American Indian Stories

Though she is initially resistant to the idea, Zitkála-Šá’s mother allows her to leave home to attend a mission school. Outline the reasons why she supported and opposed the idea, and explain what motivated her to ultimately agree to the plan.

Zitkála-Šá writes about specific people, events, and places from her life. However, she leaves out basic details, including the names of her mother and many relatives, the name of the schools she attends, their specific locations, and so on. Why might these details have been omitted? How does their omission affect the book as a whole?

Zitkála-Šá values independence, and she had a rebellious streak as a youth, feeling the need to resist the policies of the mission school she attended. Given that, what motivated her to teach in a similar school? What might she have hoped to achieve as a teacher?