In Drew Hayden Taylor's essays, he creates and manipulates different tones that each appeal to a different reader, allowing his writings to be accepted and related to by various people. Using shifting tones in "What's an Indian Worth These Days" and "Why the Indians Blocked the Road," from humorous to informative to sarcasm, Drew Hayden Taylor challenges stereotypes on First Nations peoples. Taylor uses the humorous tone to show how ridiculous the stereotypes are about First Nations people. Taylor uses First Nations humor to do this, "What's an Indian Worth These Days" and "Why Did the Indians Block the Road" both use jokes that undermine dominant culture. Taylor writes in “Why the Indians Blocked the Road”: “You have to admit it was an interesting fighting technique, waging war on laziness with laziness. The 401 became more barren than Maple Leaf Gardens during the Stanley Cup Final. Taylor uses the metaphor effectively when he compares Canada's busiest highway to the home of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have not reached the Stanley Cup Final since 1967 (NHL List). By using the adverb "more", Taylor also subtly shows the reader his perspective on how the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) treats and manages situations involving First Nations people. The previous line is the frame for the joke, but Taylor's repetition of "slow" emphasizes to the reader that the OPP have a recurring method of handling situations, jumping to conclusions before properly assessing different situations and most likely basing his reactions on stereotypes. Drew Hayden Taylor uses the humorous tone to make this point to the reader, however, the information is presented in a way that shows...... middle of paper ...... a variety of readers, Drew Hayden Taylor uses a variety of tones. His views on First Nations stereotypes are expressed in his essays "What's an Indian Worth These Days" and "Why the Indian Blocked the Road", and in his use of humor, which shows how ridiculous stereotypes are, and informative, which refutes stereotypes. through evidence and a sarcastic tone, which broadens the reader's understanding of a topic, he is able to challenge and contradict stereotypes about First Nations people. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. November 5, 2013. Web. December 9, 2013.CTV.ca News Staff “Tom Thomson painting sells for nearly $2 million” CTV News.ca, Bell Media. May 26, 2008. the web. December 9, 2013 “The Wine Society”. The Wine Society. Co-operative Wine Society Limited, 2013. Web. December 9.