Native American Identity

If they are lost, who are they?

Native Americans have had their whole history, nearly, erased: lost. They are told who they were and who they are supposed to be through books, TV and films, but the true account of Native American history has been lost through the grapevine of oral history. Their identity as a person has been mythicized. If they are lost, who are they? This question deals with the struggle to understand the cultural identity of Native American and it is embedded throughout many of the stories in Sherman Alexie’s The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. Cultural identity is the identity or feeling of belonging to a group. It is part of a person's self-conception and self-perception and is related to nationality, ethnicity,

In “This Is What It Means To Say Phoenix Arizona,” Victor is the Native American youth that is confused and searching for not only his cultural identity, but also attempting to figure out who he is while dealing with the hardships of reservation life and the death of his father. Thomas on the other hand is depicted as the wise Native American of tradition who surprisingly is not accepted by his community. Both characters throughout the collection are seen fighting each other; a tug of war of the present and the past. They like other Native Americans are “caught between reservation community and [their] own individuality, [trying] to present [themselves] as the stereotypical warrior Indian[s]” while finding their place in the United States (McGrath). As Victor travels with Thomas they are encountered by different people and the culture outside of the reservation and he begins to question himself even more so than when he was in the reservation. Not just because of the culture shock, but the notion that his father left him and the life of the Native American; rejected the world Victor has lived in for all his life (McGrath). However, his father could not escape his own internal demons. This story allows the audience a glimpse into how Native Americans attempt to escape their own personal hells, but fail to do so because they are

Victor’s relationship with his Caucasian girlfriend fails because she wants the ideal complete man, while he is not fully put together. She “wants to change the world,” (Alexie, 190) while Victor realizes that he must face the fact that he is “just another Indian” (Alexie, 41). The understanding and ability to fit into both worlds, American and Indian, is a common struggle throughout all the stories but is most evident in this instance. On one hand, Indians desire the modern American commodities such as luxuries cars and television, even though it’s a world that does not sit well with them completely because they do not feel at home. At the same time, Victor, again used as a symbol for Native Americans, yearns for his Native American heritage and the ingrained values and traditions of thousands of years, yet feels embarrassed about his cultural identity. He knows what it means to be an Indian in America, but wants to break free from the parameter that inhibits him from being more than just an Indian. He wants to get out of the reservation, be known for more than just for his people's tragic past and his people's ability to play basketball (Donahue). Yet, he cannot find a middle ground thus is stuck in limbo, like