I have read many books about the Indian
residential schools, but this one is undoubtedly one of the best. Its main
character is a spirited young girl named Yaot’l Snow Goose who lives a happy
life in the forests and lakes of the Canadian North West until, on a visit with
her family to Yellowknife to trade furs, she is seized by force and taken far away
to Fort Providence to the Sacred Heart Residential School. At the same time,
her boyfriend Sascho Lynx is also captured. The novel depicts their journey
from innocence to despair to hope and happiness as they manage to escape from
the horrors of the school and find their way back to their families and
freedom.
Though the plot may sound familiar to
readers, this one contains a number of surprises. Its authors, Juliet Waldron
and John Wisdomkeeper, present their extensive research within vivid scenes
that will linger forever in readers’ minds. For example, I cannot think of any
other book that shows the cruelty of these schools better than the writers’ depiction
of the hair-cutting that takes place as soon as the Indian children enter the
institution. Yaot’l waits, watching the
youngsters’ hair being ruthlessly chopped off and knowing that when her turn
comes, she must stand up to the enemy. When she bites one of the nuns, she is
put into solitary confinement for weeks, a punishment that Waldron and
Wisdomkeeper describe in harrowing detail. As Yaot’l looks out of the tiny
window of her prison she sees a flock of snow geese flying south. “My own
feathered family,” she thinks, “strong and free.” And then she collapses, thinking
that she may never again be part of this happy band.
Her ensuing life at the school contains
other horrors as well. But along with their description of the usual physical
and sexual abuses, the writers offer some surprises. Many of the Indians from
warring bands learn to forget their battles as they confront the priests and
nuns. Not everyone associated with the institution is a monster—in fact it’s a
Métis trader who uses his affiliation with the school to help Yaot’l and Sascho
escape—and some of the worst bullying that Yaot’l endures comes not from the
nuns but from a small coterie of Indian girls who seek praise for their cruelty
from the Catholic hierarchy.
The most memorable scenes in the novel are
perhaps those describing the escape of Yaot’l, Sascho, and two younger children
and the suspenseful events of their long trek back to their families. As she
huddles under tarpaulin in the escape boat, Yaot’l, whose name translates to
Warrior, acknowledges her terror and wonders if she is no longer a warrior but
merely a rabbit. Gradually, however, she regains her courage. The trader who
helps the children escape returns to Yaot’l the precious knife on which her
brother Charlie has carved a snow goose. At about the same time, she sees a
flock of snow geese returning to their northern habitat and she knows for
certain then that she will succeed in her struggles. The trader tells her and
her friends, “You four are Indians again.”
It’s a lovely book from start to finish. I
learned so much about the culture of these North-Western First Nation bands:
their religion, their stories, their connection with the land. Most of all, I
travelled with Yaot’l and Sascho on their metaphysical journey through the
conflicts of life. It’s the very archetype of the journey that many of us must take
in order to survive in a difficult world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Many thanks to Ann Birch for her wonderful review of Fly Away Snow Goose!
~~Juliet Waldron
http://www.julietwaldron.com
1 comment:
You will travel to Seventh-Heaven
if you believe, dear...
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