Was it hard not to stereotype Sarah? The short answer to that question is no. After all, Sarah grew up not knowing a single thing about her heritage. In fact, it could be said that her family, after they fled the reservation, completely shunned who they once were and adopted a very non-ethnic lifestyle. In essence, Sarah grew up much like any other “normal” teenage girl . . . but with a very secret past.
If anything, it was Katie and her friends who placed Sarah in a box with their references to Pocahontas and Sacagawea and other culturally stereotypical ideas. Even Priscilla couldn’t refrain from joining in the teasing when she wondered if Adrian had ever slept in a tepee, or dressed in leather pants and moccasins.
What emotional processes does Sarah go through on a regular basis as she deals with being “the odd man out” in her school, along with the internal struggle of the bullying she faces from Katie? Bullying has become a hot-button issue with schools’ “zero-tolerance policy.” Unfortunately for Sarah, she has learned that nothing good comes of confiding about the bullying, and so she deals with the harassment by keeping quiet and not seeking help. It’s a shame, but true to the nature of a lot of kids who fear they’ll make the problem worse by speaking out against it.
As for being the “odd man out,” it was never something that Sarah gave much thought to until Katie singled her out for being who she is—a Native American girl. However, no one outside Katie’s group of friends taunts or teases Sarah, so the problem is truly of Katie’s own making. And yet it’s not entirely clear why she doesn’t like Sarah.
Rest assured that’s one storyline that will definitely be elaborated on in The Seventh Tribe.
The Spirit Keeper Page 22