Modern Identity

The development of the Urban Indian is a complex concept to those of us who do not identify as Native American in this day and age. While, I'm obviously not certain that Native Americans of today feel no cognitive dissonance about their identity, it seems that in some cases represented by Orange, characters don't feel as though they are going through a big cultural shift in their history. When we see Opal raising her grandchildren, she doesn't tell them about the great occupation of Alcatraz, she tells them an amount about her childhood that most grandparents tell their grandchildren of the present day. When we as adults in 2019 think about times with elderly members of our family, we don’t recall stories about the Vietnam War, protests with bell bottoms or flower crowns, or even the evolution of the internet or cell phones. When we ask about those instances, a typical answer goes something like “I just lived it.” These kinds of responses that I personally hear from various people in my life, make me think that Tommy Orange is sharing a similar phenomenon. He is showing the reader that this was a norm for those who lived it.

Orange does a fabulous job of illustrating problems that Native Americans face in the modern age. We see the struggles of alcoholism, the many examples of marginalization, and identity crisis; but while these ideas have a significant impact on the reader and are clearly due to the holocaust of Native Americans by white legislation, it doesn’t have to represent the Urban Indian. Perhaps, due to the fact that Native Americans have suffered from years of forced assimilation and punishment if not completed, this concept of an Urban Indian is that of an urban human in today’s world. Perhaps labeling Native Americans as this “Urban Indian” is as detrimental as the effects of labeling can be. We see Edwin living at home after years and years of school, but this is a problem that many post-graduate adults deal with. As Orange describes, his problems are exacerbated by trying to find his father and trying to connect with his father’s Native American background. Due to the revolution of the internet, he is able to find his father via Facebook. This reconnection is something that so many people, regardless of race, religion, or ancestry have been able to do.

But, the characters that we see all stay true to their roots. All of the characters go to the powwow at the end of the novel, and while the powwow is less than perfect, the benefits of it are spread throughout the internet. The characters are able to spread news of the powwow, and they are able to connect with Native Americans from all over the country. When there, there is not any talk about the “Urban Indian” they all are just living their lives as normally as they can.