Marin is a literature scholar, freelance writer, and poet. In the following excerpt, she examines the nature of Indian identity by exploring how duality is inscribed within the role of the "native informant" in Sherman Alexie's short story "What You Pawn I Will Redeem."

Like many other writers of color, Sherman Alexie has shouldered the burden of speaking on behalf of his people, whose voices are seldom heard in the predominantly white world of contemporary American literature. He does so with an unflinching sense of humor. His stories navigate the often treacherous terrain of love, politics, human weakness, and failure. Yet, in his literary work he is most concerned with redefining the Native American experience, or as he prefers, the Indian experience, by establishing a new collective identity based on the individual lives and voices of the personae he creates. As in the real world, Alexie's characters...