To the Native Americans Junior lives among, the rez is all there is. The rez limits them and contains them. It prevents them from a bright future and extinguishes all their hope. The reservation is infested with poverty, alcoholism, and hopelessness. The Native Americans living there have given up and have lost hope. They don't believe that they can leave the reservation and become something greater. To them, the rez is an obstacle that they can never overcome. It's like a jail for them, and they can't escape. It won't let them live their dreams or dare hope for a better life.
But to Junior, the rez is something he can overcome. He views it as a home, yes, but he also views it as a prison and a place that he has to leave. Unlike his fellow Native Americans, Junior believes that he can leave the reservation for a better life. Not only does he believe this, but he also takes initiative and works to make his hopes and dreams come true. He doesn't allow the reservation to limit him and hold him back. When he goes to Reardan, he struggles to find his identity. He feels half Indian and half white. Wellpinit is both foreign and familiar to him, and the other Native Americans feel angry and betrayed that Junior has left them. Junior isn't sure of what to think of Wellpinit. But I feel that in the end, Junior finally recognizes that he belongs to many tribes, not just to the tribe of Spokane Indians. He realizes that he has many identities. In the end, he will always think of his rez as a home, but he also knows that he will leave it behind one day.
Are there "reservations" in my life? Certainly. There are fears or obstacles that limit me or make me want to give up. In particular, I feel that one limitation of mine is the past. Dwelling on the past isn't good for me, yet I can't seem to let go of certain experiences that have happened to me. However, I can't hold onto what has happened to me forever. In order to move on, I will have to learn to let go of the past.
