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Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Where do the Apache live? Can you name any of the different tribes that make up the Apache people? List any facts you know about their history and culture.

Teaching Suggestion: This prompt’s intent is to assess and activate students’ prior knowledge. Unless your students have significant, accurate background knowledge regarding the Apache people, the prompt is probably best answered in writing, as any misinformation students share in discussion may make it more difficult for peers to retain accurate information later. The resources listed below offer basic information about the Lipan Apache, which is the specific tribe that Little Badger and her protagonist, Ellie, belong to. Before offering these resources to students, you may wish to stress that information about the Lipan Apache does not apply to all Apache tribes, as there is considerable variation among the tribes.

• This overview details the community’s history, from a site hosted by the Lipan Apache Tribe itself.
• This article by the National Park Service includes history about the tribe and some brief cultural information about the Lipan Apache.
• This 5-minute video profiles a Lipan Apache dedicated to returning bison to Lipan lands.

2. What do the words “Indigenous Futurism” suggest to you? How might these words apply to the arts and especially to literature?

Teaching Suggestion: Depending on their backgrounds, some students may be familiar with Afrofuturism, but fewer are likely to know the term “Indigenous Futurism.” Students are likely to guess that this term has something to do with the future or with science fiction, and these guesses can be used as a springboard as you introduce more information to refine their understanding. The resources below may be useful as a means of introducing the term’s full definition and helping students to understand its cultural context.

• This article written by Abaki Beck for the Indigenous youth organization We R Native explains the basics of Indigenous Futurism.
• This 14-minute video features Kiowa advocate Jordan Cocker’s moving explanation of the genesis of Indigenous Futurism. (Content Warning: The presentation includes mentions of genocide, colonialism, sexual assault, homicide, and discrimination.)

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

If you were writing a story set in an altered version of the real, contemporary world, what would you alter about reality? Why would you choose this, and what message would you be trying to convey about our world?

Teaching Suggestion: This prompt offers students a wide latitude as they choose what to write about or discuss. If you suspect that students will have difficulty choosing among possible answers, it might be useful to prime them with categories of ideas before they begin to write or discuss: Would they choose to change something about people, the environment, social structures, or something else entirely?