John Fire Lame Deer is a Native American who has been raised in two wholly different universes. One being a universe of animistic beliefs tightly adhering Native American communities and the other being the capitalistic universe of the European-American. John Fire Lame Deer participated in a popular rite of transition among Native American folks known as the vision quest leting him his first glance of the spirit universe. By looking at John Fire Lame Deer’s experiences as a Native American turning up in a civilization that is easy being eradicated by a larger more dominant civilization we can see how his experiences and actions have created his alone positions of American civilization today.
The vision pursuit is one of the shaping minutes for an stripling in any Native American folk for it allows them to detect their personal spirit ushers and enlightens them about their life work. The vision pursuit is by no agencies an easy undertaking for the young person. It requires traveling into nature entirely trying to last while non eating. imbibing. or holding comfy milieus about. This belief in animism straight connects to the vision quest as a rite of transition. The belief that all things in nature are connected and are alive with liquors shows us that Native Americans consider themselves a portion of nature. non above it.
In John Fire Lame Deer’s vision quest we can see looks of animistic belief through the visions that he receives. John Fire Lame Deer has an intense desire to go a medicine adult male. yet he needs the support of the spirit universe. It is believed in Native American civilization that mending comes from the ability to acknowledge and “suck out” disease. and one needs religious counsel before being able to pattern the art of healing. John Fire Lame Deer receives the vision of a big bird circling bespeaking his spirit usher is to be that of an bird of Jove. He besides receives a vision of his gramps indicating that he would wish John Fire Lame Deer to take his name. By obeying the vision pursuit. John Fire Lame Deer shows his belief in animism.
Native American life styles are based on the animistic thoughts of life with nature and trying to hold harmoniousness with the environment. This straight opposes the Euro-American ideals of altering nature to better suit the human being. John Fire Lame Deer criticizes the civilization of the “white man” because it is so far detached from nature that human existences are able colza and plunder the environment without experiencing a sense of duty or guilt. Possibly it is non the “white man” who is despised most by John Fire Lame Deer. but the United States Government. It is the United States Government that is responsible for making the bombardment ranges that destroyed the environment and pushed the Native Americans to reserves go forthing nil but empty promises and broken dreams as compensation.
John Fire Lame Deer feels that the “white man” is seeking to take himself from the universe while trying to take the spirit out of nature. He observes that the American bison. the prairie wolfs. the wolves. and the cervid all have free liquors yet have been replaced by domesticated animate beings with no true intent in the rhythm of nature. He feels that the “white man” sees himself as supreme over nature ; hence he views nature as dirty and dirty unfit for him to populate in. John Fire Lame Deer believes that the “white man” has ruined nature and by altering it into something unnatural has committed a great farce against the environment.
