The Only Good Indians

What role does generational knowledge play in the book? How does the passing down of tradition and narrative help or hurt the characters?

In what ways does the elk herd mirror the Blackfoot tribe? How does Elk Head Woman’s perspective inform your understanding of the novel?

Lewis lives between two worlds, as he no longer feels like a part of his tribe and knows he does not fit in in the white world he occupies. How does being stuck in this liminal space inform his character?

The idea of counting coup has a central role in the novel. What different meanings does it take on for the characters? How might the climax of the novel be an act of counting coup?

Elk Head Woman enacts her revenge by provoking the Indigenous men to engage in acts of self-destruction or violence toward each other. What does this mean for the overall themes of the novel and the contemporary Indigenous experience?

How does Elk Head Woman differ from other depictions of deer women or elk women from Indigenous myths? In what ways is she a reinterpretation, and in which ways is she a faithful recreation?

Denorah captures the hopes and dreams of the Blackfoot tribe. How does she live up to those expectations, and what changes does she need to make to do so?

In what ways does the relationship between white people and Indigenous people factor into the novel? How do the characters deal with it?