Ceremony 177-201

   This section of the reading explains Tayo's journey in search for the cattle and everything he experiences along the way. One of the most important parts of this reading is the proof that Tayo is beginning to open up and believe in Betonie and his ideas. Tayo never believed in medicine men and thought they were a joke but Betonie's visions were beginning to come true for Tayo. Silko said, "but suddenly Betonie's vision was a story he could feel happening-from the stars and the woman, the mountain and the cattle would come". Everything Betonie predicted to happen was coming true for Tayo so he begins to believe the mountain and the cattle will come as well. When Tayo reaches the Texans land in search for the cattle he discovers the horrors of how the white man was using the cattle and there ways of hunting and maintaining the cattle as well. The barbed-wire fences that keep the cattle in play a huge role in the reading and have a much deeper meaning. Silko said, "The barbed wire fence paralleled the rim, and he could see bits of belly hair the deer left on the barbed wire where their trails crossed the fence." These fences dont allow for the animals to be free and in Tayo's mind it was completely wrong, especially them being barbed wire and able to hurt the cattle. The fences were the only thing from keeping Tayo from the cattle and he wasn't about to let the fence get in his way. Silko said, "Fences had never stopped the speckled cattle either, but there was no sign they had been there. so he rode north, looking for another fence that might be holding them." A fence had never stopped the cattle in the past and it wasn't about to stop Tayo either. This search for cattle was able to help Tayo get his mind off everything that has happened to him in the past and help begin to move forward which was also on the most important sections of this reading.

What the barbed wire fences would look like in this reading

Tayo finally beginning to believe in Betonie and it's starting to really help Tayo

      Another important part of this reading is how Tayo begins to express how he as an Indian has been mistreated and stereotyped his whole life by the white man and most importantly how he begins to blame the white man. Silko said, "Why did he hesitate to accuse a white man of stealing but not a Mexican man or and Indian?" The white man has to be held responsible too and isn't above the law and Tayo is beginning to realize that. Not just the Indians or the Mexicans anymore, but the white man has to face judgement and consequences as well. This trip for the cattle wound up to be one of the best solutions for Tayo and his PTS. Silko said, "Hes topped on the edge of the clearing. The air was much colder. He had been so intent on finding the cattle that he had forgotten all the events of the past days and past years. Hunting the cattle was good for that. Old Betonie was right. It was a cure for that, and maybe for other things too". Like stated earlier Betonie's visions begin to become a reality for Tayo and even Tayo sees them start to help with things like his PTS. Silko said, "It was changing, unraveling like the yarn of a dark heavy blanket wrapped around a corpse, the dusty rotted strands of darkness unwinding, giving way to the air; its smothering pressure was lifting from the bones of his skull". Just in tis quote there is proof that Tayo's PTS isn't as strong anymore and things are beginning to change. This search for the cattle is what really turns Tayo in the right direction and sets the tone for the rest of the book.

An idea of something veterans do to help support there PTS, just like Tayo with the Cattle hunt

Shows everyone is equal and the white man is responsible too and it's not always the Indians and Mexicans