"The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie was an interesting read for me. I read it this summer for work since Eastern chose it as the common read for freshman and Community Advisors are asked to program around the novel. Reading this book over the summer I was given a glimpse into community and world that I had no knowledge about. I grew up in a very white and upper-middle-class community, there were not a lot of signs or discussion about poverty in the world I grew up. There was also a lack of diversity in the community I grew up in also. Alexie’s novel gave me a look into the world of the Spokane reservation and the lack of wealth and lasting effects of history on the natives.

I grew up reading and learning about what was done to Native Americans throughout American history but the continual impact has never really been obvious to me how much those effects still impact Native Americans. We always hear about how African Americans are still feeling the impact of slavery in today’s world; living in poverty and having fewer opportunities than the average Caucasian in America. Native Americans and the repercussions of forcing them from their homelands and the annihilation of their population with disease, these are all things that have been classically taught in classrooms but aren’t discussed in a modern context. Alexie’s novel presents the poverty and in turn lack of good education and supplied in classrooms in a modern context that is never presented in modern classrooms.

Juniors decision to go to a white school instead of the school on the rez causes him to be ostracized within the community.  In an attempt to get better than what is offered on the rex, Junior is looked down upon for trying to become more like the white people that put the Natives where they are today. 

I think that this is novel I would try and incorperate this novel into my classroom. It really shows students what a culture that has been so approatited is really like. Like I said above Native American culture and it's lack of knowledge in the modern day, this novel allows students to look into a culture that no one discusses anymroe. I think I would incorperate current events surrounding Natives along with the reading of this novel, as well as historical facts to show how and why Natives are where they are today and why this novel is so important.