28 pages • 56 minutes read
This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona
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Background
Authorial Context: Sherman Alexie
Sherman Alexie is a nationally recognized author whose works explore the identity of the modern Indigenous American. Many of Alexie’s fictional works have autobiographical elements, drawing in particular on Alexie’s experience growing up on the Spokane Indian Reserve and searching for both a personal and cultural identity. The latter is the premise of many of his works, including “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona” and his famous novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (2007), as well as his short story collections, The Toughest Indian in the World (2000) and The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven (1993).
Alexie became the subject of controversy during the 2018 #MeToo movement when three women publicly accused Alexie of sexual misconduct, encouraged to speak out by Alexie’s former friend and author Litsa Dremousis. NPR corroborated their stories of unwanted, flirtatious comments in private and public, flirting that became suddenly sexual in nature, and unwanted sexual advances. The women claimed that Alexie used his status as an author to put them in uncomfortable situations, and Alexie admitted in a public statement that many of these allegations were true and that “he has harmed others” (Neary, Lynn. “It Just Felt Very Wrong: Sherman Alexie’s Accusers Go on Record.” NPR, 5 Mar. 2018). The allegations moved many organizations to show their disapproval of Alexie’s actions; the renaming of the Sherman Alexie Scholarship and the rescinding of his 2008 Young Adult Book Award by the American Indian Library Association are a few such actions taken by Alexie’s former supporters.
Cultural Context: Indigenous American Identity
Identity is a common theme in Indigenous American literature. The historical suppression of Indigenous American voices, stories, and literature, as well as the genocide of many native inhabitants of the Americas, created a long-lasting silence surrounding these diverse cultures in “mainstream” American society. However, during the cultural upheaval of the 1960s, many Indigenous Americans began to publicly reclaim their stories and history. Authors turned to prose, poetry, and other artistic mediums to bring light to Indigenous identity, often adapting traditional oral storytelling to the page. Such works seek to communicate the complex and tumultuous history of Indigenous American tribes, dispel stereotypes, and advocate for both change and reparation.
Alexie is part of a younger generation of Indigenous American writers, and his personal history living on a reservation and raw depiction of the modern Indigenous American present new facets to this interest in cultural identity. “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona” exists at the crossroads between Indigenous American tradition and modern American identity. Both overlap and disparity between Indigenous and Western cultures characterize Alexie’s depiction of life on a reservation. Victor lives in a community that is specifically Indigenous American (presumably Spokane), but it has changed in response to the modern American world that exists around it and has at various times sought to impose its values on Indigenous Americans. The names of the inhabitants of the reservation illustrate this dynamic; Thomas Builds-the-Fire and Norma Many Horses are hybrids of English and Indigenous names.
As the story’s protagonist, Victor in particular struggles with Alienation from Cultural Identity. Though embarrassed by Thomas’s storytelling—a clear callback to Indigenous tradition—he at times feels the pull of his heritage, as his journey to retrieve his father’s remains and return them to Spokane Falls demonstrates. Victor’s relationship with his father was strained, and he stands to gain little monetarily from the trip. Nevertheless, the obligation he feels to return his wayward father home reflects his desire to keep his culture united and intact.
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