So many years ago – teaching high school English and Creative Writing in Pinon, Arizona – one female student said to me “my dad would be a redneck if he weren’t an Indian?”. Her dad is a good friend of mine and it has left me wondering for the last fifteen years – because her dad is a redneck! (and yes, I am a card carrying Redneck and look at the term in a positive complimentary fashion – no hood required)

Today, out with my bro Claude Dawes here on the Crow Rezervation picking up hay bales left behind by the Westwood Ranch farmer. Waste not want not – and Claude pulls up in a Ford F450 hauling a tow-motor meant to lift bee hives on the truck – he careens down the side of the hill and we strap and load two, one ton, bales of hay! Claude is a redneck! He is the head of security for the Crow Tribal Chairman and drives a monster truck that I call Ta Tonka !

Fifteen years after the question – yes, I think an Indian can be a Redneck!

(Disclaimer: the usage of the color “red” in no way is meant to be pejorative as in Washington Redskins)