Green Grass, Running Water

Green Grass, Running Water is a fantastic piece of writing. Thomas King does an excellent job of showing the contrast between Native American culture and capitalist society- the struggles of trying to find a balance of the two, of surviving as a Native American within the capitalist culture, of deciding which more thoroughly identifies an individual.
Lionel is one of the more confused characters, in my mind. He goes to school, which is a common practice among all youth at this point in time. But, as the result of being a Native American, when sent to do a job that could have helped him progress far in life (in terms of financial success), he gets caught up in the oppression of Native American culture (of which he is a part). The role he plays is confused by the authorities, and by the end of the chapter he's an ex-con who cannot land a steady job- all because of miscommunication. He works in a store selling electronics, figuring out what to do with his life.
Alberta intrigues me. She represents a part of a feminist movement, or at least has a more independent view of the world. She was married early in life, but got divorced because of her husband's ultra-traditional views: that she quit school to have children. She becomes a professor at a university, an extremely educated woman, and is dating Lionel and his cousin, Charlie. She wants a child but not a husband, and she is trapped by her gender.
Charlie is a hot-shot lawyer, who used to work at the electronics store that Lionel works for. He is more concerned about money and power than what others may consider the more important parts of life- family, roots and people.
Charlie defends a company that built a dam, but the dam cannot be used because an old cabin (in which another family member, Eli, lives in) is in the way. The dam is built on Native American lands, but not with their consent. They are promised money- and they know that it's a lie. The government constantly goes back on their promises, considering treaties less and less official and important as time goes on (and as capitalism continues to prevail).
Eli is an educated man who goes to a university, gets his Ph. D. and meets a woman, Karen. He and Karen are together for quite some time, but she is killed in a car crash (this is many years after he left the reservation, and no one has heard from him). He is informed that his mother has passed away by his sister, Norma, and he returns and chooses to live in his mother's cabin under this dam.
And so, in this small action, for years he prevents this dam from being used- because he chooses to stay in his mother's cabin.
These are just a few of the stories that are told in Green Grass, Running Water. Also included are the four old Indians, the coyote, and the creation stories.
It runs as a social commentary, with plenty of remarks referring to "the whites" and "the government" which often seem to be oppressing the Native American people.
The cyclical nature of the stories is one of my favorite parts. They all seem to tie into one another, lead to one another, and stem from one another. There is so much more in play with this story, it must be read several times to see the network that King creates with his characters and their stories.