2 comments about Mohawk Saint: Catherine Tekakwitha and the Jesuits.

1. This gem of a book approaches all of its subjects with deep humanity and keen intelligence. Some of Greer's conclusions will inevitably be controversial, given the subject matter. But having read dozens of academic history books on natives and Europeans, I know of only a few that unfold with such wisdom and scholarly maturity. Last point -- my college students love this book as well.



2. This is not a biography of the humble young Mohawk woman whose courage, holiness, faith, and purity earned her (as thousands who know and love her truly believe) that place in Heaven. This book, in the author's own paraphrased words, is meant to "bring Tekakwitha down from heaven." (And it is part of a gloomy trend to do just that - to as much as one can to bring one's subject down.) And, thankfully, despite over two hundred pages of trying, he has not succeeded in dragging her down.
   
   There are people who were primarily historic figures and those whose lives are mainly of religious significance. Blessed Kateri (or Catherine, as the author prefers to call her) Tekakwitha was very clearly the latter. But this book approaches her from the former point of view, making her a postmortem pawn in the Jesuit's missionary work among the natives in Canada. The mystical and the supernatural (from a religious view) are ignored. The author seems even unwillingly to use the title of "Blessed" in reference to her.
   
   At one point, the author even seems - in a very subtle way - to imply the Kateri and her closest friend (Marie-Therese Tegaiaguenta)were lovers. If, as he writes, there is "no reason to think they were lovers," why mention it at all? What does it serve?
   
   The author dwells on each and any discrepancy in the original accounts by the two missionaries who knew Kateri during the last years of her life. (Even the Bible - in all its various popular translations - has its discrepancies.) Any story of any person, any account of any event is bound to have differences when told by two different witnesses. That alone is not enough reason to discount the differences.
   
   His grim portrait of Kateri in no way accounts for the great numbers of people (not only Native Americans, but from around the world) who have a profound love for this holy young woman.
   I can speak from my own experiences and observations that she has had a great impact even on people who knew little or nothing of her.
   
   Historians may find this book of interest, but for those who have a devotion to this wonderful saint-to-be, there is little to recommend it.
   
   On a personal level, I have been studying the life of Blessed Kateri for a number of years. My personal collection includes nearly a hundred works of literature on her. These range from reprints of the original biographies by Fathers Chauchetiere and Cholonec to fluffy, sentimentalized (to the point of being quite ridiculous) books for young readers.
   
   I am also the creator of the web site mentioned on page 241 of this new book. I work for and look forward to the day when she is finally declared a saint.
   
   I pre-ordered this book many months ago and read it with an open mind as I am always eager for new details on her life. For me, it was a dull read (the narrative flow seems uneven) with left me unimpressed (not with Catherine Tekakwitha) and with a very unpleasant taste.
   
   Historians, cultural anthropologists, and the politically correct may find something of interest in this dry and dreary book, but for those who have a devotion to this wonderful saint-to-be, there is little to recommend it.
   
   (I gave it one star because there is no lesser option and, well, my site was mentioned in the Notes to Chapter 9. I suppose I owe it something.)

5 comments about People of the Deer (Death of a People).

1. Before reading this book, I would never have believed it would receive all 5 stars. However, it is truly beautifully written about the death of a people. The author - who lived with the tribe for 2 years to attempt to understand the people from their point of view - did an expert job of recanting what happened, how it happened. He makes a very determined attempt to see things differently than his point of view. My opinion is that he succeeds in doing so.
   
   Though a sociologist, the book is luridly written. It is easy for one to visualize what the writer is experiencing. In modern times, you'd expect such good writing from travel journalist/book writers. Here it is holey unexpected and appreciated.
   
   A wonderful book about the encroachment of modernization and it's mal-effects on an unsuspecting people.
   
   Finally, I always attempt to address the low star ratings in my own reviews. I'm not quite sure why someone would completely hate this book. The middle ratings appear to question the validity of the author's experience. While I am no expert on this topic, I would say that it might not matter if it's true. The message, particularly given it was written in 1947, is well conveyed. If you are an academic and hard-core sociologist, you might have an issue if there is some controversy surrounding the author's sincerity in methodology.



2. If you've read any of Farley Mowat's books, this one will excite you as much as any of the others. If you've wondered how Mowat became attached to the Northlands and it's people, People of the Deer will show you how it all began. This book also introduces us to a people that have all but lost their land and their way of life.



3. "People of the Deer" is apparently Farley Mowat's first book and one of his best. He lived for a year amongst the Ihalmiut, an Inuit people Mowat refers to as "People of the Deer" although they regarded themselves, as have many aborigonal people, as simple "The People."
   
   They are people of the deer--caribou--because, unlike other Inuit groups they are not sea hunters but, instead predators of the migratory caribou herds. The herds have declined in numbers but not as much as the Ihalmiut. From a population high of around 7,000 they had, by Mowat's time, declined to only 40. Why? The impact of European Civilization is too simple of a generalization but, in the Ihalmiut, a people almost extinct, we see the fate of millions.
   
   Native Americans have little or no immunity to Old World diseases. You probably don't have to go much deeper than this. Sure there was alcohol and cultural deterioration but, first and foremost, there is disease. It wasn't deliberate but it came when the first white man and/or African stepped shore in the Americas. Probably the Inhalmiut were slightly luckier than many. Many tribes died out without a trace. Estimates [read '1491'] that as many as 90% of native americans died as the result of unintentionally introduced European diseases.
   
   Ron Braithwaite author of novels--"Skull Rack" and "Hummingbird God"--on the Spanish Conquest of Mexico



4. Farley Mowat is a Canadian National treasure.
   
   This novel is set in the northern territories of Canada. It move within the people of the inuit. These inland eskimos are an indigeounous people whose population has been diminishing. The influence on the environment as well as the impact on the caribou herds has been putting these people at risk to where they now near extinction and a loss of their way of life.
   
   Beautifully written, the tundra and the barrens comes to life.
   
   A wonderful read!



5. The concept is correct anyway. These people were led to their demise by three factors: the church, commercialization (HBC), and the Canadian government. Mowat claims he spent two years living among these people. This is doubted by some. I've traveled in some of the areas that this book takes place. Not everyone has great things to say about this author. One person I talked to called him a historical novelist. He has other nicknames.
   
   But while it is questionable that all the events described in this book and its' successor (The Desperate People) actually took place, at least he got the main theme correct.

5 comments about Canoeing with the Cree.

1. Great story written by Eric Sevareid, tells of a inspiring canoe trip with his high school classmate, Walter Port. This fast paced story provides a glimpse of a world most of us will never see. Sevareid's prose borders on poetry at times and he provides trip details even when he and Port took the wrong turn. This story would be appropriate for children, but entertaining to adults as well. Highly recommended.



2. Excellent shape, received in a timely manner. Enjoyed the story, although not sure where "the Cree" fits in. Good account from two young men on an adventure. A quick read.



3. Anyone who enjoys adventure fiction will love this true-life adventure story. Eric Sevareid and Walter Port decided that they'd spend the summer after high school graduation canoeing up the Red River from central Minnesota all the way to Hudson Bay with nothing but an 18-foot canoe, a few bad maps, a few dollars, and their own smarts. On their way they experience everything from remote First Nations communities to utterly desolate wilderness to a formal dinner at the posh Winnipeg Canoe Club. They risk their lives again and again, shooting rapids and (in one case) almost dying when they take the wrong advice and end up trapped in a brackish lake in bad weather. But in every instance Sevareid's writing makes their travels come alive.
   
   I loved this book, and I highly recommend it.
   
   Incidentally, I found this book at the St. Vital library in Winnipeg, which was built on the grounds of the old Canoe Club clubhouse. I found that utterly cool. Less cool was the fact that the book hadn't been taken out in fourteen years!



4. ... that inspire those of even a mature age.
   
   Eric Sevareid was one of the preeminent TV newscasters, and this is the story of how he started. He was 17 years old, just graduated from high school, and with his friend, Walter C. Port, 19, set off on a 2,250 mile trip (almost the width of the United States) from Minneapolis to York Factory, on Hudson Bay. It was a race with the weather, and the on-coming winter, one they almost lost. The year was 1930, long before GPS, aerial rescue, or even good maps. In the later portion of the journey, down the aptly named "God's River," there was a point of no return, and you either made it, or didn't. Fortunately Sevareid did, filing stories with the Minneapolis paper, thereby funding his trip for a mere $100, and commencing his journalistic career. He wrote of his trip in book format in 1935.
   
   There are some other excellent reviews of the book, describing their adventures and hardships, noting that they were less than "politically correct," by today's standards, or even the latter wise standards of Sevareid of CBS News, in describing the Indians along the way. Indeed, as one reviewer indicated, the title itself is inappropriate, since they neither canoed with them, nor emulated their style. The book is written in the straightforward adventure style of a 17 year old, with only a minimum of introspection.
   
   To the other reviews I'd like to add a comment on the divergence in the men's lives thereafter. Sevareid went on to the pinnacles of acclaim in the world of journalism. Port decided his one great adventure in life was sufficient, and went back to Bemidji, Minnesota where he ran a drug store for the rest of his life, and where I was able to buy this book.
   
   The dream of long-distance canoeing was dangled, and I was unable to grab "the brass ring." I contented myself on a long journey in the Quattico, and hopefully in the near future, a gentler one in the Yukon. As one reviewer said, this is an inspiring book for Nintendo-bound kids, and I would add that if adults reduced the clutter in their lives, they too might be able to fulfill the dream of two Minnesota youths.
   
   Highly recommended to read, and to do, while the time is available.



5. My, how the world changes in 80 years! This is not a book with the profundity that Sevareid was later noted for. It is a straight off account of two boys setting out on an adventure more dangerous than they realized which could easily have cost them their lives. Fool-hardy, yes. But, how remarkable that they succeeded.
   
   The book gives insight to how primitive Northern Canada and the world was almost within my own lifetime. Places like Norway House and York Factory still exist, but are now virtually abandoned. At the time of the story they were major outposts of civilization in what was then a primeval land. Sevareid's and Post's joy at encountering a Cree family in a canoe and learning that they were within a few hours of a Cree village where there was safety and succor almost brought me to tears.
   
   This is a book that more people should read. Now, not many people even know who Arnold Eric Sevareid was, even less, Walter Post. But, this book launched Sevareid's career as a reporter and writer. Later books, "Not So Wild a Dream" especially, reveal much more about his inner thoughts and empathy for humanity, but there are hints of this in "Canoeing with the Cree".
   
   It is especially remarkable, almost incredible, that he and Post did this great adventure for $100! I have one nagging question: what has become of the original 9 dispatches that he sent to the Minneapolis Star. My internet search has, so far, only turned up one of them. I'm sure the book is better written; after all it is five years after the events. But, I would love to read the original dispatches upon which it is based.
   
   Bottom line: it's an inexpensive book and quick read about a simply amazing quest by one of the 20th Century's greatest journalists.

No comments about Blackfoot Ways of Knowing: The Worldview of the Siksikaitsitapi.

4 comments about Halfbreed.

1. The way Maria Campbell literally bears her entire being onto paper is absolutely amazing. As Canadian citizens, it is important to still recognize the issues that plague our society. Campbell's book does just that, offering insight and a hope for something better.



2. The novel, "Half-breed" is based on the biography of Maria Campbell, a Metis woman who was born in northern Saskatchewan. Maria Campbell's family was a mixture of Scottish, French, Cree, English, and Irish. They spoke a language completely different from the people around them. The half-breeds lost their land when the authorities reclaimed it to offer to immigrants. Thus half-breeds settled down along the road lines and crown lands where they built cabins and bars, giving them the title of "Road Allowance people". Maria was born in a home where Cheecum, her father's Cree grandmother, taught ancient Cree rituals and legends. Maria's struggle for existence was strengthened by the Cree traditions and by Cheecum's wisdom. However, this was weakened by extreme discrimination and poverty.When she was fifteen, she tried to escape from poverty and discrimination by marrying a white person. However, soon after she broke up with him and found herself alone in the slums of Vancouver where she faced drug addiction, prostitution and depression. After many years of hardship and struggle, Maria made new friends who helped her to remember Cheechum's lessons, advice and her heritage. Eventually she returned to her own people and decided to work with native organisations all across Canada. The text is mainly concerned with the frequent discrimination, its negative impact and the extreme poverty in which the Metis- Indians had to live under. The narrator of the book, Maria Campbell, conveys her sorrows and frustrations by emphasising what it is like to be a Half-breed woman and grows up between two opposing worlds: white and native. The text clearly demonstrates the existing problems regarding race within the pluralistic Canadian society. The narrator develops the argument by describing her experiences. Through her experiences, she explains how badly whites treated her and her people. She grew up as a social outcast and was constantly teased and mistreated by other school children. Throughout the novel, Maria Campbell provides many examples to show the white society's mistrust and rejection of her people. The examples show the Indians' isolation on every level of society, including the church. Not only were she and her family excluded and driven out of church, but they also had to suffer verbal insult. Whenever the Half-breeds went downtown, the town's people would yell "Half-breeds are in town, hide your valuables." If they walked into stores, other white women and their children would leave while the shopkeepers'wives and children would watch to prevent the Half-breeds from stealing. The text discusses three important sociological concepts: discrimination, poverty and injustice. Defining these concepts in "cause-effect" context, one can see the interconnection among the three. Unjust government policies causes poverty, which in effect contributes to society's enhanced discrimination and mistrust of the Indians. While the Half-breeds represent a subculture, characterised by certain cultural traits that differs from others in the society, whites represent the dominant class who hold the power and influence. The Half-breeds were homeless because the Canadian government had unfairly taken their land away from them, so they have remained poor and unable to establish their own social institutions such as church and school. Consequently, the Half-breeds were subordinated and forced to speak the dominant language, behave the way whites do, and go to schools and churches that were built by the white society. Thus, the cultural diversity, different physical appearance, economical scarcity and a disordered life style, greatly influenced the discrimination against the Half-breeds. In the first fourteen chapters, the narrator relates the life style of half-breed families, their relationship with the white society, their traits, traditions, and their history. Through her experiences, she explains how badly whites treated her and her people. She grew up as a social ou, the Half-breeds remained relatively poorer and powerless. As the narrator states, due to poverty and lack of housing the Half-breeds had to move to "road-allowance-houses" (which are like shacks). The pages of these chapters also uncover the main cultural differences between whites and half-breeds by describing their family structure, distinct traditions and conception. These differences can be the structural elements that contribute to the uniqueness of Indian's situation. Firstly, unlike whites', half-breeds have extended family type in which two or more generations of the family members live together. Secondly, the half-breed families and other Indians live in a community where they practise their spiritual rituals, traditions and transmit their distinct cultural elements to the coming generation. It is also evident in the novel that Maria's family included her extended family and the Cheemchum taught Maria and her siblings their heritage, legends as well as cultural values and norms. Finally, the most important characteristic that sets the Indians apart from whites lies in their spiritual conception of the world. While the Indians are highly spiritual and believe in the interpretation of the natural and the supernatural, the whites strongly believe in subduing and dominating nature in order to create nature in men's image. With respect to such differences, in regards to family and community structure Indians try to sustain their distinct conception of the world as well as their distinct culture. Hence, their struggles to protect and sustain their uniqueness make them more distinct and marginal in the society. Maintaining these distinct elements also causes the Indians to remain economically weak in the contemporary industrialised Canadian society, since their belief is based on rationality rather than spirituality and the supernatural. The rest of the chapters are about Maria Campbell's life in Vancouver. The book mostly focuses on the realities of urban racism, prostitution, drug addiction and violence. Maria's husband left her without any money, which forced her to face prostitution. Within functional perspective, which is based on consensus and harmony for the benefit of society, prostitution seemed to be the only way for Maria to survive. Therefore she had to get involved in prostitution in order to survive and have enough money to raise her daughter; thus she carried out her function in society. In this process she also became addicted to drug and alcohol, because all the terrible circumstances that she faced were against her moral understanding and distinct (Half-breeds') conception of the world. So she lost her self-esteem and found herself in depression with the trap of drug addiction and alcoholism. At the end, she recovered from her addictions through the help of her own people. They helped her to regain her identity and dignity hence she started to work within "Native people" organisations throughout Canada.Campbell's experiences with discrimination, poverty, and other unfavourable things are realistic and persuasive. The examples that she gives in the novel strongly support her argument: the hardship of being "a half-breed woman in the white dominated Canadian society". Yet, at times her narrative tends to be biased since she conveys her story in a subjective manner. Especially, her easy and quick involvement in prostitution and drug addiction is questionable and difficult to understand since she was raised in a conservative and traditional Cree family. Nevertheless, The book "Half-breed" basically reflects an outstanding aspect of native people's difficulty in assimilating into the pluralistic Canadian society. It also provides a brief knowledge about how native people's distinct culture and subordinated economical or political weakness contribute their marginal and isolated position in the society. Overall, I personally think this book is useful for understanding the sociological concepts such as inequality, discrimination and poverty through the eyes of the distinct people who are discriminated against. The text offers an aspect of native people's lives in northern Saskatchewan through a half-breeds woman's experiences. The simple language and fascinating narrative makes the book more interesting and easy to read.



3. though her stories are not exclusive to the life of a Metis woman, the imagery is haunting. poverty, addiction, motherhood and the will of a society forced to make it on their own are all exposed. these themes are explored by other authors but not from this perspective. I would recommend this to every mother and/or women thinking of starting a family. this is a must read. for a guys perspective on similar themes check out alexie sherman's "the lone ranger and tanto fist fight in heaven". you won't be disappointed.



4. Maria Campbell tells a story of courageous survival from the perspective of a Metis woman. The reader becomes a part of Maria's journey through life, which begins amongst the Road Allowance People of Northern Saskatchewan. Her story describes a life dominated by basic survival. Hunting, trapping, poaching - if need be - and roasted gophers for a young school child's lunch. Her odyssey leads her through many dark places, one of them the Vancouver skids and a life as a junkie. Yet througout Maria Campbell manages to convey a sense of beauty, and her story, though often tragic, will become vivid in front of the reader's inner eyes. Half-Breed is a story of triumph over racial oppression. After reading this book, one can feel this woman's willingness to continue the fight that her great-grandmother's people began long ago in Riel country.

5 comments about The Last Gentleman Adventurer: Coming of Age in the Arctic.

1. Have you ever wanted to be an adventurer? But, did not cherish
   'getting your feet wet' on a milder note, or be subjected to something
   a bit more dangerous to ponder?
   
   The last gentleman adventurer Edward Beauclerk Maurice has, in my
   opinion, given the reader of this extraordinary book the unique
   experience {in the comfortable armchair} of living the exhilarating
   beauty of the Arctic Realm. His captivating memoir puts us there!
   
   Why did he write only one book?
   
   Dag Stomberg
   St. Andrews, Scotland



2. This is a wonderful memoir, beautifully and thoughtfully written, which is highly unusual for books about the far north. (Another exception that proves the rule would be The Barren Lands, about another part of northern Canada. You would think that it is written decades ago (except for the elegant writing), but it was published only in the last several years. One gets a real sense of the author's experiences, the people he lived with, what they ate, what they did, how they lived and worked. A real treat.



3. Excellent biographical history snapshot of Edward Maurice's life with the eastern Canada Inuit people -- a view of life at two Hudson's Bay Company posts by a sensitive and tallented (learned to speak their language fluently) young Englishman who was not afraid to live on the edge of the Arctic.
   
   One of the best literary investments I've made in the past quarter century!



4. I had never really read anything like this book before, but for some reason the story's unique setting, the Arctic, drew me in. The main character is so endearing, hard-working, honest, and lovable that you cheer for him throughout all his challenges and problems. He is a good example of how we could all learn from other cultures with respect and compassion. I was sad when I had finished because I wanted to know more about the rest of his life. Well worth your time and effort!!!!!



5. Of the many, many books I've read involving Arctic expeditions and experiences, this one is one of the best, among the ranks of Gontran De Poncins' 'Kabloona' and Vladimir Albanov's 'In The Land of the White Death.' I found it to have a lot in common with 'Kabloona': while the locations are rather far, the experiences are similar. 'The Last Gentleman Adventurer' also provides a lot of information about the Hudson's Bay Company, which is a fascinating chapter in northern Canadian history.
   
   At the time of the documented experiences, this young man was essentially alone (in the beginning among 2 others) in one of the most remote outposts on earth. His interest and respect for Inuit life develops and broadens throughout the book, and in his adventures he meets many different characters. What is delightful about this character is that he sees the Inuit with respect to his own morals, ethics and upbringing, but without judging them. He spends a number of years in Pangnirtung and moves down to Frobisher Bay. Curiously, his last year (alluded to in the novel to be spent at Southampton Island) was not documented in the book, and I am unsure of why.
   
   I found his relationships with the Inuit people in this book to be very inspiring; his encounters with the often harsh world around him allowed him to grow and adapt. While frustration was often present with one situation or another, he left his post at Ward Inlet with an incredible love and respect for his Inuit friends; while warned in the beginning not to become too wrapped up with "those people," it is the curiosity and willingness to learn that makes this novel, 'Kabloona' and also the adventures of Stefansson incredibly interesting. While whaling and exploration often exploited the talents of the Arctic people, there are few memoirs of people who sought to learn and survive with their knowledge.

5 comments about The Truth About Stories: A Native Narrative (Indigenous Americas).

1. Discovering truth and meaning in our stories, uncovering the power dynamics behind whose stories are heard and whose voices get to tell the stories, this is a beautiful exploration of how we store knowledge in story and how that knowledge is passed on.



2. The simple truth about stories is that they impart who we are. Whether telling tales or reading/listening to what others have to say. King suggests that not only do stories explain us to ourselves and others, there are often deeper implications - sometimes dangerous ones. In this series of essays derived from the CBC's Massey Lecture series, this talented novelist and social commentator brings a fresh view to telling stories - a Native American outlook. This compelling overview is long overdue, and King manages to cover a great deal of territory in six essays. The questions he raises are a combination of long-standing viewpoints along with modern shifts of emphasis.
   
   King starts by contrasting two mythologies - one probably wholly unknown to you and one familiar. The first is the story of the Woman Who Fell From the Sky. Tumbling from the depths of space, "Charm" [for such is her name] arrives on a world completely covered in water. After several attempts, Charm convinces Otter to bring mud from the sea bottom so that there may be land for creatures to walk on. Not all wanted to be on the new land, so the animals divided the world into water creatures and land creatures with the birds able to cope with both. Thus the world was founded on a spirit of cooperation.
   
   The other myth is called "Genesis", the Judeo-Christian version of similar events, but with a very different frame of reference. The humans are restricted by One Rule - break it and you will die. The Rule is broken, of course, and King is at pains to avoid pointing the finger of guilt. The point of this comparison is that the Judeo-Christian myth contains the absolute condition of the One Rule, and the vengeful deity that imposed it. Charm would never have laid down such a stricture and King suggests that the Genesis story need not have done so either. Native American spirits have little need for such single-mindedness, as he explains in the following lectures. Why does Judeo-Christianity need it?
   
   King intertwines a number of personal accounts with his Aboriginal stories, and these are hardly intrusive in the narrative. He follows his mother's attempts to gain employment equity in an industry she's well-qualified to excel in. Looking for some adventure, he travels to New Zealand taking up various roles - one of which lasts but a day. Throughout his journeys, his origins become a question of increasing importance. In the European ["white"] world, the image of "the Indian" is in a constant state of flux. Ignorant on the one hand, but devious and cunning on the other. The Indian as Entertainer takes up much of one essay, and you are made aware that you likely hold that view without being aware of it. When the white world finally realised that neither extermination nor assimilation was going to define the fate of Aboriginal people, forms of "protection" were introduced in both the US and Canada. The "protection" must rest on defining just what an Indian is, and the long-term impact of the legislation is closely examined by King in the lecture "What is it about us that you don't like?" and that title proves symptomatic. The Indians don't know and the whites haven't even asked the question. It must be asked and clearly answered.
   
   King concludes the series with an essay on "Private stories". While those might seem out of place here, the author shows how small, personal tales have long-reaching implications. A "private story" almost certainly carries elements that have meaning to each of us. He concludes each story by asking whether you think your life might have followed a different path if you'd only heard this story earlier. "You've heard it now" he says, throwing down the gauntlet to challenge the reader to consider what changes in your life to make now. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]



3. The Truth about Stories, a Native Narrative,
   
   By Thomas King. U of Minn. Press
   
   The Truth about Stories by Thomas King is the prestigious Massey Lectures on culture produced on Canada Broadcasting Corporation Radio. King is the writer of many of my favorite works including the very funny Medicine River that was made into a TV movie with Graham Greene.
   
   This book is another honor added to this Cherokee writer's portfolio. I found the book beautifully written and enjoyable as a interweaving of stories both from traditional sources and his personal life.
   
   King has a deft way of making fun of himself that resembles the lead character in Medicine River. At the same time he is as obvious in his manipulation of the reader as that character was in creating the situation that trapped the Graham Greene character into coming home.
   
   The book is laid out in five sections that begins with the story of "The Girl who fell to earth." King then proceeds through the comparison between native literature that stresses the interconnectedness of life and the authoritarian structure as experienced in the "Alpha Male" version of the Biblical Creation. What he doesn't mention is that this also has its parallel in native life in the Alpha character of Wolf society. But that is quibbling.
   
   King takes the listener reader through his life as a non-reservation Indian and as an activist author. He records funny encounters with reporters and journalists who struggle to understand how he could be "Indian." Or even what being Indian entails.
   
   He speaks to the problem of suicide amongst a people who are not afraid of death but can't find a reason for living and ends the book with the problem of his failure with a friend and the issue of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.
   
   If there is a problem in the lectures I would say that it doesn't really draw upon our strengths but more on the observations of Indians by outsiders eyes. Indian people had a full rich societal life with all that entailed prior to the plagues that destroyed us. I would like our story tellers to show us how these metaphorical myths opened up the depths of our spirits. How we had a science, art, economics, public health, laws and spirituality. How the stories walk lightly through these structures instead of with the steel tipped boots of the tyrant. Now that is a book about stories that I would enjoy even more than I enjoyed this one. And I enjoyed this one a great deal.
   
   
   Ray Evans Harrell (this is a review that i wrote for the nuyagi keetoowah newsletter for november 2005. )



4. This book is fantastic! The first chapter alone is a must read for everyone you know, and could change your life. About how the kinds of stories we tell can be paradigm-shifting. Deals with the romanticized notion of native americans (see also Edward Said's book ORIENTALISM), how an invented idea of "indian" has been used and abused by the u.s. in hypocritical ways, and how the stories we hear and tell about ourselves shape our identity. Lots of very sad facts about native american history in its relationship with the US government. The book is set up in a kind of spiral with a recurring story told in different ways at the beginning of each chapter. This book is really for everyone - not just those with an interest in native americans. The stories we are telling in America today are globally destructive and negative - let's start fresh with some positive stories to turn this country around - we are all on this planet together.



5. ...make it this one. I have thousands of books, I'm a chronic reader....this book is Special. Written with warm heart and acute intelligence, wit and reserve, pathos and philosophy, the book is an absolute jewel. With a spoon full of sugar, the pages turn easily; and without ever once taking the podium, Thomas King makes each one of his readers a smarter, richer person. A Mozart with words.... may he live long and write continuously!

5 comments about Indian School Days.

1. The book was in great condition and the shipping was fast!
   Thanks a lot!



2. From this book to Crazy Dave...we learn that a hard life breeds knowledge..and what you do with it depends on the individual. Mr Johnson was our teacher at Earl Haig and we were on the edge of our seats every day. He honored us with his presence at our reunions in 2002 and 2007...a really special man. Thank you Mr Johnson...



3. During the past few years, many books have been written by former boarders of Canadian Residential Schools for natives. Most, if not all, were a means for their author to live through the anger that churned inside because of ill treatment and sexual abuse by the staff. Much to my delight, though, the author of INDIAN SCHOOL DAYS does not write of such events. He describes his educational experience under the tutorship of Jesuit priests and brothers whose purpose was to teach their native boarders the white man's ways and thus make good Christians of them. Throughout the book, the author describes the daily schedule of the school, the teachers' attitudes, the children's reactions, etc. all eye-opening for readers, who were expecting a "tell all tale," a scandal. All considering, the author did benefit from the discipline of the school to the extent that he freely decided to return the Residential School in Spanish, Ontario as a highs chool student after having etched out a living as a trapper for a short while. By that time, the highs chool had been approved by the Canadian government, and many native boys matriculated on a voluntary basis, contrary to their forced entry into the Residential School as small children, who had been "kidnapped" from their parents by order of Canadian Law.
   Times have changed since the 1940's and 50's and "conversion" of the natives is no longer part of 20th and 21st century standards. Natives are now rediscovering their culture and, as the author has done, are healing their wounds and that of their parents' generation.



4. As a daughter of one who attended this very school prior to the author, it brings to light how schooling still affects how my father deals with situations (he is now in his 80s).
   
   As an educator, this chapter of Indian Schools is not taught as part of history class -- not for the children or at the university for upcoming teachers. It should be mandatory reading for anyone searching for historical educational processes/pedagogy.
   
   J.Montour, educator



5. When most kids skip school they don't get shipped off to a Residential School where they are treated less than human and have to learn quickly to get a long. From the opening sentence you are hooked as the boys armed with slingshots decide not to waste the day in school but go hunting instead. Trouble brews and soon the Indian agent shows up to take little Basil away to Spanish - a small town on the North Shore north of Manitoulin Island. The only problem is the Indian agent - (heartless white men who loved to play God) wanted a "pay" load and up and took the five year old sister of Basil too. Nobody got to say yes or no it was a done deal.To say this book is all serious - well it isn't. Humour comes through again and again these are surviors here people - not victims. Basil was gratefull for the education he got and where it lead him but the out come always depends on the person. What would challenge one person who drive someone else to the edge and over it. The boys rise to the challenge of chicken farming at the school - collecting eggs they'll never get to eat. A page turner for sure, take a closer look at Canada's dirty little secert that is just now being dealt with in court. A follow up list is in the back of the book to tell you what happened to these boys. Excellent read not to be missed

5 comments about Kabloona: Among the Inuit (Graywolf Rediscovery Series).

1. 
   After I finished this fantastic audio book, I looked it up on Amazon to buy a used hard copy. I was little chagrined to discover the original printing date. Wow, this contemporary, quirky book -- that I just fell in love with -- was written 70 years ago. What a fun twist in time travel! Of course, three things aided the modern day allusion; first, it was read to me (on my ipod) by a modern audio book legend, Grover Gardner; Second, the setting is timeless, the remote wild's of the Canadian Arctic, and finally; I assumed the charming French-to-English translation was to blame for forcing just a hint of formality. Regardless, this classic adventure will stick to your ribs long after you have finished it. It is incredibly well written. It reads very fast for a book from the 40's. The story begins with Panches leaving Paris to live and study among the most remote tribal people on earth, the Canadian Arctic Inuits. For 15 months he moved among three remote Arctic tribes, living as they do, from day to day, absorbing their primitive, almost prehistoric, way of life. Their nomadic life was driven by hunger and thrashed about by the harsh laws of nature's violent forces. In this barren sub zero land, the Inuit face the daily threat of starvation and exposure with great indifference. Past physically freezing to death, Panches biggest mental challenge turned out to be isolation. In addition, he had to reinvent his composure, severely modifying his natural inclinations with every Inuit interaction (several, life threatening). Panches describes his cunning effort in breaking through the cultural barrier; interpreting, in his words, "a truly primitive mind." The book barks of some prejudice, but this was a man's fair conclusion after keenly studying the unique Inuit mind and method (...in 1940). Light a fire, and read this adventure book during a cold snap. How cold? Cold enough to yank a 30 lb. fish out of the water and have it flash freeze before it skids across the ice. That's cold baby!



2. What can I add to the other reviews? This book is special, unique, it should never, never be out of print. I keep lending out copies (I have all of the different editions) and most of them don't come back, they get loaned on to others or the recipient is so charmed they have to keep it.



3. I read Kabloona about 12 years ago, and it remains one of the very best books I've ever read. An amazing story that gives tremendous insight into the remarkable Inuit culture. It's fabulous. I'm on the site now because I'm purchasing a newer copy to read it again!



4. I read this book and thought, yes this Frenchman makes many derogatory and embarassingly insensitive remarks about the Inuit. However, contrary to what one reviewer said below in "Good descriptions, bad insights, July 27, 2005", the author slowly develops a great respect for the intelligence, culture and abilities of these people so much so that he begins to emulate them. It is a subtle conversion story wrapped in a fabulous adventure; thoroughly enjoyable and well worth reading.



5. The audio CD is outstanding...indeed the best I have ever listened to. For one thing, the narrator is marvelous in recreating both the 1930's world of France and Frozen Canada. I can't think of any other book or audio that so successfully transported me into an alien culture. Considering that there are quite a few films and books about Eskimos, why buy this one written 70 years ago? Answer: the literary quality of this work surpasses the prose of the last quarter century. When you listen to the narrator weave his tale, it mirrors the experience of hearing a tobacco chewing explorer slowly recounting his adventures in the wild. The story dives deep into the interior life of the author as much as it details an ethnographic examination of (primitive) Inuit life. The myths and values of the Eskimos contrast sharply with the borgeouis morals of a gentleman of Paris. For example, in Eskimo culture, there is little concept of private property...that's why an Eskimo man will let you borrow his wife or a snow knife. Language in the arctic is far more concrete. A polar bear is HE WHO HAS NO SHADOW. Far away, in the cold Arctic, author Grontran De Poncins learns what it means to be human, a man preeminently. This is a romance, a classic reminiscent of Robinson Crusoe. If you buy the audio CD, you will not be disappointed.

2 comments about Klee Wyck.

1. If you are interested in the environment which generated the powerful West Coast Native art, the artist, Emily Carr, conjures it up in this original book. Her travels to their coastal villages are translated into these atmospheric essays.



2. this book by Emily Carr gives a very wonderful and descriptive account of the Pacific Northwest along British Columbia's shores. Emily Carr was a very unique woman who defied her times in her interactions with Native Peoples and her adventurous independance. This book details her explorations among the Queen Charlotte Islands. It is so descriptive it makes one feel that they are actually on the west coast.