Blank sky

In the opening moments of the novel, Zits describes his personal lineage as a "blank sky" (5). In particular, since Zits is both Irish and Indian, he observes that he is not truly a part of either culture. This unlikely pairing of racial backgrounds serves to make Zits feel like an outsider, even outside of his own marginalized cultures.

Ghost Dance

Justice begins to slowly convince Zits that they need to enact the Ghost Dance, a mystical dance that will bring back the spirits of many dead Indians (31-32). However, in Justice's personally twisted mindset, the Ghost Dance involves violently and cruelly shooting innocent people at a downtown Seattle bank. Over the course of the novel, the grudges and revenges of the past -- alluded to by the ancient nature of the Ghost Dance -- will come to be seen as a cycle that should be...