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#6 What was Junior's grandmother's greatest gift? What has happened to the Indians' sense of tolerance? Why has that happened? (Tess H)

Junior’s grandmother’s greatest gift was tolerance, a quality that is disappearing among Indians. Junior’s grandmother was always kind and accepted people for who they are. Sherman Alexie explains, “[Junior’s] grandmother had no use for all the gay bashing and homophobia in the world, especially among other Indians”(Alexie 155). Indians were always accepting and tolerant until white people started to lessen their tolerance. When Junior was reflecting on his grandmother he thinks, “...in the old days, Indians used to be forgiving of any kind of eccentricity. In fact, weird people were often celebrated”(Alexie 155). The diminishing tolerance started happening because of Indians being influenced by Christianity brought by the white people. Junior's grandmother was different from most of the other people on the reservation because of her “...old time Indian spirit…(Alexie 155). Junior’s grandmother was respected throughout the Spokane Reservation, as well as many other reservations, because of her kind personality and rare tolerance.

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