Book review 25% nov 8-2 - Summary Indian Horse PDF

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Exploring a Practice or Social Justice Issue: Though a Book Review Professor: Natalie Dickinson SOWK 2001 November 8, 2019

The novel I have chosen to review is Indian Horse written by Richard Wagamese. To summarize this novel it is about Saul Indian Horse. Saul is apart of the Fish Clan of the northern Ojibway they call themselves

the Anishinabeg. This novel is about Saul’s story with being Anishinabeg and residental schools with respect to the trauma, racism, rape and other challenges he has faced. Saul had an incredible gift playing hockey and in the novel it was a great outlet for him at the beginning. However there was a turn when a Priest he trusted was one of the reasons for more struggles with his identity and life. One key part of the novel was at the beginning Saul mentioned how social workers at the hospital sent him to The New Dawn Centre (Wagamese, p 2). This centre is a treatment facility. A quote from the novel that was very impactful to this course is Saul talking about how the people who work at The New Dawn Centre say “if we want to live at peace with ourselves, we need to tell our stories.” This quote is impactful because it begins Saul to tell his story and while writing this novel he is able to become more at peace with himself. The centreal subject matter of themes are intergenerantal trauma, racism and rape. The key part about intergenerational trauma is as soon as Saul is taken to St. Jerome’s Indian Residential School, a part of himself is taken away. Saul was taken away from his family, his culture and he stated “everything I knew vanished behind me with an audible swish” (Wagamese, P43). To me this quote meant his past disappeared from him and he lost all connections and ties to his family. The next key subject matter is about racism “we ran into the black heart of northern Ontario in the 1960s and we were hated.” (Wagamese, P132) this quote is describing how Saul felt while him and his teammates were traveling for hockey. One incident in the novel was Saul and his teammates stopped to eat in a diner and there were men who started to interrogate the boys and decided to fight the boys in the parking lot one by one because “We don’t eat with Indians”(Wagamese, P 133) They let Saul go unharmed because “you play a hell of a game, little star he said. That and the fact that you’re a kid gives you a pass. But remember your place. Next time, somewheres else, you might not get so lucky” (Wagamese, P 135)

The last key subject matter is about rape “You’re free now, Saul” (Wagamese, P117). This quote is when Father Leboutilier showed up at a game in Pic River in late November and told Saul he was proud of him and he was free. The term “free” was seen as a sad reality at this point in the novel because as we knew Father Leboutilier at this point was a positive role model in his life but from this point on Saul never sees Father Leboutilier again. Later on in the novel when Saul goes back to visit St. Jerome’s Indian Residential School we learn about Father Leboutilier being Sauls rapist. In chapter forty-nine Saul opens up about the rape incidents with Father Leboutilier at St. Jerome’s Indian Residential School. Saul recalls being told “you are glory” (Wagamese, P199) Saul talks about how this is the way Father Leboutilier uses these words instead of love. Saul recalls Father Leboutilier giving him the job of cleaning the ice to buy his silence. Saul used the game to hide from the truths about the rape he endured. In the context of this course, the reason this novel is important and relevant to social work and for social workers is because of intergenerational effects of residential schools from the 1900’s-1990s in Canada. As social workers we will be working with indgnious clients and having a deeeper understanding of all the truama, racism and rape some of our clients familes or clients themsevles have dealt with and expereinces is important.

A structural social worker would be involved by becoming an ally to the Indgnious community. Focusing on becoming a better ally is important to maintaining and creating a partnership with our Indgnious communities. A structural social worker would also take into account the Calls to Action - Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. “The 94 Calls to Action is an action plan to which we as social workers have been called to be accountable for our actions with Aboriginal peoples and communities. These calls to action are to bring together the various levels of government to attempt to repair the harm done by residential schools.” (http://acsw.in1touch.org/uploaded/web/ACSW%20Elections

%202018/SUM_Responses_Question1_20180207.pdf )

To reflect on the subject matter of trauma, racism and rape I belive Richard Wagmese was successful in exploring the novles themses. Richard touched upon his personal experiences with all three subject matters. Wagmese commented on

Critically reflect on the subject matter and the author’s success or failure (or both) in exploring the book’s theme(s). Reference to other academic literature in this section will help and support your own thinking (5 marks)

To summarize my “findings”

Yes I would recommend this novel to other potential readers. The knowledge I have gained from reading this novel was extensive. I was able to try and understand the trauma that went alongside the Residential Schools in Canada. I have listened and read many stories about Residential Schools, however this story was very moving. I felt as though I was an outsider looking in on Saul’s life and struggles. When Father Leboutilier got introduced in the novel I felt myself question his intentions and sense of morality being a Priest in these Residential Schools that are trying to “kill and assimilate the indian in the child” (). I felt myself questioning Father Leboutilier because of all the knowledge I had about Residential Schools. It was uncomfortable to realize by the end of the novel I was correct about my assumptions of Father Leboutilier not having the right intentions. While reading Indian Horse in some parts it made me feel uncomfortable, but as soon to be Social Workers it is

important for us to become comfortable with the uncomfortable. I believe this novel was well written and was easy enough to follow along. My ideas about positive outlets have changed. Saul had a positive outlet of hockey however Father Lehoutitlier made his positive out let negative and as social workers we need to keep in mind where our clients are going and who is present at these outlets. To conclude, I believe the novel is very well written. It is not too difficult to follow and does not use too complex vocabulary to understand for the everyday reader. I believe it is accessible to myself as a reader. I felt my own ideas of Residential Schools were further developed because the novel went on a pathway surrounding telling a story but also on the road to recovery for Saul. Many indgnious people

and the extent to which you felt your own ideas were challenged, further developed or changed (4 marks)

5. Clarity of expression, clear format, grammar & spelling, APA style & citations (3 marks)

After reading the book, write a book review of 6-7 pages (~1500 – 1750 words, double-spaced, 12- font, 1-inch margins), excluding the title page and reference list, with APA citation. The book review must: Total 25 marks. Your paper is due at 11:55pm ET on Friday, November 8, 2019 and it is to be submitted via assignment dropbox via CuLearn. Please see below for additional information regarding submitting an assignment on CuLearn. More detailed information about the assignment will be provided in Classes 6 & 7. Book on audible too A quote from the novel that was very impactful to this course is ___

In the context of this course, the reason this novel is important and relevant to social work and for social workers is because of ____ . How a structural social worker be involved is by ____. Reference to academic literature will help support your thinking in this section (5 marks) 3. Critically reflect on the subject matter and the author’s success or failure (or both) in exploring the book’s theme(s). Reference to other academic literature in this section will help and support your own thinking (5 marks) 4. Summarize your “findings” and make a recommendation for or against the book to other potential readers. Include in this concluding section how well written the book is, its accessibility to you as a reader and the extent to which you felt your own ideas were challenged, further developed or changed (4 marks) 5. Clarity of expression, clear format, grammar & spelling, APA style & citations (3 marks)

As Narrator Saul says in the novel Indian Horse, “Father Gaston Leboutillier came to St. Jerome’s the same year I did. He was a young priest with a sense of humor that angered his fellow priests and nuns, and kindness and sense of adventure that drew the boys to him. He led hikes in the spring and summer. He took us camping for days at a time and when winter came he brought us hockey. He convinced Father Quinney to let him build a rink, outfit the older boys and start a team. Things changed at St. Jerome’s after that, for one season of the year at least” (Wagamese p 56). Historical Context of Indian Horse Indian Horse alludes to many important events in Indigenous Canadian history. The most important, however, is Canada’s Indigenous school system policy. For more than a century, Canadian law required Indigenous Canadian children to attend church-run residential schools designed to assimilate the children into the predominant white, Christian culture of Canada. Indigenous Canadian children were—in some cases literally—grabbed from their parents’ arms and forced to attend school hundreds of miles away, all under the guise of “civilizing” and “assimilating” the young Indigenous population. Indigenous schools were notoriously brutal, and it has been repeatedly alleged that they were hotbeds of pedophilia and sexual abuse. The last Canadian Indigenous schools were shut down surprisingly recently—as late as 1998—and less than a decade later the Prime Minister of Canada issued a formal apology to all Indigenous Canadians, saying that, with its school policies, Canada had failed the Indigenous population in a profound way. It is estimated that as many as 200,000 Indigenous Canadian children attended these schools. https://nationalpost.com/afterword/book-review-indian-horse-by-richard-wagamese https://www.litcharts.com/lit/indian-horse/themes Chapter 2 “but we must learn to ride each one of those horses of change. It is what the future asks of us and our

survival depends on it. That's the spirit teaching of the horse” (p.7 ) -

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Chapter 3-

He lost his connection with his culture when his grandmother died when he was 8 years old -

Ch 4-

1. ‘A great change will come. It will come with the speed of lightning and it will scorch all our lives. This is what Horse said to me under the great bowl of sky. “The People will see many things they have never seen before, and I am but one of them.” (Chapter 2, p. 6) This is the teaching that Saul’s great-grandfather, Shabogeesick, receives from the horse that he brings to their people. It foreshadows Saul and his entire generation’s separation from the old ways.

Sister disappeared when she was 6

Parents got into alcohol -

Brother got TB “coughing sickness”

Ch https://www.litcharts.com/lit/indian-horse/chapter-1 ch 6 Saul and his family arrive at Gods Lake in the late summer. Gods Lake is a beautiful, round lake, with fresh air and tall trees in all directions. They pitch tents and fish from the waters. Everything seems to be perfect. Even Benjamin seems to be getting better. -

ch 9-

Ch 10 -

http://www.supersummary.com/indian-horse/summary/

Brother died

Parents left and didn’t come back -

Grandma froze to death and died saving him

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P 43

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Went to residential school

Ch 11th

“row on row of unmarked graves” He loves hockey

Ch 28th Virgil was a helper for him -

At home school helped him work, they had their own experiences with that place .

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Virgil

Ch 29th -

Your free saul , father lehoutitlier...