“Ask him, before he comes into the presence of the Lord, whether he is willing to conform to the laws of the country in which he lives, the country which guarantees him an idle existence.” This is the general belief shared among missionaries: in order for Native Americans to enter the “utopia” created by the evangelists, the Indians must abandon their way of life and adapt completely to the white man's culture. Mrs. Rowell's statement and Miss Evans's acceptance of this ideology reveal that the American missionary society believes itself to be above these Native American “lands.” Also, in “Native American Writers of the United States” by Gretchen Ronnow, Ronnow states, “He [John M. Oskison] often juxtaposes issues without indicating his own opinion on them: traditional values versus traditional values, formal education versus the teachings of Native American Elders, intermarriage versus separatism… (254).” The relationship between American settlers (in this case, missionaries) and Native Americans is illuminated as Oskison was exposed to both cultures as a Cherokee American from birth. Therefore, Oskison's works are based on his growing up observations. from Oskison and history's perspective, it is easy to show that Americans believed their ways were better. With this understanding, it is not surprising that Mrs. Rowell and Miss Evans treat Harjo with contempt and believe they are
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