Shaun Blog 7

Ok up to page 166 a lot of stuff happens. Betonie performs the ceremony with his assistant Shush they make like this big thing where Tayo has to go through these hoops while they chant and they cut the top of his head only a little. When it is all finished Tayo starts to feel like it's working he describes the ceremony as a rawhide thongs of of the medicine pouch holding back all his dreams, the voices he hears, and the faces in the jungle. So I think the ceremony is doing well for Tayo. Then we get into a flash back about Betonie how his grandfather helped out a mexican lady they found in a tree. I'm confused on the part where Betonie is born is his Mom the mexican lady that Descheeny helped? After the story Tayo offers to pay for the ceremony Betonie had performed. Betonie says something very interesting. "This has been going on for a long long time now. It's up to you. Don't let them stop you. Don't let them fininsh off this world."(152) I think that Betonie is trying to say that it's not over it's up to Tayo to stay well and keep this culture going. Don't let the whites trick you into thinking that your traditions is just nonsense. I notice in Betonies story it also mentions, "They are working for the end of this world aren't they?" I think that Descheeny made sure that when Betonie was born he would be a medicine man and carry on the stories and traditions of their culture. It did say that his grandma took him and his like future was decided already.Later on Tayo meets up with Harley and Leroy. Then a new character appears named Helen Jean she is an Indian woman who is just looking for people to giver her money to help her out. A quote that stood out to me was "You b****! You think your better than a white woman?"(165) Helen gets slapped by this guy because she doesn't wanna go with him. Helen is to good for him is what he thinks. Which is true Helen thinks she is better than all these Indian guys. However she is just as bad as they are. She just wants money from guys so she can live her life. How is she any better than these Indian war heros she doesn't want to waste her time with?