One "Post-Colonial" Play Can Change Your Momentum Forever

    The post-colonial theory plays a major part in explaining the current social and racial issues that lie among the Spokane Indian reservation. The theory examines issues of power, politics, religion and culture. In the works of Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, the colonial ideology manifest in Junior's nervous demeanor on his first day of school at Reardan. Society, specifically the wealthy white people, have created the standard: "whites" are superior and every other race is less than inferior. It has been passed down from generation to generation. Thus, Junior and his Indian generation were born with the innate mindset that they are different and less than. "Reardan was the opposite of the rez. It was the opposite of my family. It was the opposite of me. I didn't deserve to be there. I knew it; all of those kids knew it. Indians don't deserve shit." (Alexie, page 56) This quote from Junior emphasizes his true perception of himself and the rest of his culture. It's sad because these insecurities and criticisms have been passed down from Junior's ancestors, their ancestors and their ancestors. He is just a tiny percentage of the damages and affects of the white man's colonial control. 

    On page 57, Junior creates an illustration of his cultural comparisons to that of a white boy at Reardan. The white boy's characteristics include having a bright future, positive role models, and hope. His school attire is a Ralph Lauren shirt, Tommy Hilfiger khakis and the latest Air Jordans with an ergonomic backpack. On the contrast, the Indian boy is described as having a vanishing past, family history of diabetes and cancer, with a bone-crushing reality. His illustration's poor budget can only afford a Kmart t-shirt, sears' blue jeans and the supermarket's canvas tennis shoes with a Glad garbage book bag. This detailed portrait of the two rival races highlight Junior's stereotypical representation of himself. It is clear to the audience that Junior, along with the rest of his culture, suffer from a soul wound, which they have endured from the time of colonization. "We Indians have LOST EVERYTHING. We lost our native land, we lost our languages, we lost our songs and dances. We lost each other. We only know how to lose and be lost." (Alexie, page 173)

    From his reservation's perspective, Junior has joined the white society that colonized his people and their society. He is seen as a traitor, but especially at the climax of the novel when Junior leads the Reardan team to victory against his former allegiance, Wellpinit. Prior to the game, Junior admits, "I have to prove that I am stronger than everybody else. I have to prove that I will never give up. I will never quit playing hard... I'm never going to surrender to anybody. Never, ever, ever." (Alexie, page 186) For Junior, this is a chance to redeem himself; this is for all his bullies, for his grandma and Eugene, for his entire inferior race. However, in the eyes of Wellpinit and his old teammates, Junior wasn't any better than the whites that tore down Indians for colonization.  

    I believe this was the turning point for Junior. "I realized that my team, the Reardan Indians, was Goliath... I knew that seven or eight of those Indians lived with drunken mother and fathers... had a father who dealt crack and meth... had fathers in prison... none of them was going to college... I was suddenly ashamed that I'd wanted so badly to take revenge on them. I was suddenly ashamed of my anger, my rage, and my pain." (Alexie, 195-196) Junior realizes that attending Reardan gave him hope for a way out, but unfortunately his former friends that attended Weelpinit did not have that same luxury. Alexie's climax gave Junior the epiphany he needed to find himself and his worth. 

    In conclusion, I love this moral takeaway from the novel, quoted by Junior: 

"One play can change your momentum forever." (Alexie, page 194)