Race to the Sun

“Monsters wear human skin more often than fairy tales would lead you to think.”

Nizhoni’s assessment that monsters often resemble regular people establishes the novel’s investment in the monsters not only as literal creatures (as described by Navajo lore) but also as metaphoric representations of the challenges Nizhoni will face as a Navajo youth. Even so, her assessment disregards examples of classic fairy tales in which monstrous figures shapeshift and appear in human form.

“Davery’s mom is African American and his dad is Navajo, and small-minded people like Laurie can’t fathom that folks can be part of two cultures—ignorance like that is another reason Davery and I both left our old public school and transferred to ICCS.”

Nizhoni’s reference to a classmate’s racism at her own school works to reject an exclusionary paradigm that would gatekeep what it means to be “really” Navajo. Roanhorse reinforces this refusal to make Davery prove that he is Navajo “enough” through her inclusion of Davery as an essential helper in Nizhoni’s quest.

“Like it’s hard to say Nih-JHOH-NIH.”

Even as Davery asserts that Nizhoni’s name isn’t difficult to pronounce, he provides a guide for readers on how to pronounce it, pointing to the novel’s investment in teaching non-Native or non-Navajo readers how to pronounce Navajo names, with an eye toward generating greater knowledge and acceptance of Indigenous language and culture.