Alexie grew up on an indian reserve but the difference between him and the other boys grew up on the reserve as well was that Alexie excelled at school.
On the reserve the people were not expected to be able to read and write like the common people do in schools. All that was required and accepted of you is that you were able to sing the tribe songs, tell stories and joke, stand up for themselves, and fail at the non-indian world so you could be ceremonially accepted into the tribe. That is precisely what it meant to be literate on the reserve. reading and writing wasn't required.
Most indians did fail at school because it was normal to do but that is not the only reason. Many a times the schools did not understand indians talents and way of thinking. Because they did not understand them and they were out of the norm they were not accepted so they would still fail even if the answers may have been correct in some degree. There were some indies that did want to try and do good in school but it became so hard for them because so many people such as their classmates, their friends on the reserves, some teachers, etc. were not supportive and did not try and help. When indian children would tell their complex stories and jokes not many would sit and listen because indians were already labeled as unintelligent so everyone assumed whatever they were saying was not important even if it was to them.
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