No Hope for Improvement?

I find it interesting how Junior was treated by his fellow Spokanes after he left the reservation to go to Reardan. I understand that it's a different, more closely-knit culture, but I was not expecting them to be so hating and spiteful of Junior's decision. Had I been one of the Spokanes, I think I would've been more inspired by Junior's courage to step out of his comfort zone and attempt to make something more of his life. He doesn't want to limit his potential with the poverty, the poor facilities and education, and the alcoholism of the reservation. He wants to do something more with his life, and I find it kind of depressing that he seems to be the only one other than his dead older sister. That being said, I don't know that Mary's decision was as intelligent as Junior's, but at least she met an effort. Junior said he had been to 42 funerals by the age of what, 14? If there's all this death and self-destruction, why aren't other Spokanes making the same efforts to improve their own lives and the lives of their families? And shouldn't they be proud of Junior for being willing to do that when the odds are stacked immensely for him to fail? I don't understand why the mindset of the remaining Spokanes is the way it is.