The main character, Arnold Spirit Jr. — also known as Junior — recounts his experiences growing up in his home on the Spokane Reservation, where he was born with an excess of cerebral spinal fluid. Despite facing challenges like a speech impediment and seizures due to his condition, he perseveres in the face of bullying from others on the reservation. Junior finds comfort in his close friend Rowdy, his artistic talents, and his aspirations for a better life beyond the confines of the reservation. However, Rowdy’s aggressive nature and Junior’s family issues add layers to his struggles. Junior’s decision to switch schools after an altercation leads him to enroll in a predominantly white school, Reardan, far from his home.
This transition is tough, testing his friendships and loyalty. New bonds are formed, including a romantic relationship with Penelope, as Junior navigates through the challenges. Meanwhile, his sister Mary’s unexpected departure adds to the changes in his life. High school brings a mix of triumphs and tragedies for Junior. Despite facing discrimination upon his return to the reservation, he finds success in basketball at Reardan. However, personal losses, including his grandmother’s death and his sister’s tragic passing, cast a shadow. Despite the hardships, Junior completes the school year with resilience and a promise to himself. The story closes with a symbol of hope as Junior and Rowdy reconcile while playing basketball, hinting at healing and renewal.
From birth, Junior faces medical challenges due to excess fluid in his brain, resulting in unusual dental patterns and vision problems. Enduring taunts and isolation due to his unique appearance, Junior turns to art as an escape. Despite his hardships, he dreams of breaking free from the limitations imposed by the reservation.
Amid poverty, Junior experiences the harsh reality when his pet falls ill, highlighting the lack of resources. He reflects on missed opportunities for his parents and the emotional toll of their choices.
Grief and friendship intertwine as Junior copes with loss alongside his troubled best friend Rowdy. Their bond strengthens amidst a backdrop of violence and personal struggles.
Junior’s passion for geometry and family dynamics take center stage as he navigates the challenges of school life and relationships, with a unique sense of humor and resilience.
Following a suspension, Junior engages in a transformative conversation with his teacher, leading to deeper self-reflection and understanding. Junior is uncertain about his violent reaction towards Mr. P. The teacher, full of regret, confesses to his history of physically disciplining Native American students and apologizes to Junior. He admires Junior’s intellect, ranking him second only to his sister, Mary. To Junior’s surprise, he reveals that Mary once aspired to be a novelist specializing in romantic tales but eventually abandoned her dreams. Mr. P hails Junior as the most brilliant student in the institution and advises him not to give up on his goals like Mary did. He warns Junior about his close friend Rowdy, mentioning that Rowdy has already given up on his dreams. The educator stresses that Junior’s sole chance for success lies in permanently leaving the reservation. After his heartfelt plea, Mr. P breaks down, marking the first instance Junior has observed a sober adult cry.
Following Mr. P’s departure, Junior contemplates his purpose in life. Upon his parents’ return, he asks them about who possesses the most hope. Their simultaneous response is “white individuals.” He then shares his desire to switch schools. Initially, they assume he’s referring to another reservation school, but he clarifies that he desires to enroll in Reardan, an affluent public school where most students are white farm children, situated 22 miles away from their domicile. Junior plans to start attending the school the very next day. Despite their struggles with alcoholism, his parents aspire to a brighter future for him and Mary, his sister. While his father cautions him about the challenges of commuting to Reardan, and his mother warns him about the potential backlash from peers on the reservation, they support his decision wholeheartedly and promise to aid him.
At the Wellpinit school playground, Junior informs Rowdy that he intends to transfer to Reardan, but Rowdy initially believes it’s a joke and grows agitated. Despite Junior’s efforts to convince Rowdy to join him, Rowdy detests Reardan due to their exceptional sports teams. Junior had captained their team against Reardan in the Academic Bowl and was the sole respondent who correctly identified Charles Dickens as the author of A Tale of Two Cities. However, they suffered a significant defeat, with Junior acknowledging the superiority of the Reardan students. When Rowdy comprehends that Junior is serious about the transfer, he becomes upset and pushes Junior away. Nonetheless, Junior persists in inviting Rowdy to join him, attempting to console him, but Rowdy responds with animosity and strikes Junior. As Junior lies on the ground, he realizes that Rowdy has become his primary adversary.
After the altercation with Rowdy, Junior embarks on the 22-mile journey to Reardan accompanied by his father. His father advises him not to perceive the white students as superior, but Junior disagrees. His father lauds him as a warrior. Upon waiting outside the school, the white students observe his injuries. The school’s mascot portrays an indigenous person, with a depiction comparing the appearance of a white student to that of a Native American student. The white student is depicted with a watch, khakis, and a backpack, while the Native American student carries books in a garbage bag and sports-discounted denim. In Mr. Grant’s homeroom, a blonde girl named Penelope questions his name, provoking laughter when Junior reveals there are 17 other individuals named Junior on the reservation. When Mr. Grant calls him by his actual name, Arnold Spirit, Penelope appears puzzled. Junior clarifies that he responds to both names, feeling like two distinct persons in one body. He discloses to Penelope that he hails from the reservation. Following his conversation with Penelope, Junior remains silent for six days. On the seventh day, a peculiar scuffle breaks out. He imparts the 11 unspoken regulations of fighting on the reservation. Insults directed towards oneself, family, or perceived slights mandate a fight. The larger white boys taunt Junior with monikers like “Chief,” “Tonto,” and “Squaw Boy.” When Roger, the most sizeable among them, directs a repugnant racial slur at Junior, Junior retaliates by striking him. Roger and his peers are stunned, witnessing blood flow from Roger’s nose. Junior challenges Roger to a post-school altercation, leaving Roger bewildered. He queries the rules, to which Roger can only respond, “What rules?”
In a state of perplexity, Junior seeks counsel from his grandmother concerning Roger’s peculiar conduct. Drawing upon her wisdom, she suggests that Roger now holds respect for Junior. The next day, their car runs out of fuel, compelling Junior to trek to school. En route, he encounters Eugene, his father’s close friend, who offers him a ride on his motorcycle. Arriving together at Reardan, Eugene, adorned with lengthy braids, expresses amazement at the predominantly white student populace of the school. He commends Junior for his enrollment, confessing he lacks the courage to do the same. Upon noticing them, Roger greets Junior and admires Eugene’s motorcycle before departing. After this, Junior crosses paths with Penelope. Initially greeted with feigned ignorance, he recounts his name to her, prompting acknowledgment as she mockingly refers to him as the boy with an identity crisis. Junior reflects upon how, while he may have earned the king’s respect, the queen remains unimpressed.
Junior reminisces about his teenage years when he developed an affection for a Native American girl, Dawn, a skilled traditional powwow dancer renowned for her beautiful braids. During a sleepover at Junior’s residence, he confides in Rowdy about his fondness for Dawn. However, Rowdy dismisses Junior’s sentiments, asserting that Dawn is indifferent to him. This harsh truth brings Junior to tears. Despite chiding Junior for his emotional display, Rowdy steadfastly keeps his secret.
For Halloween, Junior and Penelope both attire themselves as destitute individuals. Penelope elucidates that her attire is meant to raise funds for the underprivileged instead of gathering sweets. Junior concurs with her notion and elects to join her cause, detailing his costume as a statement against the mistreatment of impoverished Native Americans. However, while collecting donations on the reservation, Junior is assailed by three masked assailants who seize his money and confections, leaving him battered. He begins to suspect that one of the attackers might be his friend Rowdy. The subsequent day, Junior discloses the ordeal to Penelope, exhibiting his injuries. Touched by his narrative, Penelope opts to feature both their names on her charitable contribution. Junior finds solace in aiding others.
The ensuing weeks for Junior are tinged with profound solitude. Despite feeling authentically Native American on the reservation, this identity seems to wane as he traverses to Reardan. With his intellect surpassing that of most students at Reardan, he experiences a sense of displacement. This sentiment is evident when he corrects his geology instructor, Mr. Dodge, regarding the attributes of petrified wood. While initially met with amusement from the class, Gordy, the academic standout, corroborates Junior’s correctness. Although Junior expressed gratitude to Gordy for his backing, learning that Gordy was standing up for science. Daily, Junior would utilize the bus to reach the perimeter of the reservation, where his father was expected to pick him up, but often ended up trekking back home. Occasionally, he covered the entire 22-mile stretch by foot, seldom receiving a ride. Upon returning home one day, Junior discovered his mother in tears due to his sister, Mary, eloping and relocating to Montana. Speculating she felt ashamed residing in the basement for seven years after he commenced studies in Reardan, Junior admired Mary’s bold move and humorously noted that even Caucasians dreaded Montana’s Native Americans. This admiration prompted him to seek friendship with Gordy. After clarifying a misconception regarding his sexual inclination, they commenced studying together and he assisted Junior in interpreting literature more profoundly, even suggesting books should evoke a symbolic arousal. He also spurred Junior’s passion for cartooning and aided him in embracing literature. Junior recognized that at Wellpinit, he was viewed as an anomaly for his love of books, whereas in Reardan, he was accepted as a cheerful eccentric.
The digital message Mary dispatched bears a timestamp of November 16th, 2006. She shares her delight about her fresh life in Montana, recounting her recent equestrian undertaking. She is also on the prowl for employment opportunities. Finding the setup on the Montana reservation unusual due to towns housing more Caucasians than Native Americans, she mentions a white town’s attempt to detach from the reservation. Recollecting her stay at a hotel by Flathead Lake during their honeymoon, she details ordering traditional Native American fry bread from room service. Mary expresses contentment with her partner, her novel lifestyle, the Montana environment, and Junior.
Despite the absence of snow, Junior and his family relish a plentiful Thanksgiving meal. Junior queries the rationale behind Native Americans commemorating the holiday, pondering their reasons for gratitude. His father jestingly suggests they should be grateful for not being entirely eradicated by the whites, leading to laughter exchanged between father and son. Post-feast, Junior feels the void left by his friend, Rowdy. Crafting a cartoon portraying them as superheroes sharing a fist bump, he delivers it to Rowdy’s residence. Discovering Rowdy to be out, he leaves the cartoon with Rowdy’s father despite being labeled as “a little gay.” Witnessing Rowdy from a distance as he grasps the sketch upon his return, Rowdy reacts with a gesture of disdain but refrains from destroying the artwork.
Junior departs Mr. Sheridan’s class for a restroom break, overhearing the sounds of a girl violently retching in the adjacent restroom. Post his restroom visit, he knocks on the girls’ restroom door, disregarding being instructed to leave. The girl eventually emerges – revealed to be Penelope. Junior initially labels her as anorexic, but she corrects him, stating she is suffering from bulimia. Her situation reminds Junior of his father, prompting him to offer advice to Penelope not to surrender. Penelope breaks down in tears, leading to an emotional bond forming between them, evolving it into a connection akin to “friends with potential.” After a few weeks, Penelope’s father, Earl, confronts Junior outside the school, cautioning him to steer clear of his daughter. Accusing Penelope of associating with Junior merely to instigate him, he threatens to disown her if she has mixed-race offspring with Junior. Junior contemplates whether Penelope will be interested in him only because he has a different background and is breaking the norm. However, his decision gets the best of him, and clicks “publish” to upload the post.
Mary corresponds with Junior using a handwritten message. She articulates her exasperation at the paradoxical situation of needing prior knowledge to secure a job, yet being unable to acquire experience without a job. To vent her frustrations, she is documenting her life story. Currently, Mary and her spouse are dwelling in a gleaming metallic mobile home. She depicts it as the most magnificent abode on the planet.
Junior’s paternal figure recounts the narrative of meeting his partner, who is eight years his senior. The anecdote is shared as motivation for Junior to become a member of the Reardan basketball squad and aspire for his ambitions. During the tryouts, the coach forewarns that only 16 out of the 40 contenders will make the team. After enduring strenuous drills and intense individual matches against Roger, a notably taller player, Junior secures a spot on the varsity team. The following week, the Reardan squad visits Wellpinit. The audience hurls derogatory comments at Junior, addressing him by his Reardan moniker. Upon entering the gymnasium, the spectators turn their backs on him, except for Rowdy, who remains steadfast. While playing the match, Junior is struck in the head with a coin, leading to bleeding. Isolated in the changing room, Eugene, a recent graduate EMT, tends to his injury. Despite the potential for scarring, Junior insists on immediate stitches. He resumes playing, but a sharp blow from Rowdy knocks him unconscious and results in a diagnosed concussion at the medical facility. His mentor pays a visit and stays the night, providing Junior company with anecdotes as he is not permitted to sleep.
During the festive period, Junior’s household is financially strained, and his father indulges in excessive drinking. He departs on Christmas Eve, returning on January 2nd with a severe hangover. Upon his return, Junior’s paternal figure expresses remorse to Junior regarding the holiday. Junior pardons him, and his father tasks him with retrieving something from his boot, which turns out to be five dollars. Junior contemplates how his father could have utilized the money to purchase another bottle of whiskey. Junior characterizes the situation as a beautiful yet unsightly occurrence.
Junior expresses apprehension that he might be perceived as displaying partiality toward Caucasian individuals, despite his admiration for Mary, his parents, and his grandmother. As a scholar at Reardan, he has encountered a blend of effective and ineffective nurturing, highlighting that he has Caucasian friends with fathers he hasn’t met. Despite its imperfections, Junior believes life at Reardan surpasses life at Wellpinit, though marginally. Shifting the focus, Junior discusses his grandmother, attributing her chief attribute to be tolerance. He mourns the decline in acceptance of differences by contemporary Native Americans, mentioning how past generations viewed epileptics as visionaries and homosexual individuals as mystical beings. Nevertheless, his grandmother adhered to traditional values. Tragically, she was struck and killed by an intoxicated driver on her way back from a ceremonial dance. Her parting words, “Forgive him,” indicate she was referencing her assailant.
Junior’s family conducts a gathering three days following his grandmother’s demise, attracting approximately 2,000 attendees. The locals cease their harassment of Junior after her passing. The crowd is so vast that the casket is relocated to the center of the Spokane football field. Mary, Junior’s sibling, is absent as she cannot afford the journey from Montana. A prosperous Caucasian man named Ted talks about a decade ago when he purchased an allegedly stolen ceremonial dance costume from a Native American, realizing it was unlawful. He reveals that he engaged an anthropologist to track down the rightful owner, Grandmother Spirit, but discovered her deceased. He seeks forgiveness and desires to return the attire. Junior’s mother reassures Ted that there is no need for an apology. She clarifies that Junior’s grandmother never owned such an outfit, and it does not resemble Spokane’s design. She speculates it could be Sioux or Oglala, but admits she is not an expert, nor was Ted’s employed anthropologist. The gathering, amused by the confusion, shares a chuckle. Junior equates laughter and tears during tragic moments. Following this, Ted departs from the Spokane reservation.
Junior presents Penelope with a self-made Valentine’s Day card, the same day Eugene, his father’s closest companion, is fatally shot during a disagreement over alcohol outside a convenience store. Eugene’s assailant, Bobby, takes his own life in prison weeks later. Junior finds solace in sketching cartoons and immersing himself in the works of the ancient Greek dramatist, Euripides, gifted by his friend Gordy. Junior’s despondency leads him to consider abandoning his education at Reardan. Despite his legitimate reasons for being absent 15 to 20 times, he attends his social studies class. His educator, Mrs. Jeremy, cynically comments on his presence, triggering an unforeseen display of solidarity from Gordy and the other students. They all rise, drop their textbooks on their desks, and exit the room, leaving Junior alone. Subsequently, he labels Mrs. Jeremy as an “unpleasant person” and departs. To cope with his grief, Junior commences compiling lists of positive elements in his life, such as companions, music, cuisine, literature, and basketball athletes.
Junior secures a position as a commencing freshman on Reardan’s varsity basketball team due to his shooting proficiency, despite not being particularly large or swift. He experiences nausea before every match, a pattern his coach tolerates, having undergone the same in his youth. After a defeat against Wellpinit, Reardan makes a comeback with a winning streak of twelve games before a rematch with Wellpinit, hosted by Reardan. Although Reardan’s score stands at 12–1, Wellpinit remains unbeaten. A local news crew interviews Junior before the match, but he remains evasive, abstaining from discussing his sentiments about competing against his former team, merely labeling it as “peculiar.” On the night of the game, a crowd of two thousand spectates. The coach deems Junior as Reardan’s hidden asset and assigns him to guard Rowdy, his former comrade. The game kicks off with Reardan claiming the first possession, but Rowdy promptly steals the ball. In an adrenaline-charged moment, Junior wrests the ball from Rowdy, dribbles down the court, and scores a three-pointer. Despite not attempting any further shots, Junior limits Rowdy to four points, leading Reardan to a victory with a margin of forty points. Nevertheless, Junior experiences a pang of guilt after the triumph. He draws parallels between Reardan’s dominance and resources to Goliath and Wellpinit’s struggles to David’s. He contemplates the differences between the two teams, reflecting on the personal challenges faced by the Wellpinit players, such as inadequate meals and abusive guardians. Overwhelmed with shame, Junior retreats to the locker room in tears. Following their defeat, Wellpinit’s season takes a downward turn. Despite Reardan winning all its regular season fixtures, they are surprisingly defeated by a smaller team in the initial phase of the playoffs.
Junior communicates with Rowdy through an email, expressing his remorse for their significant loss and subsequent tarnishing of their season. Rowdy, in response, threatens to conquer Reardan in the next year, foreseeing that Junior will break down in tears. Junior rebuts, asserting that he’s the one who emerged triumphant, prompting Rowdy to reply with a simple “Ha-ha”. Junior acknowledges the presence of derogatory remarks in their exchange but values it as their first genuine dialogue since his departure from the reservation.
At merely fourteen, Junior has attended forty-two funerals, a sharp contrast to his Caucasian peers. He perceives alcohol as the prevalent factor in the sorrow of Native American families. His school counselor, Miss Warren, informs Junior in chemistry class about the passing of his sister, Mary. Startled and distressed, Junior rushes out of school to await his father in the snow, gripped by the fear of another loss. Fortunately, his father arrives, and Junior’s relief erupts as uncontrollable laughter. His father explains the tragic demise of Mary and her spouse due to a fire during an intoxicated slumber at their trailer. This revelation triggers laughter-induced vomiting in Junior, the taste oddly reminiscent of cantaloupe, Mary’s preferred fruit. Drained, he falls asleep, delving into a dream about a childhood memory involving cantaloupe and a wasp sting. Upon awakening, his mother makes him commit to abstaining from alcohol. Overwhelmed at Mary’s burial, he flees into the woods, where he unexpectedly encounters Rowdy, who had surreptitiously attended the funeral. Tearfully, Rowdy blames Junior for Mary’s departure from the reservation, ultimately resulting in her demise. The following day, Junior returns to school, opting for that over a wake filled with intoxicated mourners. His peers at Reardan console him, with Penelope shedding tears in sympathy.
Junior’s scholastic achievements are illustrated through a creative cartoon rendition of his report card. He excels, earning A’s in courses like English, Geometry, Physical Education, and Computer Programming. While his performance in History and Geology is slightly lower but still above average, securing an A- and B+ respectively, he manages a B- in Woodshop.
Junior, alongside his mother and father, visits the cemetery to tend to the graves of Grandmother Spirit, Eugene, and Mary, followed by a picnic. His father, holding his saxophone, shares insights with his family on the dualities of love and death. His mother’s expression of pride induces tears in Junior, not just for Mary, but for his entire tribe. He muses on the grim reality that reservations were initially akin to camps of death for Native Americans. Junior then aligns himself with other ‘tribes’ he belongs to illustrators, habitual masturbators, the financially strained, and aficionados of tortilla chips and salsa. This realization of his membership in broader communities marks a significant epiphany for Junior, providing solace regarding his own state while prompting contemplation on the less fortunate. The absence of Rowdy weighs heavily on his mind.
Junior fondly recounts his memories of the reservation, characterized by ancient, towering ponderosa pines. He reminisces about a childhood incident with Rowdy, where they climbed the tallest tree near Turtle Lake at the age of ten. Subsequently, Rowdy suggests a dip in Turtle Lake, a body of water reputed for its unfathomable depth in Junior’s account. He recalls his father’s anecdote about a horse named Stupid Horse, which drowned in the lake, washed ashore dead in a distant location, and was incinerated, only to resurface in the lake, causing momentary avoidance by people. On the way to the lake, the boys opt to ascend the giant tree instead of swimming. Scaling nearly to the summit, they absorb the panoramic view of their reservation. Rowdy disrupts the silence with a loud fart, prompting their descent and skipping the swim. Junior ponders on surviving a year at Reardan, reminiscing about Penelope and anticipating Gordy’s summer visit. Meanwhile, Roger sets off to college on a football scholarship. Rowdy’s unexpected appearance at Junior’s residence interrupts his reflections. Despite confessing his animosity towards Junior, Rowdy, feeling bored, suggests a one-on-one game. Junior’s offer for Rowdy to join him at Reardan is declined. Instead, Rowdy divulges his newfound knowledge about the nomadic lifestyle of early Native Americans. Referring to Junior as the final nomadic Native on the reservation, this statement sparks an emotional moment before they engage in hours of unscored play.
