The Velvet discussion

Suicide seems to be an important theme in Ledfeather. It seems to have a particular significance with Indians and Indian culture.

I'll admit, I'm mostly ignorant about American Indian history and culture, past or present. Is there something about the American Indian culture, or their plight, that causes suicide to be more prevalent?

From the story, I get the feeling that it is mainly about their plight. Being assigned to a reservation where certain restrictions are enforced, suffering the societal effects of making a living from casinos, losing their culture, loss of pride, struggles with identity...these are a few of the things I have gleamed from the story.

However, it seems that those attempting suicide are often young. I wonder why this is? I understand that it's usually the young and the old that are most prone to suicide, but I wonder what the significance is to this novel.

For example, in the first "chapter" of the book, the narrator mentions that they are glad they never had children because "this is what happens. They drive off every road they can, and then, because it hasn't started hurting yet, whichever one can still walk does, to the nearest light, his face packed with windshield glass." I'm not sure if this is meant to convey suicide or something else...

If you have any thoughts on this, or can point to specific passages that might shine light on the subject, I'd love to hear it. Warn me if there's any spoilers though...I'm only on p. 97...

I had the same difficulties as you, at first, but the more I read the more I think it was my Anglo associations with suicide that informed my confusion. I think the better perspective is to understand the fluidity of life and death in the Native American culture (which becomes central to the novel as it progresses). Of course, I may be wrong, but I see suicide not as a damning act but as a transitional one.

Well put, Caleb.

I'm currently on p. 120, where Dalimpere's letters have been pretty strange for some time. To better understand these sections, I went back through Dalimpere's letters from the beginning, and after reading the letter about the boy throwing stones, I noticed this section on p. 66:

"By my rude count, and including Lead Feather,the Piegan numbers were nearly halved last Winter, after they'd already been halved by pox.

You can almost understand a young boy lofting a stone into the air and then not looking away, can't you, Claire? Perhaps if species personality or cultural attitude is in fact defined by the land one is immersed in, then I'm merely exhibiting what any sane person would in similar circumstances."