Where the Pavement Ends: Five Native American Plays

Yellow Robe Jr., W. S. (2009). Where the Pavement Ends: Five Native American Plays. Stillwater, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press. 

Hardback | $15.26 USD | ISBN-13: 978-0806140964 | 192 pages | Adult

This collection of plays on various topics including the relationship between Indians and whites, life on Indian reservations, and the cultural identity of those who are in the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes. Perhaps the most famous play called The Star Quilt discusses the relationship between one white woman named Luanne and one Indian woman named Mona. Luanne enters Mona’s home without knocking and during their first meeting asks her for a favor. Mona obliges but then is consistently bombarded with more and more favors. Luanne assumes Mona would approve of her business ideas and help her, even serving as her advocate with the other Native American women, but Mona grows to resent Luanne. The women are from different worlds living in the same town, shopping at the same stores and yet their friendship never flourished. Mona is torn between being true to her own heart and making her way in the world. The Indian friends as well as Mona were misled, mistreated and taken advantage of by Luanne’s business propositions, which exploited so many. Luanne’s blatant lack of cultural appreciation & understanding is something that never goes away within Mona. Readers can relate to the positions of both characters which makes this a must read & a learning opportunity.

Rez Politics is between two young friends – Gerald & Curtis. Both are Indian but Curtis is part white and Gerald is part black. This causes friction between the two when Gary, the older brother of Curtis, tells him to beat up Gerald because he is black. Curtis can’t beat him up (though he tries) and Gerald can’t understand why this is happening. This play allows readers to see the impact of race and how their friendship and the families of these two young men are affected.

The Council is about the relationship between Man and the other animals on the Earth. The Council is made up of all the nations of animals on earth. Man learns to only take what he needs, to never waste and to never leave his mark on Earth. Man is young and making his way, so the Council declared no animals should hunt Man. But then, Man becomes stronger. The Council meets and determines that Man is unpredictable and can now be hunted. The Council feels that Man will destroy all the other nations on Earth unless they are contained. The Men of the Nation do not care much for the Council and believe they should be above the animals, but Man wants peace and harmony. Man is naïve perhaps, but hopes to bring understanding to other men about the importance of living peacefully. This is a symbolic play; it shows how Native Americans live in appreciation of humanity while the rest of society exploits and takes what they want.

William S. Yellow Robe, Jr., teaches Native American literature and drama at the University of Maine. He is the award-winning author of more than 45 plays. He writes plays about humanity and emphasizes appreciating cultural differences. He also is brutally honest; sometimes people do not understand other cultures and do not make the attempt to do so. This book is a must read for adults of all ages who want to learn more and appreciate Native American traditions and values. Appreciating other cultures is only the first step – we must gain understanding of others. Robe’s plays allow us to do this. http://www.amazon.com/Where-Pavement-Ends-American-Literature/dp/0806140968