Why does Junior feel responsible in some way for Mary’s death? Chapters 26 – 27 (pages 197 – 213)

Junior felt responsible because had he stayed home instead of leaving for Reardan, his sister wouldn't have married and left the reservation.

"It's all your fault," he said.

"What's my fault?" I asked.

"Your sister is dead because you left us. You killed her."

That made me stop laughing. I suddenly felt like I might never laugh again.

Rowdy was right.

I had killed my sister.

Well, I didn't kill her.

But she only got married so quickly and left the rez because I had left the rez first. She was only living in Montana in a cheap trailer house because I had gone to school in Reardan. She had burned to death because I had decided that I wanted to spend my life with white people.

It was all my fault.