“The Names”

Momaday’s memoir, “The Names” begins as the title suggests, with a list of names. These names however, are of great importance to Momaday, as they are the names of his ancestors. These names tell the story and the plight of this people. Behind these names lies a rich history. The story of generations of his family, the intermingling of his ancestors, and their travel throughout the country, all contributing to who he is as a person.  However Momamday’s memoir is not easily understood at face value. Within his memoir, is a completed family tree, further complicated by the Native American names and lineage. Their names are given with great care and great meaning, and with their name much is expected. There even seems to be both literal and figurative elements  that suggest these Native Americans believe the must assimilate into the white man’ world  in order to succeed.

Momaday’s memoir,  starts at the beginning, as far back as he can trace his ancestors with great certainty. While Momaday’s family is mainly of Native American descent, his ancestry becomes confusing to the reader, as at times,  the pictures he shows of his family members appear very European. This is  practically true regarding his mother. Some show her appearing to been a young native american girl, and others as a beautiful european adolescent. This becomes further complicated as Momaday discusses his father’s family’s disdain for his mother. Furthermore, as I observe the photograph of George Scott and his grandfather Theodore, I would hardly guess that they are a family descendent from Native Americans.

Momaday and his ancestors are people of the land, the earth, and the sky. They can read nature and are in touch with its idiosyncrasies. To them everything in nature has mean and can be deciphered . It is meant to be respected and cherished.  For Momaday and his ancestors, nature has spiritual meanings, and they incorporate nature into their spiritual encounters.

For Momaday’s his Native American relatives’ history is his history too. He tells their history as if it is his own. While this is an aspect of his memoir, this is also an aspect of his culture. As a Native American he is expected to take on his ancestors stories as if they are his own.

As his memoir progresses, I wonder how Momaday’s life will continue to play out and if I will be able to keep is complicated family tree straight.