Whiskey Tender

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of racism.

Analyze the name of the memoir. What feelings does the title Whiskey Tender invoke, and how does it relate to the text? How does the title reflect themes of survival, generational pain, and self-discovery? In what ways does it capture the duality of Taffa’s experience—both her Indigenous identity and the influence of mainstream American culture?

Throughout the text, Taffa weaves in historical context, describing the US government’s attempts to “terminate” Indigenous people by assimilating them into mainstream American society. How did different generations of her family internalize or resist these historical forces? In what ways did governmental policies shape their opportunities, struggles, and worldviews?

Describe Taffa’s relationship with her parents. How did their differing perspectives on Indigenous identity, survival, and assimilation influence Taffa’s sense of self? In what ways did she inherit traits from both parents, even as she resisted aspects of their beliefs?