The Outside Circle

That weekend, Pete makes a phone call to the TW gang leader, Frank, to inquire about Joey’s whereabouts. Frank informs him that Joey has been arrested. After this revelation, a full-page illustration on Page 58 shows Pete wearing the shattered red and white mask.

In the next session, Elder Violet instructs the group to draw their family tree. She underlines how many forms of abuse and violence are passed down from one generation to the next and explains that “in order to understand how our families have affected us, we need to understand the whole picture of the family we were raised in” (58). Once each man has illustrated their family trees, Violet shares her own family history, setting the stage for others to do the same.

When it’s Pete’s turn to present his family tree, the illustration on Page 63 shows that he has only written down three names: “mom,” “me,” “Joey.” As Violet inquires about his mother, the mask slowly appears on his face. He answers the questions snappily, elaborating on his mother’s story: She was abandoned by his father, and she became involved with someone who abuses substances and now she has a substance abuse disorder, too. Violet thanks Pete and performs a smudging ritual using sacred herbs. As she holds the herbs in front of Pete’s face, the mask slowly dissolves.

Pete and two of the men gather around a campfire, sharing their plans for the upcoming Saturday and joking about the prospect of seeing their girlfriends. Their camaraderie is disrupted by Violet’s arrival, who introduces them to Elder Roy. Roy gives the men valuable insights about how Indigenous communities used to function, particularly the vital role of men: “[T]he way our communities were set up was like a circle. In the middle of that circle were children. […] We were the outside circle—ensuring the safety of everyone inside. We were warriors” (68). He laments the loss of the sacred role of men in modern society: Men are not protecting women and children, and many single mothers are left on their own. As Roy speaks, Pete looks down, mortified. The illustrations show a polaroid of Pete’s mother with him and Joey as children wearing birthday hats and another image of her, pregnant. All the men stand in the warm glow of the fire and listen to Roy’s wise words.

Pete is walking down a hallway at the center when a staff member approaches him and informs him that his mother passed away just the day before. The staff member informs Pete that arrangements can be made for him to attend her funeral with an escorted temporary absence. This revelation affects Pete, leaving him visibly upset.

At the funeral, the casket lies open, and Pete reunites with Joey, whom he hasn’t seen in over a year. Pete inquires about Joey’s well-being, and Joey responds positively, saying that he’s “real good […] out of the family home, living with a family” (71). The brothers stand together looking at the open casket, talking about how difficult things must have been for their mother.

A man enters the room and introduces himself as Ray Carver, their uncle. He explains that the last time he saw Bernice, their mother, was when they were separated from their parents: He was 12, and she was just three. Ray discloses that he had been looking for Bernice for three years and happened to see in the paper that a Bernice Carver died. Ray asks Pete where his sister was living, and Pete tells him that he has no idea; to his knowledge, she was alone and without a place to live. The illustrations on Page 73 show Bernice leaving an office building, walking the cold streets, talking to someone in a red van, and, finally, lying on a motel room’s floor with a syringe.

Standing by the casket, Violet informs Pete that they will have a sweat ceremony the following day. After the funeral, Ray asks Pete if he can “come by and see [him]” (75), but Pete declines, leaving Ray disappointed.

Pages 77 and 78 feature an illustration of Pete, shirtless and contorted in a scream of pain and anger. The background is black, with a subtle glimmer of light casting its glow over Pete, and a bear appears to be breaking free from within him. On Page 79, Pete is revealed to be inside the tent during the sweat ceremony. Overwhelmed by his feelings, he breaks into tears, opens the tent’s flap, and rushes outside. After being sick, he goes to lie down on a bench. Violet approaches him, offering comforting words and assurance that everything will be alright.

On week five of the Warrior Program, Violet instructs the men to select five feeling cards that best capture their current feelings. Pete’s initial choice is “[a]nger”: He is angry at the probability that his mother was killed and died alone in a motel. He wants payback. Then, he picks the “[g]uilt” card: He feels guilty for not being there to protect her. The next card he chooses is “[s]hame,” as he recognizes that he is no better than his father; like his father, he also left his pregnant girlfriend with no support before being arrested. Violet suggests that he pick a new card: “Bravery.” She explains that Pete was very brave in being honest with himself.