Introduction to The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian By: Mr. Afram Washington state Washington’s natural beauty

The Author Sherman Alexie, Jr. was born in 1966 on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Wellpinit, WA. Like Arnold, Alexie was born with hydrocephalus and had seizures as a child (Alexie). www.nndb.com Sherman Alexie

The Author, Con’d Alexie was a bright student and attended Reardan High School (Alexie). Despite his struggles (both with health and alcoholism), Alexie has achieved great success. He wrote a screenplay for Smoke Signals, an award-winning film at Sundance Film Festival. Alexie at a book reading

Setting of the Novel Wellpinit is located in northeastern Washington, approximately forty-four miles outside Spokane. Wellpinit is very close to both Idaho and Montana.

History: Exploration and Disease en.wikipedia.org Some historians estimate that treatable European diseases (such as smallpox measles) killed nearly 80% of the Native population. For example, from 1618 – 1619, smallpox wiped out nearly 90% of the Massachusetts Bay Indians. bepast.org

The Gov’t and Indians Trail of Tears After the Indian Removal Act of 1830, Indians were forced from their homelands. The Choctaw, originally from the Deep South, were moved to Oklahoma. Of the nearly 17,000 Choctaw who were moved, historians estimate that 2,500 to 6,000 people died. www.pbs.org This painting depicts the forced relocation of the Cherokee

The Gov’t and Indians, Con’d Wounded Knee Massacre On December 29, 1850, the Lakota Sioux agreed to leave their home in South Dakota and be moved (by train) to Omaha, Nebraska. Due to a misunderstanding with a deaf Indian, the US Gov’t started firing their guns and killed nearly 300 men, women, and children. en.wikipedia.org Deceased Sioux were buried in a mass grave

Issues Facing Indians Today Poverty Economists estimate that most reservations have an unemployment rate between 50% to 90%. (Los Angeles County’s is around 5%.) The Bureau of Indian Affairs tries to help the poverty, but the organization is criticized for being useless and corrupt. mendotadakota.com

Issues, Con’d Poor Education Nearly 54% of all Native Americans don’t finish high school, and that means that they often don’t have the skills for success. Ironically, Indians remain a popular mascot for high school teams. lefthookjournal.wordpress.com

Issues, Con’d Obesity Nearly 30% of all Native Americans are obese (dangerously overweight). This is partially due three reasons: Many Indians have eat unhealthy food given to them by the government; There are many fast food restaurants in poor communities; and Many Indians are uneducated and don’t know about having a healthy diet. honorindians.com Junior’s favorite food!

Essential Questions How does my past influence me? How do people’s pasts influence their beliefs, actions, and future? How do people tell their stories? Wellpinit, WA

Works Cited Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. New York: Little, Brown and Company 2009. Print. Alexie, Sherman. "Sherman Alexie, Officially." Sherman Alexie, Officially. Sherman Alexie, 2012. Web. 16 Oct. 2012. <http://www.fallsapart.com/>. "Sherman Alexie." Wikipedia. Wikipedia, 14 Oct. 2012. Web. 16 Oct. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherman_Alexie>.