Historical Fiction and Contemporary Realisim

 

Willing McManis, C., & Sorell, T. Indian No More. (2019). Tu Books. Tr. 18.95. ISBN: 978-1620148396.

Regina Petit is an Indian no more, at least according to the US government. This historical fiction novel, told in a memoir style, centers around a family who relocates to Los Angeles after the 1957 Indian Relocation Act. In it Regina recounts her time before relocation while living at the Grand Ronde reservation in Oregon, her family’s decision to move, and the eventual death of her beloved grandmother. The book was loosely based off the experience of the primary author, Charlene Willing McManis, who was part of the Umpqua tribe at the Grand Ronde reservation and relocated to Los Angeles. This is discussed in the authors note in the back matter and lends credence to both the historical and cultural accuracy of the book. However additional research is also mentioned by the coauthor and editor, who finished editing the story after the author’s death.

Overall, the narrative structure works well, as everything is framed as being before or after relocation, building anticipation until it finally arrives. It also ties into one of the central themes: “stories have power.” This phrase is repeated throughout, and is invoked again at the end when Regina tries to tell a story to her dying grandmother. Framing the entire novel as if Regina is telling the audience a story brings the reader directly into this theme. There is also meaningful nuance in the depiction of the darker aspects of the time period. Racism in particular stands out, including overt racism (Regina being called the “n” slur) as well as microaggressions (being asked how to shoot a bow or build a tipi). Equal attention is given to hardships experienced by other races and ethnicities, as well as themes of abuse and poverty. Ultimately, this story does have power and deserves place in any historical fiction collection.

 

 

  

Bruchac, Joseph. Rez Dogs. (2021). Dial Books. Tr. $17.99 ISBN: 978-0593326213

 

It’s lock down during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Malian is stuck on the reservation with her grandparents. Not that she minds, but she does miss her parents. It’s given her time to listen to her grandparent’s stories, watch TV, and even make a new friend: a dog that lives on the reservation who she names Malsum (meaning wolf). However, in response to the George Floyd protests, her language arts teacher is having her class tell their own stories from their own histories and cultures. The problem is, she has no idea what she wants to talk about and what her classmates can handle.

This novel in verse is remarkable in its simplicity. With an easy to follow plot and conversational tone, each short verse line naturally accentuate the text. The mundanity of the circumstances accurately capture the pandemic lock down. However, by weaving traditional stories, stories from Malian’s family’s life, stories of the dark parts of Native American history, and day to day life Bruchac manages to keep things engaging. Despite this, there are some parts of the story that fall flat, in particular the climax. Malian decides to speak about Native American boarding schools, tell a traditional story, and ends with a call to action for people to take care of one another and “bend our knees / and touch the earth”. Behind her on camera are her grandparents and the dog bending down on one knee. This felt very, for lack of a better word, kitsch and dangerously close to the “native environmentalist” trope. Some leeway must be given since the author himself is Abenaki, but the non-native reader may walk away with those stereotypes reinforced. Ultimately, this is a fine book and a good supplement to a fiction collection that needs more native voices stories.