Main Conflict in the Book "River Wind"

The novel "River Wind" centers on Joseph Thunder Horse, a Cheyenne boy on the Cheyenne River Reservation in 1950s South Dakota. The core conflict is the tension between his traditional Cheyenne culture and the dominant white society. He loves his heritage but faces discrimination at a government school. The struggle intensifies when a proposed dam threatens to flood the reservation, forcing Joseph to join the resistance. The story explores cultural identity, assimilation pressure, and the fight for Native American rights.