[DL] Holy Iron (was Setting the Mood)

[Brad and Lanica Klein <lanicak@att.net>]

I just finished "Winter of the Holy Iron." It's a novel about a Sioux
clan's first (and second) encounter with white men and their guns. I
mention it on the list because it deals with the Native American
perspective on guns. The book shows one faction trying to get more guns
and another wanting to hide them or ban them from the clan. The
arguments are those that the Old Ways have to deal with in the game. I
thought it was an interesting subject that you might want to discuss. 


Those that want guns say:
We should know all that we can about an enemy before doing battle.

It made the (insert neighboring tribe here) Ojibwe strong, we can't
compete unless we also have guns.

Those that don't want guns are afraid of change and weak because of
their fear.

Our hunting would be better and quicker.

In the past we had no horses, but we learned that they were useful and
now we use them for almost anything.  The same is true of bows, we used
spear before we figured out how to create bows and arrows. There will
always be change and we should be willing to embrace it.



Those that don't want guns say:
There is something inherently evil in the gun, it creates a mindset in a
man that makes them think that killing for it's own sake is OK. 

A man with a gun feels more powerful than if he is disarmed, the gun
makes the man strong, even if he is weak in spirit.

The white man has lost track of the bond with the earth and we don't
want to follow the same path.

There has never been a spirit in iron, when we make bows we thank the
spirit of the tree for its gift, but with iron there is no natural bond.

A warrior is a warrior no matter what weapon they carry, but those with
guns don't need (much) training to kill.  It's too easy and therefore
dangerous.


That's all I remember right now...
I really liked this book.  It had a good feel for the country and times
(early 1700's.) It's a good read. It also dealt with the Native American
feelings about the new race, but that doesn't really apply to the
setting.
Lanica