Rez Ball

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Think about the blend of high-stakes basketball action and the deep emotional story of grief and family. Which aspect of the novel resonated most strongly with you? Did you find the sports story or the personal drama more compelling?

2. How does Rez Ball contribute to the tradition of stories about modern Indigenous life, like Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian? In what ways did you find this novel’s perspective unique, and what familiar themes did you recognize about navigating life both on and off a reservation?

3. What did you think of the novel’s ending? The team loses the championship in a heartbreaker, yet the community celebrates the team members as heroes, which subverts a typical sports story finale. Did you find this resolution satisfying, and what message do you think it sends about the meaning of victory?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Tre feels immense pressure to live up to the legacy of his brother, Jaxon. Have you ever felt the weight of expectations from your family, school, or community? How did you navigate those feelings, and how does your experience compare to Tre’s journey of finding his own path?

2. Tre’s newfound fame and jealousy lead to an intense fight between him and his best friend, Wes, nearly destroying their lifelong friendship. Their conflict and eventual reconciliation demonstrate what it takes to repair important relationships when pressure gets in the way. Have you ever experienced or observed a similar rift in a friendship?

3. Dallas is a crucial mentor for Tre, offering guidance on everything from the team’s playbook to navigating social dynamics. Who has been a “Dallas” in your life, offering support or wisdom at a critical moment? What makes a good mentor?

4. Basketball is the heartbeat of the Red Lake community, a source of collective pride and identity. What sport, tradition, type of art, or local event brings people together in your community or family?.

5. Khiana offers Tre a space where he can just be himself, away from the pressures of basketball and his family’s grief. Have you ever had a connection that, like this one, gave you the distance and perspective you needed to navigate a difficult time?

6. Tre’s parents struggle to communicate their grief, which creates a lot of unspoken tension in their home, and each family member handles loss in their own way, illustrating how difficult it can be to connect with loved ones during those times. Reflect on how you have experienced this dynamic in your life.

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The novel depicts “rez ball” not just as a style of play but as a form of cultural resistance. How do sports, music, or other forms of cultural expression in use today assert identity and challenge systemic prejudice?

2. What is the significance of the scene in which Tre, Wes, and Nate are pulled over by the police near Bemidji? How does this incident of racial profiling highlight the tensions that exist in “border towns” and contrast with the world the characters inhabit on the reservation?

3. Byron Graves drew heavily from his own experiences playing for the Red Lake Warriors. How do you think this authorial context shapes the story’s authenticity? What is the value of reading stories about specific communities by authors from within those communities?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Jaxon is a posthumous character, yet his presence is palpable on nearly every page of the novel. How does the author achieve this effect? Consider the use of memories, symbols like his memorial shirts, and the way other characters constantly reference him.

2. How does the symbolism of Jaxon’s basketball shoes change throughout the novel? What does it mean for Tre when he finally decides to wear the shoes, and how does this act represent a turning point in his accepting his brother’s legacy?

3. Mason begins the story as Tre’s primary antagonist but ends it as one of his biggest supporters. What does Mason’s character arc reveal about loyalty, insecurity, and the power of a shared goal? Why is his acceptance so crucial for the team’s unity?

4. What role does the physical setting of the reservation play in the novel? Think about specific locations like the outdoor court across from the cemetery or the isolated roads. How do these settings reinforce the novel’s themes and the characters’ feelings of being both connected and confined?

5. How does the classic underdog sports narrative inform the novel’s plot structure? In what ways does the final game’s outcome subvert the expectations of that genre, perhaps echoing the more complex realities that documentaries like Hoop Dreams portray?

6. Wes’s documentary frames Tre’s journey as a story being told in real time. How did this narrative device affect your experience as a reader? Did it add to the sense that Tre was becoming a legend?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine that you are Coach Whitefeather, giving the final pregame speech before the state championship. What would you say to the team to inspire them, drawing on the journey they’ve taken together throughout the season?

2. Wes’s documentary becomes a central part of the story. If you were to create a trailer for his film, which scenes, images, and lines of dialogue from the book would you choose to include to capture the essence of Tre’s journey and the spirit of rez ball?

3. What do you imagine happens next for Tre after the novel’s final scene? Does he go on to play for the University of Minnesota, and what new challenges might he face as he moves beyond the Red Lake reservation?