The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Who are the Spokane people, and where do most of them live? List five details that you think are likely to be true about Spokane history or culture.

Teaching Suggestion: The protagonist of Alexie’s novel lives on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Washington State. This question is intended to gauge what students already know about the Spokane, so that you can fill in any gaps in their understanding of this cultural setting before they begin to read. Because non-Native students may harbor misconceptions about Native peoples, this question is probably best answered in writing, to minimize the spread of harmful stereotypes and misinformation. After students have given preliminary answers, you might offer them the resources below and then ask that they revise their answers to reflect what they have learned.

• This article from the Spokane Tribe of Indians recounts key facts from the history of the Spokane people.
• This 6-minute video from PBS profiles a Spokane program to pass culture from generation to generation.
• This 5-minute video from PBS shares the efforts of Pauline Flett to keep the Spokane Salish language alive.
• This 3-minute video from KREM News explains how the Spokane are attempting to return salmon to the Spokane River and why this is culturally significant.

2. What is life like on most of the reservations where many contemporary Native people live? Since modern Native peoples are not legally required to live on reservations, what do you think keeps so many Natives living in these conditions?

Teaching Suggestion: As with the previous prompt, this prompt is probably better suited to written answers followed by time for revision after students are exposed to relevant resources. Alexie’s novel honestly confronts many of the obstacles faced by North America’s Indigenous peoples. Because these issues are so serious, the resources listed below contain references to self-harm, assault and murder, homelessness, substance use disorder, and other issues; you may wish to preview these to assess their suitability to your classroom.

• This factsheet from the Borgen Project offers detailed information about five key facts of reservation life.
• This 3-minute video from the Cut asks people from various Indigenous nations to share their feelings about reservation life.
• This article from the Guardian explores what life is like in cities for many Natives who end up living off-reservation.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

What do you think it would be like to go to school where you are considered an outsider because of your different culture, language, or religion? How might it affect your sense of who you are?

Teaching Suggestion: Alexie’s protagonist, Junior, makes a choice to attend an off-reservation school where he has access to more opportunities, but this creates isolation and provokes an identity crisis. This question is intended to help students empathize with Junior’s situation and prompt them to begin thinking about issues that will play into the book’s thematic concerns with Individual Identity and Belonging to a Community and Systemic Oppression of American Indians. Some students in your classroom may have experienced similar situations; their perspectives may offer valuable insights for their peers, but you may wish to consider in advance how to make space for their experiences without allowing others to put them on the spot and pressure them to share personal information or speak for their larger communities.