Moccasin Game by Gerald R. Vizenor
"Moccasin Game" by Gerald R. Vizenor is a narrative that explores themes of identity, sovereignty, and the impact of historical injustices through a surreal and allegorical lens. Set in the fictional sovereign nation of Point Assinika, the story begins as residents await the arrival of Pellegrine Treves, who brings both the moccasins of a murdered woman, Felipa Flowers, and the remains of the legendary Algonquian princess, Pocahontas. The unfolding events reveal the complexities of truth and disinformation, particularly in relation to the experiences of Native Americans and the parallels with the Holocaust.
Vizenor presents a community that thrives on opposition, evidenced by Stone Columbus's audacious contemplation of annexing the United States as a form of reverse assimilation. The narrative intensifies as federal agents release an ancient evil, the wiindigoo, which reignites a deadly contest metaphorically referred to as the moccasin game. In a climactic twist, the use of a potent war herb introduces a high-stakes confrontation, where the fate of humanity hangs in the balance. Through its rich symbolism and interwoven cultural references, "Moccasin Game" invites readers to reflect on resilience, resistance, and the ongoing struggle for recognition and justice within indigenous contexts.
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Moccasin Game by Gerald R. Vizenor
First published: 1993
Type of plot: Parody
Time of work: The late twentieth century
Locale: Point Assinika, an imaginary island nation
Principal Characters:
Stone Columbus , the founder of Point AssinikaPellegrine Treves , a rare-book collector from London who is investigating the death of Felipa FlowersThe wiindigoo , a child-eating evil spirit of Chippewa legend
The Story
In the opening scene, Stone Columbus and other residents of the new sovereign nation, Point Assinika, wait at the marina for the floatplane carrying Pellegrine Treves, bearer of the moccasins worn by Felipa Flowers when she was murdered. Treves is also transporting the purported remains of the long-dead Algonquian princess, Pocahontas, to be interred alongside the remains of Felipa Flowers.
Treves's arrival initiates a series of unusual scenes, during which details of the murder are disclosed. Treves also reveals that federal agents (presumably of the United States government) have deliberately spread believable disinformation about Point Assinika and some of its citizens. One lie in particular, concerning a Jewish Holocaust survivor working as a scientist and healer among the people, emphasizes the disturbingly accurate parallels between the fate of European Jews during World War II and the fate of Native Americans at the hands of European immigrants to America.
Stone Columbus knows, however, that his people thrive on opposition—the more, the merrier. Fully aware of the opposition such an act will generate, Stone and his people are considering a plan to annex the United States—an example of reverse assimilation—if the federal government refuses to meet their demands. Opposition indeed intensifies, as federal agents unthaw and thus release the evil wiindigoo, who returns to Point Assinika to resume the deadly moccasin game that he was about to win many years ago. To combat the wiindigoo, Stone deploys a war herb so powerful that even when unused it shows up on satellite radar as a radiant shadow. In the end, the mutually assured destructive power of the terrible soldier weed war herb creates a Dr. Strangelove kind of scene within the ultimate contest that the moccasin game has become. The fate of the entire human race now lies in the balance.
Bibliography
Blaeser, Kimberly M. Gerald Vizenor: Writing in the Oral Tradition. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1996.
Hochbruck, Wolfgang. "Breaking Away: The Novels of Gerald Vizenor." World Literature Today 66 (Spring, 1992): 274-278.
Isernhagen, Hartwig. Momaday, Vizenor, Armstrong: Conversations on American-Indian Writing. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1999.
Lee, A. Robert, ed. Loosening the Seams: Interpretations of Gerald Vizenor. Bowling Green, Ohio: Bowling Green University Press, 2000.
Owens, Louis, ed. Studies in American Indian Literatures 9 (Spring, 1997). Special issue devoted to Vizenor.
Vizenor, Gerald. Interior Landscapes: Autobiographical Myths and Metaphors. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1990.