In his book Reservation Blues Sherman Alexie demonstrates the challenges that modern Native Americans face. Alexie argues that modern Indians face an uphill battle when trying to balance progressive and traditional Indian life on the reservation. Alexie, a member of the Spokane tribe himself, tells the story of a native Indian band and their successes and failures. Through the band the reader observes that Native Americans can never escape the challenges of the reservation. The entire book deals with the Indians trying to escape poverty in a society that is designed for the rigidness of Western society rather than the more laidback lifestyle of Native Americans. Through simply showing the reader the challenges Indians face Alexie allows the reader to form their own opinion about who is at fault at the widespread poverty on the reservations. Throughout the book the Indian band travels off the reservation to perform and each destination the attitude to the Indians are mixed with unwarranted contempt and feelings of cautiousness. This book gives the reader a rare opportunity to view the hardships and lives of Indians through the eyes of the Indians themselves, rather than a revisionist idea of the Indians that is sometimes present in more common American Literature. Alexie uses his experience as a Native American to portray the hardships Indians face, but he is also able to write from the perspective of the white man through his vast experience off the reservation. After reading this book we would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about modern social problems and discovering the challenges of maintaining culture in a society that is always progressing.