The author focuses on the plight of the Cherokee, their fading cultural practices, their place in the current society, and their unique social lifestyle. Additionally, the author looks into reclaiming and reimaging the lost memories of the Cherokee with the sole aim of bringing up forgotten stories of their uniqueness. In general, the author is concerned with the plight and future of this unique blend of fading cultures in the midst of rising civilization. Of particular concern is the authors attempt to dig up old age cultural practices that set aside the Cherokee people from others. Their unique ways of life left many unanswered questions that the author attempts to investigate and study with the aim of having a clear understanding of their lifestyle.
The second problem that the author focuses on is the issue of self-identity. Cherokee “Two-Spirit” terminology raises the issue of identifying the old age practice of homosexuality or gays by the people. In relation to modern time’s identification of gays, the people of Cherokee find it difficult to assimilate the term Two-Spirit into the current concept of marriage between people of the same sex. Even though the people of Cherokee have had the practice for many ages, the current crop of new identities in which an individual’s sex has a strong connotation in the society has thrown the old age terminology and practice into confusion. Many people of the Cherokee community find it confusing and out of place identifying as Two-Spirit, a terminology that is gradually going into extinction.
One aspect that stands out as unique but important from the author is that the practice of same-sex marriage is an old age practice that communities such as Cherokee embraced without much ado. In the last couple of years, many people in the society have found it difficult to openly come out and identify themselves as gays. This is unlike years before during the times of the Cherokee where the practice was not such a big issue.
From the reading, a question that stands out and is worth discussing is, “Should one’s sexual orientation form part of his or her identity?”