The Sacred Hoop: Recovering the Feminine in American Indian Traditions

dead society, but the reworking of the symbol of that civilization,
and those cultures. So there is a place to connect to.” 15
Sanchez writes as a way of connecting to her people. She
does not write so that white editors and other poets will feel
sympathetic toward Indians; she does not attempt to create
“clicks” in white readers. What she does is what Indian matrons
have always done: knit the old ways to the new circumstances in
such a way that the fundamental world-view of the tribe will not
be distorted or destroyed. In her task she uses every resource of
her present existence: technology and myth, politics and
motherhood, ritual balance and clearsighted utterance, ironic
comment and historical perspective.
the Song the Dance the Poem
1) i toil in the field
syllable into line
through the breath
the breathing is
difficult
the birthing.
i dreamed of you mamma
far away, talking hours
into the night.
the breathing was difficult
and you changed again
trying to tell me something
i couldn’t remember –except
the field was there and
stretched on and on.
the stubble would not
be replaced with new corn