Poem Analysis: "Rez Road" By Joseph Bruchac

Through thriving tourism, many Native Americans become wealthy and live prosperous lives on reservations.

Modern advances such as superhighways create opportunities and improve the lives of Native American people.

Even with the ongoing challenges of reservation life, the connection between native people and the land will remain.

Native languages were once in danger, but now with increased tourism, many people can identify these languages.

"The place we live isn't very big/compared to all that once was ours." (Lines 1-2)

"Sometimes tourists stray off the interstate/down onto Frog Street, where our Indian school," (Lines 21-22)

"No one ever gets rich when they stay here. /Living on the rez, you learn how to share." (Lines 29-30)

"No matter how many roads they build, / Mother Earth is always beneath our feet." (Lines 46-47)

It expresses sarcastically that the places tourists are driving to look at are actually people's homes.

It illustrates proudly the creative ways people on the reservation attract tourists in the hopes of making money."

It captures joyfully the ways in which people who live on the reservation express themselves by decorating their lawns.

It demonstrates explicitly that people on the reservation no longer use their cars and they do not care about them anymore.

It highlights that people have to work together during difficult times.

It questions why visitors do not participate in and ignore the rich culture present on reservations.

It exemplifies the reasons why many people do not find

fulfillment and ultimately leave the reservation without returning.

It illustrates that, while tourists expect to see images from the past, there is a modern, Indian culture present in an impoverished community.