McNickle makes significant use of the oral tradition, especially the traditional narrative genres of local legend, tall tale, personal experience narrative, and anecdote; these stories are told by nearly every major character at some point. Attention to all aspects of storytelling, including Archilde's recognition that he too now "belonged to the story of Sniel-emen" will reveal McNickle's attitudes toward his material and raise interesting and useful technical questions about the uses of meta-narrative (commentary within the fiction about the relationship of fiction to reality and to other forms of communication).

1. Archilde Leon is a "mixed blood"; his father is Spanish (European), his mother Salish (Native American). Examine how the tension between these two aspects of his lineage is expressed throughout the novel. Research the progress made in the last fifty years of children who are the product of two (or more) racial groups.

2. How is the...