Results
#1. Why does the song describe the Pima Indians as “a proud and peaceful band”?
The phrase highlights the dignity, cultural identity, and peaceful agricultural life of the Pima people before their suffering caused by stolen water rights.
#2. What is the significance of the “sparkling water” that “rushed” for a thousand years?
The water sustained the Pima farms and community. Its loss symbolizes the destruction of their livelihood by white settlers.
#3. What literary device is used in “their farms were crops of weeds”?
Farms cannot literally “grow weeds as crops”; the line metaphorically shows devastation and failed agriculture.
#4. What is implied by the repeated phrase “Call him, Drunken Ira Hayes”?
The repetition criticizes society for remembering Ira mainly as a “drunken Indian” rather than as a war hero.
#5. What is the emotional effect of mentioning that only 27 men survived?
The heavy casualties underline the horrific cost of the Battle of Iwo Jima.
#6. What does “old glory” refer to in the song?
“Old Glory” is a well-known nickname for the United States flag.
#7. What does “wined and speeched and honored” suggest?
The celebrations were shallow because society later abandoned him.
#8. Why is the phrase “everybody shook his hand” ironic?
The public honored him briefly, but later abandoned him completely.
#9. What criticism is implied in “They let him raise the flag there and lower it like you’d throw a dog a bone”?
The comparison to “throwing a dog a bone” suggests token respect rather than genuine care.
#10. What is meant by “his land is still as dry”?
The line symbolizes continuing injustice and neglect toward Native communities.
#11. Which line BEST captures the song’s tragic irony?
The line combines the irony of water scarcity, loneliness, and the tragic death of a man who fought for his country yet died neglected.
