Sina Sepehri Mrs. Del Buono NBE3U1 May 3, 2024. The Drainful Suffering of Racism and Hate Crimes Experienced in Indian Horse The compelling story reveals the deep mental impact of racism and hate crimes on Saul, creating an unsettling depiction of an Indigenous person deeply wounded by prejudice and injustice. This novel “Indian Horse” by Richard Wagamese, delves into the life of an Indigenous kid named Saul through times of residential school. It illustrates Saul's journey going through a residential school, to growing up while having a gift of exquisite hockey skills that he develops. Racism and prejudice inflict Saul on not accepting himself as Indigenous. Saul loses his passion for hockey due to the build-up of racist comments and hate crimes. The effects of racism …show more content…
Same thing I’ve experienced in my advocacy.”. Saul is not despised for his skill, but rather his Indigenous identity. The white people in the stands were performing hate crimes, as they kept chanting racial Indigenous slurs. The opposing teams notice that Saul is Indigenous and throw multiple punches and swings conducting a hate crime from their racial supremacist intuitions. This illustrates that racism is piling in Saul's head, which develops a build-up of rage. Overwhelmed by the constant racism and its toll on his physical and mental health, Saul makes a difficult decision to leave the Toronto Marlboros, and hockey behind and continue with his life. Eugene Arcand’s hardships connect to Saul’s experience, as both are exceptional hockey players, but the white players in their leagues think too shallowly to judge them poorly based on their skin color. Instead of being an escape from the hate, hockey becomes another area in his life where he faces discrimination. This illustrates how dominant racism and hate crimes affect Saul, and that it causes him to quit his passion, hockey. The injustice of racism and hate crimes