Calling for a Blanket Dance

In this set of chapters, the motif of violence continues to paint a portrait of the way that Generational Trauma takes root in families. Hokeah depicts many of the social issues faced by Indigenous communities today, and abuse, addiction, generational poverty, and the fraught nature of the foster care system all emerge as common struggles within Cherokee and Kiowa communities in Oklahoma in particular. The complexity of multi-cultural families appears in Ever’s own troubled relationship with his father’s relatives. In spite of all of the troubles and difficulties depicted in these chapters, the theme of Resilience and Family Bonds continues to play an important role in the narrative, and Ever maintains strong relationships with multiple family members.

Ever is nearly 15 at this point in the story, and he has begun to exhibit violent tendencies. Although he does not mimic Everardo’s habit of turning his anger on his family members, Ever has learned the (unhealthy) habit of using violence as a problem-solving method, and after repeated outbursts and fights at school, he has been expelled. After his expulsion, Turtle sends him to live with Everardo. Ever notices his father’s alcohol addiction and feels the sting of his rejection when Ever does not live up to Everardo’s expectations for his son. Everardo is not an attentive, involved, or loving father, and in this strained relationship, readers can understand why it will ultimately become so important for Ever to provide his children with love, acceptance, and stability.

Everardo is disappointed in Ever’s lack of comfort with his Mexican family members, and he does not know his son well enough to understand the way that his own abusive parenting contributed to Ever’s withdrawn, socially anxious personality. Ever does not speak Spanish, does not feel at home with his Spanish-speaking relatives, and at this point in the narrative has had few meaningful relationships outside of his Indigenous family. He is ill-at-ease at school amongst his peers, and although his cousin Araceli brings him a plate of food, his nerves are so great that he vomits everything up, much to the frustration of his father, who responds by going inside, ignoring Ever, and drinking heavily for the remainder of the party. Scenes such as this one not only develop Ever’s characterization, but also illustrate the ways in which Everardo’s cold, abusive parenting leads not only to Ever’s anger management issues, but also to his troubled socialization. Ever does not have a stable male role model and has not yet begun to develop a strong sense of personal or cultural identity.

In this set of chapters, Ever and Quinton both turn 18, and as legal adults, are entitled to the yearly allotment money granted to tribal members for the profits made from the leasing of reservation land. They both purchase cars, but also large quantities of drugs and alcohol, and Quinton remembers ruefully how out of control their partying became. Here, too, the impact of generational trauma is on display, for the boys grew up in families marked by poverty, violence, and substance abuse. Without enough models of healthy behavior, it is incredibly difficult for the boys to not repeat the mistakes of the previous generation. And yet, substance abuse (and even misuse) will not become a major problem in Ever’s life. His identity development is much more of a focal point in the remaining chapters in the novel, but this early instance of substance misuse becomes an exemplar of what Ever is fighting against. And he will be successful in forging a healthy, culturally connected identity and moving beyond the violence and addiction in his family’s past. There is a deep well of strength within Ever, and although he grows up against the backdrop of multiple kinds of trauma, he finds a way out of so many unhealthy patterns.

Ever’s ability to turn his life around is rooted in his deep Family Bonds, and those relationships rise to the surface in these chapters. Even during their 18th birthday party drug-and-alcohol binges, Ever and Quinton set aside a portion of their money for their mothers. Each boy helps his mother to purchase expensive necessities, and the way that they remain focused on their family even while spiraling (momentarily) out of control speaks to the strength of their familial relationships. There are multiple other instances of Resilience and Family Bonds in these chapters, and Ever’s sister Sissy also emerges as a figure of strength and resilience. She, like her mother, gets pregnant early, and Turtle cannot help but observe that the baby’s father is as unhealthy and unprepared for parenting as Everardo had been. She is disappointed in Sissy’s choices and worries about her daughter’s future. And yet, Sissy does become a caring and devoted parent. She prioritizes her education and begins a nursing program. Readers get the sense that she will provide a strong and stable home for her child, and that like her brother Ever, she has found a way past some of the generational trauma in her family.

Another important piece of this novel’s representation of Resilience and Family bonds is Turtle’s characterization. In these chapters, she reflects on all of her mistakes, on the way that Everardo’s parenting affected her children, and on how difficult it is to escape unhealthy behavioral patterns. Like her mother, Turtle possesses a keen sense of self-reflection, and this skill becomes critical for so many individuals looking to process and move past trauma. It is so often taught to patients during the therapy process, and that both Turtle and her mother are so self-reflective becomes a critical piece in their own processes of healing and recovery.