Sherman Alexie's "This is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona," and Growing Up on the Reservation

 The Author

Sherman Alexie
"I want [to write] books that challenge, anger,
and possibly offend." (2)

Sherman Alexie is a Native American writer, poet, and filmmaker whose published works draw upon his experiences growing up on a reservation, the hardships of attending an all-white high school during his teenage years, and the lasting effects of colonization on his life as a Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Indian. Alexie grew up on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Wellpinit, Washington, and suffered many seizures as a child after he was operated on for hydrocephalic, which is a buildup of fluid deep in the brain’s cavities (2). Due to this, he spent most of his childhood reading and developed a love for education and literature.

The Story

Alexie’s “This is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona” is a short story that is part of a larger collection in the book, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. The short story follows Victor and his friend, Thomas, as they return to Arizona to retrieve Victor’s father’s ashes, reminisce about their differing connections with Victor’s father, and examine their cultural identities together. Throughout the story, there are personal ties to the author’s childhood, such as Victor’s father being an alcoholic and his mother working to provide for her children, which was true for Alexie’s childhood as well (1). In adulthood, Alexie himself was plagued by alcoholism from an early age until he successfully quit after his work was finally published in Hanging Loose magazine (5).

The Film

Five years after the publication of the short story, Alexie's "This is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona," went on to be turned into a loose film adaptation called Smoke Signals. Since the screenplay was written by Sherman Alexie, he took a chance at adding more depth to Victor's father in the film and establishing a greater connection between both young men as they navigate their past and cultural backgrounds through the death of Victor's father. The visuals of the movie echo the life of Alexie, as well as the theme, which revolves around alcoholism and life on the reservation. There is a scene in which Thomas Builds-a-Fire describes Victor's mother making frybread, a type of bread that carries the "story of [Native American] survival," (3) as Alexie puts it. As for Thomas' background, there is a scene in the beginning where his parents were killed in a fire. According to The Seattle Times that covered Sherman Alexie's memoir, "You Don't Have to Say You Loved Me," Alexie's half-sister died in a fire (3), an event that is repurposed in the movie instead of the book.

While the film added to the sorely lacking Indigenous representation in the industry, there are some controversial aspects of the film such as reinforcing harmful stereotypes and the negative stigmas surrounding the race and gender of a few main characters.


(1) Cline, Lynn. “About Sherman Alexie: A Profile.” Ploughshares, 2000, https://www.pshares.org/issues/winter-2000/about-sherman-alexie-profile.

(2) Kuiper, Kathleen. “Sherman Alexie.” Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sherman-Alexie.

(3) Miller, Jen. “Frybread.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 1 July 2008, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/frybread-79191/.

(4) Rowe, Claudia. “Sherman Alexie's Brave New Memoir Delves into His Childhood.” The Seattle Times, The Seattle Times Company, 19 June 2017, https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/books/sherman-alexies-brave-new-memoir-delves-into-his-childhood/.

(5) “Sherman Alexie.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, 2010, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/sherman-alexie.

Photo Citations

Alexie, Sherman. "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven." Perennial/Atlantic Monthly Press. 1993. https://fallsapart.com/#/myebooks/. Accessed 13 April 2023.

Smoke Signals. IMDb. 1998. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120321/?ref_=tt_mv_close. Accessed 13 April 2023.

Towndrow, Lee. "Sherman Alexie Says He's Been 'Indian Du Jour' For A 'Very Long Day.'" Little, Brown and Company. 2017. https://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/npr/533653471/sherman-alexie-says-he-s-been-indian-du-jour-for-a-very-long-day. Accessed 13 April 2023.

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