Cultural Colonialism

Reservation Blues, by Sherman Alexie, is more than just a story about life on a reservation. It is a social commentary on the state of Indian affairs. This is a state which places the survival of Native American culture at odds with their ability to succeed in white mainstream society. Many of the themes that Alexie discusses, such as poverty and alcoholism, are linked to the past oppression the Indians have faced. Often, the only path of success offered to Indians is one that requires them to commercialize their culture. Such commercialization has a devastating effect on the ability to preserve Native American culture. Disney’s Pocohontas is one example of the commercialization of this culture. Some may argue that the movie is a historically incorrect depiction of the colonization of America. However, it does raise a number of difficult and timely issues.
During the nineteenth century, many white Americans and Native Americans were engaging in land disputes created by weste...