The government protects the rights of inventors by issuing

The government protects the rights of inventors by issuing PATENTS.

Patents are exclusive rights which are issued by the government of the inventor's government. These rights are for a limited time period, during which the inventor gives a detailed public disclosure of his/her invention.

ma”am had a granddaughter who lived a couple blocks away from her school who later on then met friends

the symbol of the grandfather's heritage in this excerpt from "the medicine bag,” is the beaded bolo tie.

a bolo tie is a cord fastened around the neck with an ornamental clasp which is worn as a necktie. they have been used by native american tribes such as hopi, navajo, zuni, and puebloans since the mid-20th century.

therefore, the fact that the grandfather is wearing a bolo tie refers to his heritage as native american.