions. We are a Christian nation (thanks to the Christian G O D) but we also hold true to our Native origins of female superiority. Bibliography:

Word Count: 1533