why do you think all of the Indians begin laughing when Ted leaves chapter 23?

Ted gives a speech about how he bought a beautiful beaded powwow dance outfit from a swindler years ago, but felt guilty about purchasing in such a shady manner. Therefore, he spent thousands of dollars to find out who the gown belonged to, and his search led him to a Spokane woman named Grandmother Spirit. After struggling with the decision of whether or not to return the gown, he eventually decided to bring it back to its rightful owner. However, Billionaire Ted is shocked to discover that at the very moment he has decided to return the gown, Grandmother Spirit has passed away. During Billionaire Ted's condescending, pompous, and cliched speech, Junior makes sarcastic comments in his mind.

As a show of good faith, Billionaire Ted asks Junior’s mother to accept the gown in her mother’s place. However, Junior’s mother announces that even though her mother attended hundreds of powwows, she was never a powwow dancer and that the bead pattern on the gown is from a different tribe. Billionaire Ted takes his gown and walks away, embarrassed. Junior is happy when the whole crowd laughs at Billionaire Ted’s expense. For a moment, it lessens the blow of losing his beloved grandmother.