Impressions of an Indian Childhood
In some respects, Bonnin's relationship with her mother is of a distant family relationship. In "Impressions of an Indian Childhood" there is a child who instinctively loves and cherishes and yet other times is worried and concerned at how her mum could say hard words against another culture she has never seen or meet. Also there seems to be growing apart throughout the story between the mother and child when she is ready to be distant from her mother and venture out on her own to see the eastern islands.

     Bonnin's mother seems to be bitter toward white culture because it has come to represent the pain she went through. It was the original cause of Bonnin’s father and sister’s death. Then white culture as a whole came to suffering in general. She claims that the White culture was causing the deaths and that then turned into worse than a nightmare when Bonnin and her mother were snatched and had changed her life inside out. For the mother, white culture is considered unwelcome and unforgiving.

     What stands out most about Native American culture from these readings is the importance of tradition. A story of this nature is a calling to the pass and only the pass, basket-weaving in this time was through the technology which was made somewhat impractical during the time it is set. Yet these people continued to practice through what is tradition. It seems that the perception by the natives is that a new way of life is not only the cause that can destroy the old, but for one to embrace it is unlikely to bring much good into their lives. Only half heartedly can they bring themselves to leave the Indian culture so they can embrace white culture’s “semblance of civilization”.