Content Warning: This section addresses themes of racism, cultural erasure, and violence against Indigenous people.

“You will remember what happened today. After a while, you will understand it. The white man makes us forget our holy places. He makes us small.”

This quote emphasizes the importance of memory and understanding that Bull tries to impart to Antoine over the course of the story, especially in the face of the destruction of their Indigenous identity. By diminishing the significance of their sacred places and imposing structures like the dam, Bull suggests that the colonizers diminish the cultural and spiritual identity of his people, rendering them insignificant in their own land.

“A white man, a government man, might not understand the importance of the thing he asked unless the story was carried back to the beginnings. Today talks in yesterday’s voice, the old people said. The white man must hear yesterday’s voice.”

Henry Jim acknowledges the cultural gap between the Little Elk tribe and white government officials such as Rafferty. Those outside of their community lack an understanding or appreciation for the significance of their traditions and are likely to dismiss them unless the whole history is explained.

“Nobody in Washington tells you about medicine bundles or culture heroes or folk ways. The emphasis in the instructions we get is on the mechanics of the job we are expected to do—as if these other things don’t exist and won’t get in the way of doing the job.”

Doc Edwards points out that the training provided to government officials does not cover the cultural sensitivity or understanding needed to effectively engage with Indigenous communities. Ignoring or overlooking cultural traditions and beliefs can hinder effective communication and collaboration. This is the problem that Rafferty faces in connecting to the Little Elk tribe and is ultimately the same issue that leads to the story’s