Discrimination In Sherman Alexie's Indian Education

“Indian Education”

In “Indian Education”, Sherman Alexie stresses to his readers and audience the effects of discrimination within educational facilities. Sherman Alexie grew up in Wellpinit, Washington on the Spokane Reservation with his parents. Sherman’s father is a Coeur d’Alene Indian who married his mother, a Spoken Indian. Through his grade school years, Sherman endured teasing from his fellow classmates and disapproval from his school teachers when he exceeded their expectations. It wasn’t until high school that Sherman realized that his educational opportunities were limited compared to the white race. This pushed Sherman to make the decision of attending a nearby farm town high school in the town of Reardon. However, during his high school years, the factor of discrimination was present as Sherman tried to build his education.

Sherman Alexie decided to share his experiences of discrimination within education by recounting the events through Victor, the protagonist of “Indian Education.” The presence of discrimination began in his second grade class with his teacher, Betty Towle. Betty Towle

gave her second grade class a spelling test, but set Victor aside with a spelling test that was designed for junior high kids. Once she graded the test and he received a perfect score, she did the opposite of what any teacher would do. Betty Towle crumpled up the paper and made him eat it saying, “You’ll learn respect” (Alexie). Also, according to Victor, “She sent a letter home with me that told my parents to either cut my braids or keep me home from class” (Alexie). These actions from a teacher are unacceptable. I disagree with the idea of any teacher using a student’s race against them. I believe Victor should have been treated as an equal when being given his spelling test. I also believe that when Victor aced his spelling test he deserved to be praised for his success and not discriminated.
Also, compared to Victor’s case in “Indian Education”, there are Native American students that are being harassed by teachers in their educational facilities today.

One recent case is a first grade teacher who was allegedly punched a Pit River tribe student in a Northern California district (Dadigan). This incident took place when the first grade student, Uchi Gali Garcia, was standing at his desk after his teacher told the students to sit down. When Uchi did not immediately sit down at his teacher’s demand, the teacher punched Uchi in the arm leaving a contusion on his arm (Dadigan). However, when the incident was brought up to the authorities, three deputies talked to Uchi about “telling lies”. In this situation discrimination can be seen in the act of the teacher hitting the student and the authorities assuming the student was lying about the

incident.
Next, in “Indian Education”, when Victor comes to his freshman year in high school he comes to face another discriminative teacher. After Victor, “scored twenty-seven points and pulled down thirteen rebounds”, in a basketball game; he passed out during his farm town high school’s dance (Alexie). When many of his white race friends try to revive him, a Chicano teacher runs up and asks, “What’s that boy been drinking? I know all of these Indian kids. They start drinking real young” (Alexie). This assumption of Victor being an alcoholic because of his Native American race is just another example of how discrimination is within his educational facility. I am against teachers making assumptions towards their students because they are of different race. I also disagree with the idea of a Chicano teacher, who is of different race and knows of discrimination, making assumptions of Victor due to his ethnicity. As stated in the text, “Sharing dark skin doesn’t necessarily make two men brothers,” it only makes the two men common (Alexie).
The assumption of Native American ways are also seen in today’s educational systems. These assumptions of the Native American ways then lead to the stereotyping of the Native American Culture. For example, in school when the students are to learn about the “Indians” they begin by making headdresses and tepees in order to celebrate the culture. The acts of students learning in this manner “instills in the mind of everyone that Native Americans aren’t “Indian”, unless they wear feathers, hunt buffalo, and live in a tepee” (Peterson). Teaching the children with that curriculum of Native American culture only promotes the stereotyping and assumptions of Native Americans.
So whether Chicano, Native American, African American, or Chinese, people will have their similarities and differences. However, as Sherman Alexie had shown through his own experiences of being Native American, no person should be put down or stereotyped due to their race. With this concept shown in Sherman’s story, I cannot agree more. I believe all people should be treated equally, have equal rights, and be given equal educational opportunities.
Sherman was one of many writers that took a notion after experiencing the emotional degradation that comes with discrimination. I believe that is what pushed him to write “Indian Education.’ Sherman didn’t write the story for entertainment or for pity. He wrote the story in order to open the eyes of his readers and to make a change in the society that we live in. If discrimination were to be eliminated lives would change. Lives would change for all people, just like Sherman Alexie. So, open your eyes and make a change to eliminate discrimination.