this is not a review: indian horse by richard wagamese



Now I understand why.

















Ditto mould, insufficient housing, suicide.





And Hunter Street Books.

Support indies!

15 thoughts on “this is not a review: indian horse by richard wagamese

    1. Thank you, Lynda. I think you were one of the first people I ‘heard’ mention it some many moons ago. A gorgeous book.

  1. “Voices from the North seldom gather sufficient force to rise above the colonial din of southern, settler life” (Peter C. Van Wyck in The Highway of the Atom.)
    But sometimes they do gather extraordinary force and move people even in the south.

    1. Am so hoping the momentum Indian Horse has gained these past months won’t be lost. Will do my part to keep it ‘out there’…

    1. Have you read the book, Kelsey? If so, your take would be interesting to me also. My vote for antagonist would be those who have not seen it necessary to value Saul’s cultural background. What makes them tragic is how much they miss by their lack.

  2. Thanks for sharing this. I too enjoyed the writing and message. They say it will take seven generations to undo the damage of seven generations of residential schools. As part of the second generation I feel that we can speed it up. It was done through “education” and can be undone through education. Also by recognizing the residual effects of RS and educating all Canadian children about the true history of Canada and the negative repercussions that continue to this day. I did not learn about Residential school sydrome until university and it was so late to learn why Aboriginal people are so burdened and struggling.

    1. I agree with you; this is the history that needs to be taught in schools. So much needs repairing. Seven generations to undo seven generations. That’s a powerful sentiment. Thank you so very much for your thoughts…

  3. I am here because we are going to talk about Indian Horse at my book club next week. I am commenting because I found one of your observations interesting and eye-opening: “We don’t talk about the aboriginal population at all. Because, well, they live “up there somewhere” and very little that happens to them is reported in mainstream media, and even when it is, it’s a news blip not a serious problem.” On the prairies and the west coast this is not so much the case. First Nations/Metis people are much more visible in towns and cities, and their issues often make the front page. But that doesn’t change our response to this book other than, perhaps, that we might apply its messages to encounters and situations we run into with FN. But it never occurred to me that our experience in the west was not the same as that of people in central and in southwestern Ontario, and further east.Thanks!

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