When authors refer to other great works, people, and events, it’s usually not accidental. Put on your super-sleuth hat and figure out why.
Whoa, where are all the shout-outs in this story? There just aren't any, dear reader. But that doesn't mean we can't still talk about them, by golly. By not situating the story in any real recognizable historical context (for instance, there isn't a radio in the background talking about Prohibition or World War I), this story could really take place at any time in the early twentieth century, and anywhere for that matter (or at least, anywhere where there are Indians). It gives the story a universal quality.