Flight: A Novel

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. In the beginning of Flight, Zits, the protagonist, mentions the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). What is the ICWA, and what does it show about the complicated interactions between the United States government and Native communities?

Teaching Suggestion: It may be helpful to define and give context to the Bureau of Indian Affairs and residential boarding schools before exploring the second half of the Short Answer prompt. You might guide the class through a reading and exploration of the last two resources below to promote discussion around these topics.

• “Understanding the Indian Child Welfare Act” from the ICWA Law Center introduces the Indian Child Welfare Act and discusses the history of Native children being removed from their families and tribal communities.
• This website from the US Department of the Interior includes the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ mission statement as well as its history and services.
• This article from the Indigenous Foundation discusses the history of Native American Boarding Schools and includes relevant photographs, documentary links, and related literature.