The Native American Identity In Reservation Blues By Sherman Alexie

The Native American identity is an intermingling of the new American culture and its own storied history. Its own past with the greater American culture following colonialism creates an interaction within the self-identity of native Americans, one that has to do with their homeland and its placement in the United States. This conflict creates a lowered perception within the identity of the reservation, which both envies and despises its counterparts for their flourishment in society. In Reservation Blues by Sherman Alexie, the author tells the tale of Thomas Buildsthefire and his band, aptly named Reservation Blue, in their journey towards musical greatness. Although the group is extremely talented, they are held back by the internal struggles

After his encounter with his drunken father and the zombies that litter the streets, Thomas begins to tell his fellow band members of a basketball game his parents had with the sheriffs of the town. In the story, Thomas’ alienation of the mostly white sheriff highlights his inner disregard for non-native American people, especially those who reside in reservations. In his initial anecdote of the sheriff, Thomas describes him as “ a white man who hated living on the reservation”, and was only there because of his slight relativity to a Native American (Alexie 101). The usage of divisive vocabulary to exclude the sheriff into a different group creates a sense of alienation. Thomas’ disregard for the sheriff due to the sheriff’s race highlights his values towards what it means to be a Native American. Thomas also reveals in the story how the father mocks the officer about his lack of heritage, claiming that he will pretend that the officer is a “real Indian” (Alexie 102). The paradoxical use of the term “real Indian” shows the reservation’s uniform bias towards non-native Americans, even if there is a hint of blood within them. This animosity is also reflected Thomas’ perspective of white Americans, which is affected by their tendency to accumulate wealth and be placed in higher tiers of economic living.

This “death” is referring to being cut out of stardom, and his reminiscent of how colonists treated Native Americans during their arrival. This fate once again happens for Reservation Blues, who fail to meet the requirements of the executives, and lead to their replacement by Betty and Veronica. James Cox, literature professor at the University of Texas in Austin, delves into the portrayal of colonialism in Sherman Alexie’s novels in her essay “Muting White Noise: The Subversion of Popular Culture Narratives of Conquest in Sherman Alexie's Fiction”. In the paper, Cox claims that “The critique of the dominant culture's commodification of Native America, made possible in part by the consumed belief in the conquest of Native America, is explicit” (Cox). For Reservation Blues specifically, Cox examines how society’s perspective on Native Americans is dependent on the conquest they’ve endured. Their whole society is still dependent on such colonialism due to the trials and tribulations they’ve endured. The downtrodden cities and reservations are due to that specific institution of colonialism, and it shows in each of the band member’s portrayal of their identities. Cox also brings in the