Summary Of A Drug Called Tradition By Sherman Alexie

“A Drug Called Tradition” by Sherman Alexie provides insight on the decline of Indians, his tribe over the years due to the White population from Europe. The story unfolds how, Indians have been impacted and are nostalgic with their Indian identity and culture which have been fading with time and are now, merely a vison that comes alive during hallucinations after doing some strong drugs. The three characters in the story having strong ties to Spokane tradition find it difficult to live their life as their ancestors, which they consider to be an ideal Indian life. They are stuck between past and future and are perpetuating an intentional loss of culture. When they take the drug they see respective visions of them dancing with their tribe, singing
their tribal songs but are unable to escape the loss of their culture and heritage. The “skeletons” referred to as the dark side of their past and future scare Thomas. That’s why he warns his fellow friends to not to engage with the past or future and live at the moment with the statement, “not to slow dance with skeletons”.