Part-Time Indian is a well-written story by Sherman Alexie that extended my thinking beyond the page. In his book, Alexie highlights the struggle of Native Americans in the 21st century, a struggle which found its footing so long ago. Alexie uses various themes of hope, identity, and home to bring emphasis to his story. Part-Time Indian spoke to my connection with Native Americans and heightened my fascination with the lives and cultures of these incredible people. My great-grandmother was Native American, making part of my identity the identity of Native American people. With further incentive, I sought to pay tribute to this culture and extend Alexie’s words beyond his book. In so doing, I explored artwork, poetry, historical events, and relics and elements from Alexie’s story with the hope of bringing a richness that is representative of Native American life and the dark past these people were subject to.
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Personal Connection
I personally connected with this novel on a family basis. As mentioned, my great grandmother was Native American, which brought certain richness to this text. My heart has always dropped heavily for the Native American people and the torment they were, and in a lot of ways still are, subject to. Since the infiltration of explorers to the new world, our country has paved a road of hardship for Native Americans. The following poem, “Just Be White”, is a free verse, personal reflection of my thoughts after reading Alexie’s novel. The poem highlights Alexie’s themes of identity, home, future, and hope that Junior found himself faced with. Junior had to decide if he would be “white” and abandon his heritage, or remain with his heritage and seemingly abandon his future. In addition, the poem questions where Native American people belong in this “New World”. Is it possible for one to hold on to their heritage and be successful in the America that has been created? Or is it necessary to “let white win” in order to have a successful future? This poem wrestled with these questions in regard to Alexie’s themes and personal reflection of my current thinking.
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“Just Be White”
Who am I?
What have I become?
Where am I going?
Where Have I come from?
Where is home?
East or West?
Where am I going?
Where have I come from?
What do I value?
How do I identify?
Where do I belong?
Where have I come from?
Where is my home?
Where is my family?
Where is my identity?
Where am I going?
Where is my hope?
Do I have hope?
Why am I white?
I have hope because I am white.
I have an identity.
I have a white identity.
I am white. I have hope.
Why don’t people hope?
They are not white.
Only hope if you’re white.
American dream.
We were here first.
White infiltration.
We had hope.
Until the white infiltration.
My people murdered.
Millions.
In the white infiltration.
White people hope.
Have I betrayed my Family?
Coming out here.
White people hope.
I am white.
I am part Indian.
Should I still Hope.
Does it matter.
Really.
Does it Matter.
Stop.
They’re all dead.
It already happened.
White wins.
White is clean.
White is pure.
White is unblemished.
White is a canvas.
Let us move on.
White world.
White cars
White jobs
White ideas
White control
White is right
Drop your identity
To win, just be
White.
Your story doesn’t matter.
Just be white.
White…
White…
White…
You win.
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Literary Qualities Reflection
Bag of Relics
This bag contains relics that can be found in Part-Time Indian. You will find: glasses, a sketchbook, a basketball, an arrowhead, an apple, a KFC box, and a plastic dog.
Glasses: Junior had large glasses that were subject to joking.
Sketchbook: Junior draws cartoons to help explain/make it through life.
Basketball: Junior plays basketball and enjoys it. He makes the basketball team at Reardan High School (the all white school).
Arrowhead: Junior has Native American heritage.
Apple: A derogatory term that some people use for Indians who are traitors. Junior is believed by his reservation to be a traitor.
KFC: A fast food chain referenced by Junior when he describes eating "their" food.
Plastic Dog: Junior loses his best friend and pet, Oscar, early in the novel.
Take time to interact with each object. Take time to pick up and touch each object. Try to use each object as a “window” into the characters of the story, particularly Junior.
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Culture or future?
The following drawing connects directly with Alexie’s novel. On the left of the drawing you will see Junior’s culture and elements involved with that. On the right you see Junior’s potential future. What is worth noting, and a large reason behind the selection of the drawing, is the two-tone color of Junior’s skin. On Junior’s left, he is Native American and on his right he is white; the drawing suggestions that in order to have a future, Junior must abandon his upbringing and his heritage. This calls to memory an attempt in the 1800s to “Amercanize” Native American people (more on that later), forcing them to “do as the whites do”. The drawing further enforces Alexie’s theme of identity. What does it mean to maintain the identity you were raised with? Is it so troublesome to abandon your heritage for "hope in a future"? Junior discovers the difficulties in this scenario and decides he is “multi-tribal”, that is he able to identify with more than one people group.
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Native American Mascots
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“Let it Be”
In their song, “Let it Be”, the Beatles harmonize a message that reflects the thought processes of Part-Time Indian’s protagonist, Junior.
“And when the night is cloudy
There is still a light that shines on me
Shine on until tomorrow, let it be I wake up to the sound of music,
Mother Mary comes to me Speaking words of wisdom,
let it be Yeah let it be, let it be Let it be, yeah let it be
Oh there will be an answer, let it be Let it be,
let it be Let it be, yeah let it be
Oh there will be an answer, let it be Let it be,
let it be Ah let it be, yeah let it be Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.”
This is a song about:
Finding oneself in times of trouble and darkness.
Finding answers in dark times.
Having light and shining even in darkness.
Sometimes you can’t change the world, you can only change your reaction to it.
This song speaks to the struggles Native Americans faced then and now. What is truly moving about the lyrics of this song is the underlying tone of hope. Junior faced times of great darkness and difficulty, yet he was able to maintain his light of hope. Junior seemingly identifies with the last bullet. He did not choose his situation, but he changed his reaction to it. Junior was able to establish the mindset of “multi-tribal”, realizing he could be both Native American and have a future. Read or listen to the lyrics with the knowledge you have of Native American history.
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Nonfiction Content Connection
America the Story of Us- “Trail of Tears” clip
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUILURVoPhw
This clip highlights a brief history of the forced removal of Native Americans from their homeland. This forced removal, enacted by President Andrew Jackson, was the early stages of forming reservations, much like the one Junior lives on. Watch the clip and reflect on the tragedy of loss of Native American homelands. What does it mean to abandon ones home and reestablish somewhere else? Is it possible to develop a heritage and a home in a new land? This clip gives historical context to themes discussed in Alexie’s novel. Among these themes is “home”. What does home mean to you? What does home mean to Junior? What is home to the Native Americans who were forcefully relocated? Is it possible for home to follow you? Is home merely just a construction? View the video through the eyes of Native Americans.
History of Reservations
• http://www.ushistory.org/us/40d.asp
Use the above link to link to a website giving a brief history of Native American Reservations and their intended purpose. The article also highlights “Americanization” of Native American people. What problems plagued Native American people? Is there a loss of heritage that comes with the formation of reservations? What was life like on the reservations? Were reservations an attempt to dismiss Native American culture? Read the link with an open mind. Consider what you have gained from reading. Is it easier or harder to understand why Junior felt his only hope for a future was to leave the reservation?
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Expressive Art
“Trail of Tears”- Painting by Robert Lindeux
Take a moment to study the painting. Perhaps it is a painting you have seen before in a history textbook or perhaps it is not. The painting was chosen due to its intense emotion and ability to transport the viewer into the scene. The painting depicts some of the millions of Native Americans who were forced from their home. What do you see or feel when you observe the photo? Do you see a progressive America? Do you see Junior’s ancestors on the way to their new “home”? Can you hear death? What stands out the most in the photo? Can you sense themes of hope, heritage, or home in the photo? What is it about this photo that alludes to the future life of Junior? Take time to reflect.
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“Trail of Tears”- Song by John Denver
John Denver’s, “The Trail of Tears” tells the story of Native American exile set to lyrical music. The song was chosen with contemplation of early American values that may or may not have led to a ruined future for Native American people. Feel free to listen to the song as many times as you would like. Imagine yourself as Junior listening to this song. What emotions does it build in you? What Idea of hope does it send to Native American people? What does the song say about values in early America? How have these values of long ago affected life for so many Native tribes today? Was the beginning of Native American exile the end of Native American hope in America? Listen and consider.
Conclusion
Much of this project was centered on Native American exile and the formation of reservations. While reading Part-Time Indian I could not help but think of and be moved by the horrific history Native American people were subject to. A people with a culture, a heritage, and a way of life all their own, soon taken over and devalued, and for what gain? I felt a deep connection and sympathy for Junior as he struggled with being a Native American. Junior, in his own country, limited in opportunity and given reason to doubt hope because of the negative constructs created for Native Americans, constructs formed not so long ago during the forced removal from life for these humble people. I hope this presentation spoke to you. I hope you were able to identify themes of heritage, hope, and home. The liberty was taken to focus heavily on Native American exile because I sense this as the beginning of the stripping of hope from the lives of these people. Alexie delivers a novel that will make you both laugh and cry. I challenge you to pick up Part-Time Indian and read it with fresh eyes. Read the novel in the context of the trail of tears. Read it in the context of exile. Read the novel in the context of the early American values of progress, values which laid the foundation for Junior’s struggle to find hope and his struggle to maintain heritage, a heritage once subject to rejection, a heritage that may be all but forgotten in our country.
