The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian How does history and personal experience play a role in shaping who we are? By: Amy Breiter VS.

“We reservation Indians don’t get to realize our dreams “We reservation Indians don’t get to realize our dreams. We don’t get those chances. Or choices. We’re just poor. That’s all we are.” -Arnold Spirit, page 13

Does history and personal experience help shape who we are? Arnold Spirit is shaped by two different worlds He feels his life as a Reservation Indian has set him up for failure and poverty He takes his life into his own hands, and switches to another school in the local town of Reardan These work together to shape who Arnold will become

Arnold Spirit: Indian vs. White Who am I? Arnold feels as if he’s living two lives. He feels the pull of his past and the history of the Native American people trying to shape who he will become, but he also has hopes that he can push past the common outcomes of the Native American people with his education at Reardan.

Who is Arnold? Arnold learns that he can’t be defined by one term. He is not merely a Spokane Indian. He is not just a Reardan student. There are many parts that define him and have made him who he is….

I realized that, sure, I was a Spokane Indian. I belonged to that tribe. But I also belonged to the tribe of American immigrants. And to the tribe of basketball players. And to the tribe of bookworms. And the tribe of cartoonists. And the tribe of chronic masturbators. And the tribe of teenage boys. And the tribe of small-town kids. And the tribe of Pacific Northwesterners. And the tribe of tortilla chips-and-salsa lovers And the tribe of funeral-goers. And the tribe of poverty And the tribe of beloved sons. -Arnold Spirit, Page 217