What connection does the author make between Native American history and current Native American socioeconomic dynamics in the story, This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona?

Thematically, the story is conversant with the connections between Native American history and current Native American socioeconomic dynamics. Specifically, the story makes oblique references to the centuries of horrific genocide and oppression that Native Americans faced at the hands of the United States government. As a result, Native American communities generally face continued hardship and poverty in the modern day.