ABSTRACT
Urban replanning in a world of global cities refocuses the interest in local and indigenous identities from being antithetical to social and scientific progress to being part of the cultural capital of global metropolises. As former mayor Wes Uhlman admitted, being able to provide visitors with a tour of the Skid Row area in downtown Seattle that included a view of urban Indian residents of the area was a touristic bonus of indigenous authenticity. The fantasy of playing Indian, which Philip Deloria analyzes so thoroughly in Playing Indian, has defined the very core of identity-forming processes in the new republic. Discussing the politics of global tourism, Kevin Fox Gotham observes that one development in contemporary ethnic heritage tourism consists in attracting immigrants that may be able to help establish trendy new ethnic districts. In Alexie's collection of short stories Ten Little Indians urban Indians appear less violent and filled with rage.
