either can one culture fully assimilate into another without a certain level of tolerance for different, personal values and beliefs. While some cultures are brainwashed into following a practice, coercion of beliefs and practices proves to be ineffective in the case of Pueblos. As part of the Pueblo culture that was forced into assimilation by the government, Silko knows the experience of being introduced to a homogenous culture and then be reabsorbed into another as she states, “The U.S. government had taken every precaution to sever the Indian students’ ties with their families and tribes.” Despite training, many Indians “went back to the blanket” upon returning to their familiar culture. Similarly, Pratt stresses that the subordinate culture can use language to negotiate their role in society. The classroom is a classic scenario of a teacher’s control over her students. Power roles aren’t overtly stated, but implied through consequences of behavior. Sam’s “grate adventchin” idea is a use of literacy used against an authority. By writing about a shot that would make life easier for everyone, Sam overrules the authority of the teacher be created something that would aid/appeal to himself rather than the teacher.Without an equal forum for communication, misunderstanding, fear, and hatred result between cultures. It’s a natural tendency to judge others that are different from us to protect our individual beliefs. The book burnings and the Pueblo re-education indicate this pervasive fear of new/unfamiliar information. With the wealth of different beliefs and values, a total catharsis is impossible because inequalities exist. If perfect communication existed, then there would be no need for cultures to grapple with competing truths. Only in a perfect “monolingual, even monodialectical” environment does unambiguous communication exists. Yet, in reality differen...
