3 minute read
Five Little Indians by Michelle Good
The recent discovery of remains at the sites of several Residential Schools shocked Canadians as they finally began to realize the horror of what had happened there. In Five Little Indians, Michelle Good humanizes this story, showing us the lives of children caught up in this atrocity, preventing them from remaining mere statistics in our minds.
This novel does not make for easy reading, neither in the scenes set in the school itself nor its aftermath as the former students struggle to put their lives back together. We as readers can turn away, an option not open to those living with the trauma of the abuse they endured at these institutions. Persisting through the discomfort reveals a story of strong, loving, complex humans surviving unimaginable suffering.
Writing alternately from the point of view of each of the survivors, Good shows the damage wrought by the Residential School system not only on the children who attended them but on their communities left childless. Intergenerational trauma radiates in both directions - parents wrestling with anger and guilt as they try unsuccessfully to save their children.
There is also hope in the book, as some of the children not only survive but emerge strong and resilient. Beyond the evils of the school there were agents of healing: an elder whose cabin in southern Saskatchewan becomes a refuge, a dog who provides unconditional love. One girl is encouraged to resist the efforts of the surrounding society to eradicate Indigenous people: “… you’re an indigenous flower. Don’t ever think of yourself as a weed.”
This book holds truths which despite the Truth and Reconciliation process many Canadians have yet to fully see. Hopefully many will read it as it has been selected for this year’s Canada Reads. The WBFC would go further and advocate for this book to be part of the high school curriculum.
We We Should Read: Five Little Indians by Michelle Good
Submitted by David & Ranji, on behalf of the WBFC
The Warmland Book & Film Collective – begun in 2018 as a response to the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada – explores, celebrates, and learns from Indigenous authors and filmmakers. We are welcoming new members – if you enjoy friendly, spirited, and interesting conversation, email us at WarmlandBFC@ gmail.com for the zoom link. We next meet online April 13th to discuss Heart Berries: A Memoir by Terese Marie Mailhot.
Tony Turner Cowichan Folk Guild April Coffee House
Tony Turner’s life-affirming, articulate folk-pop melodies are beautifully delivered with his rich baritone voice. Along with musical portraits of love, nature and regular working folk, Turner’s songs are as diverse as this country. From Circle of Song, his much-loved anthem of unity recently published in Rise Again, to his award-winning sing-along Harperman, Turner channels the mood of the times and the ties that bind. Saturday, April 9 7:30 PM Duncan United Church Hall 246 Ingram Street, Duncan $5 / $10 www.cowichanfolkguild.ca
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