Summarize the poem "Another One Bites the Dust" by Nila Northsun.

Nila Northsun, a Native American poet and artist, works
toward improving the life of the Indian American.  Educated as a social worker, her
philosophy has been "To Make Something Out of Nothing."

Her
poem "Another One Bites the Dust" portrays a rather despicable character.  Northsun
through her social work discovered a segment of the Indian population [although this
kind of man can be found in any culture] that she
deplores.

The point of view of the poem is third person
with the author serving as the narrator.  The poem is written in free verse . Northsun's
style is prose-life as she describes a man who has few redeeming qualities. The lines of
her poem emphasize the antipathy toward her subject.

The
subject of the poem is 24 year old Indian
man. 

His physical
qualities?

• good-looking


• waist-length
  hair


• moves
  confidently


• small boned and not
  tall


• attractive to
  women

His personalities
traits--

• energetic


• mean


• unfair


• irresponsible


• lucky


• addictive


• immature


• aggressive

This
is a man who has lost his way.

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he moves like nobody would
stand

in

his
way

like he's a mean
mother

Lacking goals or
aspirations, he takes life as it comes. His clothing depicts a man caught between
cultures: dresses like a cowboy but sheathes an
Indian knife.

No one gets in his way. He has fathered three
children by three different women. His oldest child is seven, but he knows none of his
children and takes no responsibility for any of them.

The
unnamed man has wrecked four cars and only broken an ankle. Unfortunately, he has not
killed anyone; but his passengers have suffered for his
recklessness. 

His fights are too numerous to recount. 
Losing, winning--it does not matter because he remembers none of it the next day.  His
bloody, scarred body are the only remnants of the night before. He drinks and smokes too
much.

His rowdy friends, both white and Indian, seem to mix
okay.  However, most of them die young in some kind of bar fight or a jealous boyfriend
with a gun or driving drunk. 

This Indian lives life as
though there is no tomorrow.  He path, full of action, leads
nowhere.

he's really like so
many

I've known

they more or
less

fit the
description

Obviously, the
poet has disdain for this kind of man who thinks of no one but himself.  His total lack
of responsibility toward his children and their mothers disgusts her.  He hurts others
and does not care.  Avoid this man at all costs.