But he sees these isolated events as simply part of a system. To be an American Indian, he said, is to be “on the bottom of the ladder” with blacks. The racial slurs, being offered alcohol in lieu of money, and being physically attacked are to him all just outward signs of this hierarchy. To be American Indian or an African American means a history of being dealt with harshly, being denied jobs, living in rural or urban ghettos, growing up (as he did) without parents, being poor, being expected to achieve little, and ultimately, he says, accepting and becoming what others expect of you. For
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