Chess Warm Water, one of the Native American characters, says that one is not truly Indian unless at some point in life one has wished not to be Indian. What might she mean by this?

In this novel, alcoholism affects each individual character as well as Native Americans as a whole. Thomas says that most Indians do not drink, but the ones that do get all the attention. Discuss the way alcoholism affects individuals, both drinkers and non-drinkers, and the way that alcoholism affects entire groups as presented in the novel.

Some of the residents of the Spokane Indian Reservation are delighted and proud of the band's success while others resent the band for a variety of stated reasons. Discuss why some people are proud of the band while others resent the band for the same reasons. Could this be an example of what...