Event Title
How the Whites Shaped Black Hawk's Identity
Faculty Mentor
Katie Simon
Keywords
Katie Simon
Abstract
The autobiography The Life of Black Hawk is a problematic text, as the voice and identity of the narrator is difficult to discern. While it is possible that the Native American chief Black Hawk is the true narrator, there are many outside factors that would have compromised his voice. The autobiography was written by an interpreter who worked for the United States Army, which would mean that the narrative may be distorted by both the language barrier, cultural barrier, and the interpreter himself. Black Hawk's authentic voice is also compromised by his motivations for writing the texts, all of the motivations being made to fulfill some sort of desire for the white audience. By doing so, Black Hawk must re-shape his own identity, and because it is being re-shaped for a white audience, it gives that audience a certain amount of power over the narrative.
Session Name:
Theorizing The Life of Black Hawk
Start Date
4-4-2014 2:30 PM
End Date
4-4-2014 3:30 PM
Location
HSB 211
How the Whites Shaped Black Hawk's Identity
HSB 211
The autobiography The Life of Black Hawk is a problematic text, as the voice and identity of the narrator is difficult to discern. While it is possible that the Native American chief Black Hawk is the true narrator, there are many outside factors that would have compromised his voice. The autobiography was written by an interpreter who worked for the United States Army, which would mean that the narrative may be distorted by both the language barrier, cultural barrier, and the interpreter himself. Black Hawk's authentic voice is also compromised by his motivations for writing the texts, all of the motivations being made to fulfill some sort of desire for the white audience. By doing so, Black Hawk must re-shape his own identity, and because it is being re-shaped for a white audience, it gives that audience a certain amount of power over the narrative.