The story “The Medicine Bag”, written by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve, talks about a teenage boy Martin and his relationship with his Sioux Grandpa, Joe iron Shell, who pays a visit from the Native American land of South Dakota with the intention of giving Martin a medicine bag, a small bag that contains holy items, herbs, and family symbols. Grandpa, an eighty-six old man, took a long way to visit Martin and his family. But Martin feels embarrassed and has fears about Grandpa’s unexpected visit to his house because Martin worries that the fantastical image of Indian Grandpa Martin has built and shared with his friends might threaten his reputation; therefore Martin tries all means to stop his friends meeting Grandpa. One day Martin’s friends insist on following him home and seeing Grandpa. Then grandpa begins to tell stories to the boys. They find Grandpa charming and they are both respectful and impressed. At the same time, Martin begins to see Grandpa in a different light. The next day following the pleasant meeting, Grandpa tells Martin about his mythical ancestry and past to convey the emotional significance of the medicine bag that has been around his neck for years. Grandpa is approaching the end of his life, so he wants to pass the medicine bag on to the rightful male heir, Martin. The story ends with Martin wearing the medicine bag showing up at the Sioux reservation after Grandpa’s death, accepting his mixed identity with love and respect.
Recognizing one’s own cultural identity helps the person understand his culture, appreciate the cultural difference, explore self-identification, and build his personal growth. Cultural identity refers to a sense of belonging to a particular group based on various cultural categories, including nationality, ethnicity, race, and religion. Martin, at the beginning, does not fully embrace the fact that he is part of Lakota Sioux, Native American since he has lived in the white world. He even feels embarrassed about Grandpa's visit. After conversations with Grandpa regarding the story behind the medicine bag, Martin learns about the Lakota Sioux traditions, rituals, and way of life, and accepts who he really is, which promotes his maturation. Native American cultural identity is one of the thematic concerns in “The Medicine Bag''. The author provides several illustrations of cultural identity. First, she describes the stereotypical television Indiana that Martin wants to build and share with his friends, suggesting he unwillingly accepts he is part of Lakota Sioux. Through the process of sharing stories, knowledge, and background of traditions and heritage from his Grandpa, Martin’s cultural identity is constructed and reinforced. This lesson is important for Martin since Martin must learn how his Native American cultural identity can coexist with his white cultural identity. Martin’s exploration of cultural identity encourages readers to value and celebrate their own culture and heritage, promoting a sense of appreciation for diverse cultures. Cultural identity is a critical piece of making the identity of a person who follows his own beliefs and acts accordingly.
Respect is intricately woven through family relationships, elder generation, genuine appreciation for cultural heritage, and the natural world. The transformative power of respect through interactions with others could stimulate one’s personal growth in many aspects. Martin treats his mother with respect by doing what he was asked to do. Martin’s family demonstrates their respect for Grandpa by visiting him yearly during summer. Although Martin is embarrassed by Grandpa’s appearance, he still treats Grandpa with respect by helping him find their home and calling the doctor to care for him. Martin also respectfully listens to Grandpa’s story about the medicine bag while Grandpa instills in Martin the idea of respecting the elders, traditions, and the natural environment. Having respect toward family members, culture, and nature is another thematic concern in “The Medicine Bag''. The author skillfully writes of the mutual respect shared between Martin and Grandpa. Grandpa’s wisdom is not contained only in his teachings, but also in his interaction with family members, cultural heritage, and the natural world. Grandpa treats Martin with immense respect, letting Martin freely walk on the journey of self-discovery and having Martin changed with maturation. Through interaction with Grandpa, Martin learns that respecting elders is an important part of his culture, respecting the cultural heritage via accepting the medicine bag, and respecting his traditions is nothing to be embarrassed about. From Martin’s journey, readers could resonate and be reminded of the universal importance of respect. Respect has a profound influence on family dynamics, preservation in cultural heritage, and individual development.
Preserving traditions acts as a means of anchoring oneself to their roots, solidifying their identity, and having a sense of belonging and those traditions should be handed down through generations. The preservation of traditions is to preserve, protect, and maintain cultural practices, values, and beliefs of a specific community. At first, Martin has blended into the white culture of his neighborhood, so he is unaccepting to his Grandpa and not willing to take the medicine bag from him. Later, Grandpa passes on the medicine bag that he had received from his own father to the rightful male heir. From Grandpa’s tale of the medicine bag, Martin learns about his Lakota people finding himself as well as learns to value the tradition. Martin at the end visits the Sioux reservation, wearing the medicine bag around his neck. Grandpa will only tell Martin, the rightful male heir, about the medicine bag and its contents when they are alone, and Grandpa does this event so ceremonially, adding to the significance of handing-down the medicine bag, which has symbolic meaning of handing down the traditions. It is imperative to keep traditions from ancestors, or people might lose themselves or become what they don’t want themselves to be, such as pretending to be an “accurate” American person. Blending themselves into society is acceptable, but they should never forget who they are in the first place. People should uphold their traditions and don’t forget who they are in the first place.
“The Medicine Bag” is a very meaningful story that talks about cultural identity, respect, and the importance of preserving traditions. Sneve, the author, expertly weaves and blends these themes delicately into the story, allowing her to create a meaningful story in which Martin’ Grandpa comes to see them. Martin, at the start, wasn't accepting that he was going to get the medicine bag because he was really embarrassed that he would be laughed at. However, his grandpa played along with all the legends and exaggerated stories that Martin told his friends. People are encouraged to embrace their heritage, respect the elders, and cherish the traditions that shape their identity in the world that make them unique. This story serves as a reminder of how much diversity is in the world and how people should accept them, even though it is different. This story reminds people of all the culture in our lives, and how it makes our lives rich with difference.