Overcoming Racism In Indian Horse By Richard Wagamese

With a conflict of trying to overcome racism, a nation has the capability of helping an individual triumph from a deficit. Throughout Indian Horse Richard Wagamese invites us on how Saul manages discrimination. Saul deals with many challenges, however, from help of the Aboriginal community Saul gains success. While surrounding himself with Aboriginals who have faced the same experiences, Saul relies on bonding with people of his own culture to grow as a man.

Saul’s forced isolation from the First Nation creates many personal conflicts and impacts his character. Through discrimination from other races and without the support of Aboriginals, Saul changes into a negative person. In the words of Saul he claims ‘’ when I hit someone it wasn’t …show more content…
Throughout Indian Horse Richard Wagamese invites us on how Saul manages discrimination. Saul deals with many challenges, however, from help of the Aboriginal community Saul gains success. While surrounding himself with Aboriginals who have faced the same experiences, Saul relies on bonding with people of his own culture to grow as a …show more content…
Through discrimination from other races and without the support of Aboriginals, Saul changes into a negative person. In the words of Saul he claims ‘’ when I hit someone it wasn’t just a body check; I was counting a coup.’’(Wagamese) This phrase refers to the Aboriginal term meaning prestige against an enemy. This validates that from the discrimination he faces, that it is a battle between races that could have been managed with the support of Aboriginals, which is the main factor that leads to many conflicts throughout Saul’s life. Secondly, when the characters at the residential school lack the traits of Aboriginals Saul is guided on a path of depression. Saul mentions, ‘’holes in the universe that swallow all light all bodies. St .Jerome’s took all the light from my world.’’ This explains how even before going to St. Jerome’s that he experiences depression from the lack of Aboriginals. Also through discrimination from other races and without the support of Aboriginals, Saul is changing into a negative person. As Saul expresses, ‘’ I started to notice things after that I started to see a line in every arena.’’ From the discrimination towards Aboriginals when they are not well represented, the racism forces Saul to be aware of the racism around him but with the amount of racism Saul will think that every conflict is related to race. From this it leads Saul to more