"The Reservation Cab Driver"
waits outside the Breakaway Bar
in the ’65 Malibu with no windshield.
It’s a beer a mile. No exceptions.
He picks up Lester Falls Apart
who lives in the West End 5
twelve miles away, good for a half-rack.
When congress raised the minimum wage
the reservation cab driver upped his rates
made it a beer and a cigarette each mile.
HUD evicted him
so he wrapped himself in old blankets
and slept in the front seat of his cab.
When the BIA rescinded his benefits
he added a can of commodities for every mile.
Seymour climbed in the cab
said, this is a hell of a pony.
Ain’t no pony, the reservation cab driver
said, it’s a car.
During the powwow, he works 24 hours a day
gets paid in quilts, beads, fry bread, firewood.
3 a.m., he picks up Crazy Horse hitchhiking.
Where are you going, asks the reservation cab driver.
Same place you are, Crazy Horse answers
somewhere way up the road.
1. We don't expect taxi drivers to work for beer and cigarettes. What does Alexie want us to see in this unexpected idea?
2.List numerous research topics this poem suggests?
Why do you suppose the cab driver works for beer and cigarettes instead of cash money? What does Alexie mean to imply? Does the cab driver find beer and cigarettes more valuable than money with which he could buy food, etc.? And if it's unclear, could you research the plight of Native Americans on reservations, incidence of alcoholism on the reservations, the policies of the BIA, the impact of those policies on the residents?
By the way, Sherman Alexie addresses the incidence of alcoholism on Indian reservations very often in his stories. he sees it as a problem.
1. In this poem, Sherman Alexie presents the idea of a reservation cab driver who accepts payment in the form of a beer and a cigarette for each mile driven. By bringing up this unexpected idea, Alexie wants readers to question the economic conditions and challenges faced by individuals living in Native American reservations. It highlights the struggles and lack of opportunities faced by marginalized communities, emphasizing the dire circumstances that push people to accept unconventional forms of payment.
2. Here are several research topics that this poem suggests:
- Economic disparities on Native American reservations: Explore the socioeconomic challenges faced by Native American communities, particularly focusing on reservations, and examine the contributing factors that perpetuate these disparities.
- Impact of minimum wage changes on reservation cab drivers: Investigate the effects of changes in minimum wage laws on different professions, specifically considering how it affects individuals working as cab drivers on reservations.
- Government support and benefits for Native American communities: Analyze the role of governmental programs and support systems in providing assistance to Native American reservations, and evaluate the consequences when benefits are reduced or rescinded.
- Housing issues and homelessness on reservations: Examine the housing conditions on reservations and the prevalence of homelessness, addressing the factors that contribute to these challenges and potential solutions.
- Cultural preservation and self-identity: Explore the importance of cultural preservation and maintaining a strong sense of self-identity in Native American communities, discussing how it relates to the experiences portrayed in the poem.
- Representation of Native American voices in literature: Investigate the portrayal of Native American experiences and perspectives in contemporary literature, considering Sherman Alexie's work as well as other Native American authors.
These research topics provide starting points for an in-depth exploration of the issues raised in the poem, allowing for a deeper understanding of the social, economic, and cultural contexts within the Native American reservations.