Calvin Johnson -- Jacquie Red Feather & Orvil Red Feather Readings (05/20/2022)

Where does Calvin's brother take him? Why?

Calvin's brother takes him to Deep East Oakland, likely to Octavio's Uncle's house. He does this to explain to Calvin that just like when they were younger, he will not be getting out of this situation alone.

How does Calvin wish to handle it?

Clavin wanted to have Octavio in a chokehold and have him outmanned, another wish of his was that he'd black out so badly that he would not remember anything.

Where is Jacquie going? With who? Why? Who will she stay with?

She is returning to Oakland, likely with Harvey because he wants to try and make amends. She will stay with Opal and her grandchildren.

Do Jacquie and Opal still keep in touch? Why or why not? Explain.

Jacquie and Opal do not keep in touch still because she had to search for photos within her email. They may not keep in touch due to Jacquie being reminded of her old life which she wants to move on from.

Where does Jacquie go after the first event? Who does she encounter? What problem do they struggle with?

Jacquie goes to a sitdown group, she encounters Harvey. They struggle with alcoholism.

What kind of music does Loother listen to?

Loother listens to rap, listening to three rap artists: Chance the Rapper, Eminem, and Earl Sweatshirt.

Where does Calvin live?

Calvin lives with his sister Maggie and her daughter Sonny.

Where does Calvin work? What do the guys ask of him?

Calvin works on the powwow committee. The guys ask him to rob from where he works and/or take money in general.

Who shows up at the house? How do they present themselves?

Calvin's brother Charles shows up at the house. He presents himself intimidatingly with his friend Carlos, both holding forties, knowing Calvin owed him.

What happened to Jacquie's unwanted pregnancy?

Her unwanted pregnancy was given up for adoption.

What issues are Native teens struggling with? What is the speaker's interpretation of the issue?

Issues Native teens are struggling with include suicide. The speaker's interpretation of the issue is that teens are just living in the life that elders have created for them.

What city is Jacquie in? What is she doing there?

Jacquie lands in Phoenix, Arizona. She is there to attend a conference surrounding Substance Abuse and mental health.

What issue does Jacquie struggle with? How long has she refrained from her addiction?

Jacquie struggled with alcoholism and was ten days sober.

What does Jacquie do for a living?

Jacquie works as a Substance Abuse Counselor.

Describe Jacquie's second pregnancy. What happened to her second child? What was the aftermath?

Jacquie's second child was driven away from her due to her addiction, she ended up dying and left her three sons behind; jacquie could not bear it.

What does Orvil find on himself?

Orvil finds a lump on his leg in which he finds what he believes spider legs.

How many brothers does Orvil have? What are their names?

Orvil has two brothers: Lony and Loother.

What name does Octavio have for Carlos and Charles? Why?

Octavio calls them Charlos. This is because they were always together and looked very alike. Also to put them in a place far below authority, they both were not nearly as important as him.

What is one way Opal has shared their "Indian ways" with the boys?

One way Opal has shared their "Indian ways" with the boys is through making Indian tacos- a general source of comfort food and when one lacked resources.

Does Opal teach Orvil about his culture? Why or why not?

Opal does not teach Orvil about his culture. This is because she believes there are too many risks and she believes it is a tradition to only tell them when they're ready.

Where is Orvil going? What is he going to do there?

Orvil is going to the powwow. He is going to compete in dance.

What kind of music does Orvil listen to? How does it make him feel?

Orvil listens to powwow music. It makes him feel powerful and more inertly connected with his culture. He feels an urge to dance and sing.

What does Orvil try on? What does this say about his attitude towards his culture?

Orvil tries on his regalia. This shows that he wants to learn more about his culture, but is still unsure of many things.

What cultural activity does Orvil want to participate in?

Orvil wants to participate in a powwow where he can culturally dance.

What happened to Orvil's mother? How is Orvil related to Opal?

Orvil's mother shot herself between the eyes. Orvil is related to Opal through his real grandma, Jacquie. Jacquie and Opal are half-sisters, making Opal his great aunt. She is, however, his grandma in an Indian way.

How do the boys afford an Indian taco?

The boys afford an Indian taco through gathering coins from fountains, going to the bank to turn them in, and turning it into cash.

What was the longest Jacquie was clean for?

The longest Jacquie was clean for was one month.

What mental health disorder runs the family? How does he describe it?

The mental health disorder that runs in the family is bipolar disorder. He describes it as having an ax to grind with an ax needed to split wood to keep warm in the cold; realizing you will never escape that place.

How do they spend the rest of the night?

The rest of the night was spent drinking; Calvin and Octavio hugged. They ended up leaving soon enough.

How does the situation escalate?

The situation escalates with Octavio getting increasingly angry at Charlos, questioning their decisions, and responding in anger. Octavio points a gun straight at Calvin.

What story does Orvil share with Dene? Why does he share this story with Dene?

The story Orvil shares with Dene is the story of how he thought his mom overdosed. He shares that story with Dene because of the prize of a 200 dollar gift card.

What do they press him about?

They press him about having taken Charles' money in the past, how he should be repaying him with the money he is clearly earning from his job and the free rent, but he is not.

Who do they see on the way out? (hint: this is one of the characters)

They see a little boy on a bike.

What can we infer happened at the powwow at Laney? Read the first half of page 91.

We can infer that Calvin had something to do with Charles' money being taken; this act could have been something to keep him closer to their heritage or an act to take money because his supply was short.