The Only Good Indians, a novel on identity politics and the experience of American Indians by New York Times bestselling novelist Stephen Graham Jones is equal parts psychological horror and biting social satire. This story, which chronicles the lives of four American Indian men and their families while they are all plagued by a horrific, fatal event that occurred in their adolescence, will appeal to fans of Tommy Orange and Jordan Peele. Years later, they discover that they are being pursued by a malevolent force and are completely powerless to stop the violent, vindictive culture and traditions they left behind from catching up with them.
1. “Typical. Momentarily one of these white boys was going to say something about Ricky being off the reservation, and then what was supposed to happen could get proper-started.” -Stephen Graham Jones
This line of narration relates to the scene in which Ricky is attacked and killed by a group of white males. The way that this line is phrased accentuates the scene’s racial undertone. Because Ricky is Native American, the white males seem to think they may attack and possibly even kill him without consequence. The injustice and exploitation that Native Americans still experience in the present day are reflected in this scene.
2. “The land claims what you leave behind.”-Stephen Graham Jones
Native tribes’ respect for the land and other sacred aspects governs their interaction with the natural world. The conduct that violates the Blackfeet tribe’s customs and rules is what causes the conflict in the story. Years after their hunting trip, the four Blackfeet men in the tale face the wrath of nature. The statement alludes to how ruthlessly nature treats everything left behind to deteriorate and perish. And the story, therefore, shows that nature may provide life and sustenance in equal measure to what it can also deplete and consume in order to reach equilibrium. In terms of reciprocity, the supernatural being’s fury is equal to the universe’s brutality. And in the end, the four culprits are eliminated as the natural world reclaims what it believes was taken from it.
3. “Jerry says Lewis shouldn’t hold against Harley. He didn’t know what he was doing. When the whole world hurts, you bite it, don’t you?”-Stephen Graham Jones
This account of Harley attacking Silas foreshadows Elk Head Woman’s behavior and her motivation in the novel. It contributes to the novel’s exploration of Indigenous culture and its perspective on nature, which holds that most natural disasters are caused by human activity.
4. “Shaney’s Crow, so calling him ‘Blackfeet’ is this running joke, their tribes being longtime enemies.”-Stephen Graham Jones
Throughout the novel, the narrator makes repeated references to the long-standing hostility between the Blackfeet and Crow communities. Although these tensions are no longer openly hostile. The book shows that some people still feel them.
5. “The foreman interviewing him had been thick and windburned and sort of blond, with a beard like a Brillo pad. When he’d reached across the table to shake Ricky’s hand and look him in the eye while he did it, the modern world had fallen away for a long blink, and the two of them were standing in a canvas tent, the foreman in a cavalry jacket, and Ricky already had designs on the jacket’s brass buttons, wasn’t thinking at all of the paper on the table between them that he’d just made his mark on.”-Stephen Graham Jones
The story’s adult men frequently view themselves in terms of tribal history, especially when interacting with the white people in their immediate environment. Ricky considers the long history of white people exploiting Indigenous people and how that affects his desire to take back what he feels he deserves in return as he navigates the complex racial politics of his present-day acceptance of a job.
6. “It’s soft at the end. Not just the pain, but the world.”-Stephen Graham Jones
Every character in the narrative eventually encounters death, either succumbing to it or narrowly avoiding it. Most of the characters die brutally without having time to think about their imminent demise. Some people, however, embrace it with open arms as solace for the errors they have made in the past. The statement describes the process of dealing with pain and death, which are more manageable when they are at their worst. For instance, Denorah is being pursued by an elk spirit that is out to murder her, causing her to suffer and putting her life in danger. Near the end, she consoles herself with the thought that the world will murder her gently before the spirit itself. After Denorah shows some empathy for the elk spirit’s suffering, the elk spirit also experiences a moment of clarity.
7. “White girls know the names of everything.”-Stephen Graham Jones
Lewis accuses his wife Peta of using the word “hearth” to describe the fireplace. And Lewis, like Ricky, is conscious of himself in part because of how different he is from white people, even his wife. Lewis opts to ignore most issues rather than approaching them with the same level of specificity as those around him.
8. “This is all you really need, isn’t it? Just a good friend. Somebody, you can be stupid with. Somebody who’ll peel you off the ground, prop you against the wall.”-Stephen Graham Jones
The four childhood friends—especially Gabriel and Cass’ friendship–show how strong friendship bonds can be. Teenage rebellion and groupthink result in the past error that connects them all, and it has a tragic result. The story also centers on their friendship, yet the main theme is the price of breaking with convention. As they get ready for Nathan’s sweat lodge ceremony, one such friendship that only grows stronger is that between Gabe and Cass. The phrase perfectly captures the oath or link that binds friends together, even though, in this instance, it just serves to seal their death.
9. “For them, ten years ago is another lifetime.
And For you, it is yesterday.”-Stephen Graham Jones
The prologue, which establishes the mood for the rest of the book, is where our story starts. This is an own voices horror book featuring Native Americans. The Elk Woman, an entity created as a result of a violent occurrence on spooky land, is encountered by Ricky, the first of the four Blackfeet men. Only Lewis starts to wonder if there’s more to what happened than just another Native man dying in a bar brawl once word of Ricky’s death reaches his buddies. But eventually, everyone will realize just how potent suffering and retribution are.
10. “We’re from where we’re from. Scars are a part of the deal, aren’t they?”-Stephen Graham Jones
There were so many moments in this book that addressed many of these topics and the truth that’s woven into this book. And the ending of this book what a shock to the system. I loved it so much! Denorah is such an underdog, but I loved reading things from her perspective. She’s very determined, headstrong, and so courageous. I think many readers will fall in love with her and her actions. I think she’s my favorite character, and dares I say she deserves a spin-off book. The relationships between the main characters, the story development, and the feeling that this book is a horror movie for your brain were all greatly enhanced by the supporting characters.
11. “These are the kind of wrong thoughts people have who are spending so much time alone. They start unpacking vast cosmic bullshit from gum wrappers, and then they chew you up, blow a bubble, ride that bubble up into some even stupider place.”-Stephen Graham Jones
This phrase talks about the things people consider while they are alone. It says that individuals ponder excessively when they are alone and have nothing to do. When a person is alone, they begin to unpack old memories from the past and begin to think about them as well. They feel that these are the wrong kinds of thoughts that people who spend too much time alone have. They start by pulling huge cosmic nonsense from gum wrappers, chew it up, pop the bubble, and then ride the bubble up into a still more absurd place.
12. “It was so easy. He was so fragile, so delicately balanced, so unprepared to face what he’d done.”-Stephen Graham Jones
The author writes in an amazing style. The way this tale is written makes you wonder if the Elk Woman who is punishing these guys is just their guilty fantasy or if she actually exists. Grief is another recurring element that runs throughout the entire book. There are sections where we witness events from the perspectives of both the Elk Woman and the four men, and there is a palpable sense of loss. This book really demonstrates how sorrow may express to people in a wide variety of ways, thanks to their masterful weaving of such a potent emotion by Stephen.
13. “Horror lays eggs in your head that hatch at unexpected times.” -Stephen Graham Jones
According to this quote, it turns out that there are seven million various ways to be a good Indian. Not just one since there are so many of us. It is not important how traditional you are. How strictly you follow the rules, how successful you are in this world. That world, in the midst of the world, or anything else of the sort. It depends on how you define success on your own terms. If you accomplish those and are satisfied. Then you may call yourself a “Good Indian.” However, I believe it to be rather violent and hurtful. Since it is something that people impose on us: “You have to achieve this, this, and this in order to count.”