The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Junior’s grades are remarkable given the difficulties he’s faced, and they are a testament to his intelligence. They suggest a promising academic future for Junior at Reardan. The knowledge that Junior will be better off than his fellow Indians causes him to weep, much like Reardan’s basketball victory over the Wellpinit team. Junior’s hopeful future in the White world is not only attributable to his remarkable intelligence, but to a combination of bravery and lucky, arrogance and “craziness” (217). Furthermore, Junior notes that his leaving the reservation likens him to “millions of other Americans” who left their homes to follow their dreams (217). It’s an important moment for Junior, where his worldview expands beyond Reardan and Wellpinit, “Red Versus White,” and he considers more globally what it means to be an American. He also revisits his theory that the world is divided into tribes, enumerating the many different tribes he belongs to—some banal, some funny, some heart-wrenching—in an effort to capture identity’s complex and shifting nature. His list of tribes to which he belongs mirrors the form of the book, which switches between modes, moods, and captures a wide range of human experiences.

Junior’s realization makes him think of other Indians on the reservation who aren’t as fortunate, and he immediately thinks of Rowdy, suggesting that he knows Rowdy will have a difficult—perhaps short—life by staying on the reservation. Junior’s nostalgic cartoon of him and Rowdy as boyhood friends, jumping into Turtle Lake, suggests that they’ve both grown up and apart: they’ll never be the friends they once were, and they instead must form a different relationship. It’s a powerful moment in Junior’s coming of age.

“Talking About Turtles” incorporates two different stories: Junior and Rowdy’s ascent of the tallest pine on the reservation and Junior’s father’s story about Turtle Lake and the strange tale of Stupid Horse. The back-to-back stories in the book’s final chapters highlight the importance of storytelling. Turtle Lake, with its unfathomable depths, is the focus of many different Indian myths and legends, reminding readers that Junior has inherited a long cultural tradition of storytelling. Furthermore, Turtle Lake is a place of mystery: Stupid Horse’s drowning, reappearance, and slow decomposition suggest the possibility of magic and mystery in the world. The final images of the horse’s skeleton being dragged away by wind and water is suggestive of the mortality of humans and their eventual return to the earth.

The story of Rowdy and Junior’s ascent of the tree is similarly powerful, though less overtly magical than the story of Stupid Horse. From the top of the tree with Rowdy, the reservation looks “green and golden and perfect,” underscoring Junior’s love for the reservation and for Rowdy, even as he knows he’ll leave both behind. Even with Junior’s sadness about leaving the reservation, he still feels optimistic about the future, noting that Gordy might come visit the reservation and that Roger has said he’ll be a star at basketball. Although the year has brought Junior profound losses, he’s able to see possibility and joy in his future.

Rowdy and Junior’s final game on the basketball court is bittersweet, as they both know that their friendship has changed and will never be the same, even as they forgive each other. Rowdy’s assertion that Junior is like an old-time Indian suggests that Rowdy has deepened and grown over the year as well, and with his comparison, he reaffirms that Junior is not only a member of the community, but he embodies the “Old Time Indian” spirit the same way Grandmother Spirit did. That they don’t keep score suggests that the boys are at peace with one another, having come to an understanding.