Part 2 (Interlude, Tony Loneman, Calvin Johnson, Dene Oxendene, Jacquie Red Feather) Summary

In the Interlude, the narrator compares the powwow to a “braid” that draws together all kinds of Indians from all over the country. Foreshadowing the powwow’s gun violence, the narrator claims it won’t be unexpected because “the bullets have been coming from miles. Years.” Tony Loneman buys the bullets and gets them past the metal detectors into the Oakland Coliseum.

Sometime before that, when Dene records Calvin’s story for his film, Calvin expresses difficulty identifying something truly “Native” about his life yet acknowledges that his life is “Native” because he is Native, even if he knows nothing about his heritage. Harvey drives Jacquie back to Oakland to attend the powwow. Jacquie’s sister Opal texts her, saying Orvil found spider legs embedded in his leg just as Opal did when she and Jacquie were adolescents.

Part 2 (Interlude, Tony Loneman, Calvin Johnson, Dene Oxendene, Jacquie Red Feather) Analysis

As the narrator declares in the interlude, the massacre that occurs at the Big Oakland Powwow is not entirely unexpected; it is part of a long history of the massacre of Indians. The roots of violence and discontent that gave rise to the actions of the shooters are to be found in the historical events that gave rise to present-day conditions.

These sections portray modern Indians as constantly moving through space with no real sense of connection or stability. Jacquie Red Feather returns to the Oakland of her youth and her personal trauma in the company of Harvey, the man who is responsible for much of that trauma. The homecoming of Jacquie and Harvey in Oakland is part of this personal movement, which mirrors the larger historical moment that culminates in the massacre.