Our Story: Aboriginal Voices on Canada's Past (31 page)

Again silence and the far-off sound of a police siren. “Don't worry. He won't. He'll keep me alive. And … there are other reasons …”

His continuous vagueness was upsetting her. “What kind of other reasons can justify you walking into a war zone?! There are people who care for you, you know.”

“Yes, I know. I know that very much. But Im just way too tired to get into all this.”

“You've never touched a gun in your life. You haven't even been in a fist fight since high school. There are other people who can do this! People who know how to fight for their causes. Richard … you know you're out of place there.” Her tone softened. She really did care, it seemed, more than an ex-wife should.

Again, male voices in the background. Wind across the receiver. And finally Richard again. “Thank you. But there are things happening here that don't involve you. If you were here, you'd understand.”

“Richard—” she began.

“Goodbye, Lisa.” And with that, he hung up. The finality of the phone click startled her. The Richard she knew was gone. All she was left with was a dial tone, and Peter Mansbridge on the television. Without thought, she returned the phone to its base and leaned back on the couch, trying to make sense of what had just happened. There were motivations in Richard's mind that she couldn't fathom. And she didn't know what to do …

Part of Lisa wanted to jump in her Passat and drive into the next province, and try to shake some sense into him, though her conscious mind told her she'd have a heck of a time making it through the police barricades. Another part of her mind wondered if she really wanted to do that, or was it just an impulsive reaction: a sense that she needed to save him, like a mother protecting a son. He did, after all, jokingly refer to her as “Mom.” Maybe she should just turn off the television and go to bed.
Nothing in the world, or at least her world, could change what had happened, and what was happening. And as her mother used to say, “A good night's sleep can solve a lot of problems.”

Then, just as quickly as Richard's phone call had ended, she saw him once again. He was walking in the distance, toward the general direction of the camera. But somebody was with him, walking beside him. A woman. A Native woman. And he was holding hands with her.

She used the last of the energy in the battery to turn the television off.

This book is the result of the combined efforts, over two years, of an outstanding group of organizations and individuals. The
Our Story
Advisory Committee that included Paul Chartrand, University of Saskatchewan, Charlie Coffey, Royal Bank of Canada, Kim Crockatt, the Nunavut Literary Society, Dwight Dorey, Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, and Kelly Lendsay, Aboriginal Human Resources Development Council of Canada provided invaluable advice and help in selecting the participating authors.

The evolution of this book from a concept to final publication owes much to leadership and financial support of Enbridge Canada and the Canadian Studies Programme of the Department of Canadian Heritage, and the valued counsel of Bruce Westwood of Westwood Creative Artists. These organizations should be commended for their commitment to bringing Aboriginal culture and storytelling to the Canadian public in new and innovative ways.

The actual work of putting together Our
Story
fell to a tight-knit team. Alison Faulknor of the Dominion Institute was the driving force behind this project. From assembling the book's stellar advisory committee to working individually with the authors, Alison artfully guided
Our Story
to fruition. Maya Mavjee and Amy Black of Doubleday Canada enthusiastically embraced this project from the outset. Together, they provided invaluable help to the authors and gave the entire collection coherence and direction.

Finally, the authors. All of us associated with this project owe a great debt of gratitude to each of the writers who contributed to this volume. Told with skill, passion, and understanding, their stories are an important reminder of the power and confidence of contemporary Aboriginal culture and the role First Nations will continue to play in shaping Canada's past and future.

Rudyard Griffiths
The Dominion Institute

T
ANTOO
C
ARDINAL
is a renowned actor whose many film and television credits include
Dances With Wolves, Black Robe, Legends of the Fall
, “Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee,” and “Tecumseh: The Last Warrior.” Among her many distinctions Tantoo Cardinal is the recipient of a National Aboriginal Achievement Award. She was born in Fort McMurray, Alberta, in 1950, and now lives in Calgary.

A
DRIENNE
C
LARKSON
has had a distinguished career in broadcasting, the arts, and the public service. A noted writer, she has contributed many articles to newspapers and magazines in Canada and is the author of three books. She served as Ontario's Agent General in Paris from 1982–1987, promoting the provinces interests in France and Italy. She holds numerous honorary degrees from Canadian and foreign universities, and was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1992. Adrienne Clarkson became Canadas 26th Governor General in 1999, the first immigrant and second woman to hold this office.

R
UDYARD
G
RIFFITHS
is the founder and the executive director of the Dominion Institute—a national charity dedicated to the promotion of history and citizenship. He holds an honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto and a Masters of Philosophy from Emmanuel College, Cambridge. Rudyard Griffiths edited
The Great Questions of Canada
and The
LaFontaine-Baldwin Lectures
, and was a contributor to the Doubleday publications
Story of a Nation
and
Passages to Canada
. He writes regularly on the themes of Canadian history and identity for
The Globe and Mail
, CanWest newspapers, and
Maclean's
. He lives and works in Toronto.

T
OMSON
H
IGHWAY
, born near Maria Lake, Manitoba, in 1951, now divides his time between Banyuls-sur-mer, France, and Ontario. An accomplished musician, he studied to be a concert pianist before coming to prominence as a playwright with the award-winning
The Rez Sisters
(1986) and
Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing
(1989). His novel,
Kiss of the Fur Queen
, was published in 1998. Tomson Highway helped establish Native Earth Performing Arts, Canada's first Aboriginal theatre company.

B
ASIL
J
OHNSTON
is a writer, storyteller, language teacher, and scholar. He was born in 1929 on the Parry Island Indian Reserve in Ontario. As a fluent speaker, scholar, and teacher of the Anishinaubae language he is also a sought after translator. He is the author of twenty books, including
Moose Meat and Wild Rice
(1987) and
Crazy Dave
(1999). Basil Johnston is a member of the Order of Ontario and has received a National Aboriginal Achievement Award and a Honourary Doctorate from the University of Toronto.

T
HOMAS
K
ING'S
writing has been widely published to great acclaim. He is the author of numerous books including
Green Grass, Running Water
(1993),
Truth and Bright Water
(1999), and
The Truth About Stories: A Native Narrative
(2003) based on his Massey Lecture of the same title, which won the Trillium Book Award. He has twice been nominated for the Governor
Generals Award. His popular CBC series,
The Dead Dog Café
, is being adapted as an animated television series. He is currently a Professor of English at the University of Guelph, Ontario.

B
RIAN
M
ARACLE
is the author of
Crazywater, Native Voices on Addiction and Recovery
(1993) and
Back on the Rez
(1996). A former journalist for CBC Radio and The
Globe and Mail
, Brian Maracle now lives on the Six Nations Grand River Territory near Brantford, Ontario, where he teaches the Mohawk language to adults and is active in the Mohawk Longhouse.

L
EE
M
ARACLE
was born in North Vancouver, B.C. She is the author of a number of critically acclaimed literary works including
Bobbi Lee
(1990),
Ravensong
(1995),
I Am Woman
(1996),
Bent Box
(2000),
Daughters Are Forever
(2002), and
Will's Garden
(2002). She is also the co-editor of several anthologies, including
My Home As I Remember
(1997). She is currently the Distinguished Visiting Professor of Canadian Culture at Western Washington University.

J
OVETTE
M
ARCHESSAULT
, novelist, playwright, and sculptor, was born in 1938 in Montreal, Quebec. Her books include
Mother of the Grass
(1988),
White Pebbles in the Dark Forests
(1990), and
The Magnificent Voyage of Emily Carr
(1992). She is the winner of the Prix France-Québec, the Grand Prix Litéraire Journal de Montréal, and the Grand Prix Littéraire de la ville de Sherbrooke, and the Governor General's Award.

R
ACHEL
A. Q
ITSUALIK
writes regular columns on Inuit culture for
Native Journal
and News/North. Her writing has appeared in numerous publications including
Indian Country Today, Nunatsiaq News
,
Rabble.com
,
Up
Here Magazine, Aboriginal Voices
, and the
Ring of Ice
anthology. She is currently working on a personal anthology and a novel. She lives in Nunavut.

D
REW
H
AYDEN
T
AYLOR
is best known for his plays, including
Toronto at Dreamer's Rock/ Education is our Right
, which won the Chalmers
Canadian Play Award in 1992,
The Bootlegger Blues
(1990), which won the Canadian Authors Association Literary Award for Best Drama, and
Only Drunks and Children Tell the Truth
(1996), which won a Dora Mavor Moore Award. He is the author of
Fearless Warriors
(1998). He is also a regular contributor to numerous newspapers and magazines, a screenwriter, and documentary director.