Movers and Shakers

So there has been a lot of talk about if Seymour spurned his identity as a Native American, this to me is absurd. Seymour grew up on a reservation and though he left, continuing dwelling on his experiences as a Native American to assure his success. So why is it that so many are against the idea that Seymour could leave the reservation, become a poet, be surrounded by white people, but not still be a Native American? One of the most baffling things about this is how you define culture. Is it fry bread, alcoholism, ceremonial dances, chanting, or being a naturalist? Or could it be, and I strongly believe it is, the individuals who define the culture? I feel that many people are confusing tradition with culture, and thus are assuming that since Seymour is leading an untraditional life that he is not participating in the culture, this could not be further from the truth. Traditions are frequently questioned within a culture, and individuals who challenge these ideals work to evolve the culture. Going against a cultural norm is not always bad, and sometimes sets new standards for the culture. Cultures do in fact affect individuals, but the individuals are always affecting their culture, and Seymour is not a villain for attempting to do what is best for him while retaining his culture. What no one seems to realize is that the culture abandoned Seymour much before it abandoned him. Continuing to write about his experiences within his unique culture, it is the Reservation that decided that Seymour was no longer adhering to his culture, and that is where Seymour's guilt comes from. It is not that he turned his back on the reservation, but that he is torn between refusing his wants as an individual in order to be accepted and living the life he has dreamed of since he was a child. It is selfish for those on the reservation to expect Seymour to deny what he wants the only life he will ever get to be in order to conform to what they think an "Indian" should be, and that is not for anyone to decide.