BOOKS
COVER
Metis
Artist An Old Soul
BIOGRAPHY
Gino
Odjick Looks To Golf As A New Career
BOOKS
Native
Teen Coming-of-Age Tale
Historical
Pictorial Shows Effects of Commerce on Nation
BUSINESS
Business
and First Nations Team up for Green Energy
Nisga'a
Nation Manages Salmon With Tradition and Technology
Joint
Ventures Key to Haisla Plan for the Future
Westbank
Building Self-Government and Strong Relations
CRIME
Cree Family Accuses Judge of Racism
EDUCATION
UWO
Native Studies Centre hosts Ward Churchill
HUMOUR
Bee
in the Bonnet: Aren't You Special
POLITICS
Robert
Nault Will Not Seek Re-Election
The Lesser Blessed
By Richard Van Camp
Reviewed by Chiara
Snow
Originally published in March 1996, the re-release of The Lesser Blessed,
written by Richard Van Camp, has become somewhat of a cult classic. This
coming-of-age novel that tackles serious issues with a darkly humorous
approach provides readers young and old a fast journey into a native man's
life.
The brisk writing style - chapters are so short there's often two on the
same page - compliments the plot: edgy, raw, jumpy and quick. The story
focuses on Larry, a Dogrib Native teenager growing up in the small northern
town of Fort Simmer. The hallucinating Iron Maiden fan tries to cope with
his painful history that includes an abusive father, blackouts from sniffing
gasoline, and an accident that killed several cousins.
"One time before the accident, I was hanging out with my cousins there. We used to play in the sand way down the beach. We'd take some toys down and build houses. We'd also sniff gas. I wasn't too crazy about it at first, but after seeing my dad do the bad thing to my aunt, it took the shakes away. I could feel the heat on my back from the sun. Every now and then we'd stop to eat or take a leak. Me and my cousin Franky were good pals, even though he was demented. He was the guy who told that if you touch gasoline to a cat's asshole, the cat'd jump ten feet in to the air."
"Skinny as spaghetti" 16-year-old Larry is brave and vulnerable at once. Through his new friendship with Johnny Beck, a Métis Native that just moved from another Nation, Larry develops self-awareness and a stability that helps him face his dark memories - and create a brighter future.
The
first time novelist Richard Van Camp, was born in Fort Smith, Northwest
Territories, and is a member of the Dogrib Nation. He acted as a cultural
consultant for CBC Television's North of 60. A graduate of the En'owkin
School of Writing in Penticton, he completed his Bachelor of Fine Arts
in Writing at the University of Victoria and completed his Master's of
Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia, where he now teaches
Creative Writing for Aboriginal Students.