The ind gena who speaks out of the midst of the culture in its own voice and consciousness is very rare. The reasons are many. Most are poor. Most do not read or write. Indigenous centers survive because they are far from literary centers, publishing houses, and bookstores.
Schools are crude, and libraries nonexistent.
One evening on V ctor's first visit to the United States, the talk among the little group of people turned to our childhood and what we had expected to be when we grew up. I asked V ctor. At first he thought he didn't understand the question. When I explained how children in the United States think about their adult careers, he looked amused. I always knew what I would be.