Language as a Weapon

          Language plays the main role in human interaction. This interaction occurs in the public and private spheres of existence. According to the book Reinventing the Enemy's Language, the act of communicating for the Native Americans (First Nations or American Indians for the politically correct) is an extension of their historical culture and personal emotion blended together in a society. America's colonization process was often brutal for the Native American, who encountered many of the ills that occur when two distinctly opposite cultures are vying for the same geographical regions. Unfortunately, the conquerors were able to suppress the Native Americans through means technological and cultural. Often times, this suppression culturally would trickle down to the Native American women.
             The Euro-American conquerors employed many methods for suppressing the Native American culture including the enforcement of language laws and government funded re-education schools. The colonization process began with the elimination of Native American language. The Native Americans see English as the "enemy's" language and with good reason. The English settlers took advantage of the fact that Native American languages use many references to nature to convey a messages. Discovery by the settlers led to the taking of land, children, and livelihoods. In the Native American community, women have taken important steps to earn educations, trade-skills, and break ground for other aspiring Native Americans. However, educated Native Americans are given a "site of privilege" (28). This site of privilege means the authentic voices of the conventional Native American is not heard. By not including the voices of all Native Americans, they commit the same travesties that the Euro-Americans committed when they were busy conquering the plains of the Midwestern North American continent. The Native American women is at war trying to maintain "the traditions of the home from radical organizations, but they have not had to fight the Native American man for control" (30). Language provides conflict because it represents the basic means of the human interactive and communicative experience. The Euro-American took from the Native American an important and distinct tool of cultural identity. Alas, by removing this symbol of independence, the conqueror is able to assimilate and control the subordinated, the women.