Indian Life in America

Each of the stories in the collection is defined by some consideration of the experience of living as an Indian in America. Here it is important to note that the term “Indian” is used throughout this analysis in the same way as it is used by the author and his characters – that is, as the colloquial term for individuals with indigenous and/or Native American ancestry. The experiences and perspectives of such persons are at the thematic and narrative core of each of the stories in the collection, although in many cases such considerations are sub-textual, or functioning beneath the most immediately apparent level of plot, action, and dialogue.

For example, in the collection’s title story, “The Toughest Indian in the World,” the central characters are Indian, but the central conflict is not necessarily associated with being an Indian. That conflict, rather...