Sherman Alexie Webquest
Your Name: Sam Brief
1. Using online resources, research Sherman Alexie.
Find at least 3 sites that are about Alexie, or that reference Alexie’s works.
Cite the three sites:
1. Cite Name: The Official Site of Sherman Alexi
Web Address: http://www.fallsapart.com/
2. Cite Name: Voice of the new tribes
Web Address:http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2003/jan/04/artsfeatures.fiction
3. Cite Name: Sherman Alexi Biography
Web Address: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/sherman-alexie
2. In your own words, describe at least three characteristics of Sherman Alexie:
a. He is a Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Indian who was born in Wellpint, Washington.
b. He is a successful author and poet who has won many awards for his works.
c. He is also a great public speaker who gives speeches around the nation.
3. List at least 3 books/articles written by Alexie, and provide a 1-2 sentence summary of what
each is about:
1. Flight: The novel Flight is about an Indian boy who lives in an orphanage. He has to travel
through time, past and present, to find out who he truly is. He makes many trips through time
and faces many acts of violence and struggle.
2. Reservation Blues: The book Reservation Blues is about an Indian Reservation where no
one arrives on accident. Robert Johnson, a legendary musician who appears one day, and he
gives an enchanted instrument to a young boy named Thomas. Thomas creates a band, and
they play songs of celebration and survival as they stagger through ancestral nightmares and
rock and roll dreams.
3. Indian Killer: The story Indian Killer, is about a serial killer in Seattle who is called the Indian
Killer, which sets off violence and racial hatred. This confuses John Smith, who is half-Indian; he
then searches for his lost heritage and looks for his true identity. As John Smith fights to get rid
of his anger with the situation, the Indian Killer keeps killing.
Based on what you’ve learned about Sherman Alexie, create a word picture of what you think
his book The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian will be about (in other words, type all
of the words that come to mind when you think about what his book could contain - what kinds
of themes, characters, etc).

















Indians
Struggle
Trouble
Enemies
First-Person
Indian Reservation
Half-Indian, Half not
Decisions
Pressure
Attacks
Kid
Understanding
Tolerance
Parents
Family
Friends
Tradition