Slash by Jeannette Armstrong

by Jeannette Armstrong

Jeannette C. Armstrong's Slash is an important novel, and not simply because it chronicles--in a roundabout way--the political and social struggles of Native North Americans over the last few decades. Its subject no doubt contributed to some of its initial critical and popular success, especially within the ever increasingly politically correct world of academia. Thomas "Slash" Kelasket, the novel's protagonist and narrator, could care less about that world. It has no real bearing on his experiences and his struggles to make sense of his identity as an Okanagan man, as an "Indian," in politically charged times.

Slash is a flawed man. He talks a good game, but mostly to himself, as he looks back on his life and tells his story from the safety of hindsight. He's made many mistakes before returning full circle to family and traditional ways after years of wayward wandering. But his return avoids the cliché of a happy ending, requiring Slash to reconcile the realities of his experiences, including life on reserves, racism, drug and alcohol abuse, and the seemingly senseless loss of friends and lovers. Slash needs to become comfortable in his own skin, to decide whether he's an Indian or a costume, and pass that lesson on to his son. Armstrong has given life to an enduring character in Slash Kelasket, who is much more than simply a mouthpiece for a particular ideology. --Jonathan Dewar

Genres: Indigenous, Fiction, Canada, Young Adult, Canadian Literature, School, Native American

Paperback

First published October 1, 1985

About the author

Jeannette Armstrong (1948) was born and raised on the Penticton Indian Reserve, one of eight Syilx (Okanagan) reserves located in both Canada and the United States. She is a fluent speaker of the Syilx language, Nsyilxcn, and is a knowledge keeper of plant medicines, Syilx traditions, and cultural protocols. She is a writer, poet, teacher, and artist, and is a strong voice in Indigenous environmental ethics.
Armstrong has been writing since she was fifteen years old and has had many of her short stories and poems published in journals and anthologies. In 1986, Armstrong published her first novel, Slash – a story about a young Okanagan man finding his culture after a life of racism and violence. In 1991, Armstrong published a book of poetry titled Breath Tracks. She published her second novel, Whispering in Shadows, in 2000 – a story about an Okanagan woman navigating her cultural knowledges through colonial surroundings while also engaging in environmental activism across the continent.

Armstrong holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Victoria and a PhD from the University of Greifswald, Germany. She also has been granted honorary doctorates from St. Thomas University in New Brunswick, and the University of British Columbia Okanagan. She has been working as an Assistant Professor of Indigenous Studies with the Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences at UBC Okanagan. In 2013 she was appointed a Canada Research Chair in Okanagan Indigenous Philosophy to research, document, categorize and analyze Okanagan Syilx oral literature in Nsyilxcn.

Reviews

[Cameron Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book needs to be required reading across North America...

[Jon Coutts · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Our war is real but our enemies are like shadows" (p. 149).

This novel should be required reading for Canadians. It is a bit of a slog in the middle part because you're actually caught up with Tommy (a.k.a. Slash) in the banal and disheartening cycle of activism, demoralization, despair, addiction, recovery, and activism again. But there's a purpose to that section, in that it brings recognition. On either side, in the first part and the last, there comes a deeper resonance and reckoning with the "colonial wound" (as Wendell Berry, then Jennings, put it), but also with the beautiful resilience and background of Indigenous peoples.

This part near the end really struck me:

Maeg: "Slash, I think it's important we do get some rights into the constitution. We can't survive assimilation on such a large scale, and in so short of a time, if we are forced to be treated equally with the rest of Canada. Equal rights is no rights, as you well know" (p. 200).

Later: "The constitution amending formula passed Parliament. Indians would be included. They would negotiate for their rights. Maeg was glad. I felt like the world had come to an end... Our children would have nothing, nothing but equality in a slave market to the corporations" (p. 205).

[Dessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a hard one, because I truly did not enjoy it, but simultaneously recognize its importance - at the time it was published, telling a narrative that wasn’t getting much, of any, attention - documenting a transformation from indigenous rage and loss towards a sort of healing strength. All that said, I thought it was a terribly written novel in almost exactly the same way I thought On The Road was a terribly written novel - a list of vague places, protests, girls and other temporary companions, drugs, and half-baked philosophy told in quick succession with little in the way of narrative detail or hook.

[Marlies · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoughtfully written to insight into what it means to be Indigenous in North America. It isn’t always easy to read about discrimination, yet it is necessary to understand what reconciliation is all about.

[Clivemichael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative primer on issues related. Unfortunately the writing style is somewhat flat or wooden with very long chapters. Important story worth knowing.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book hoping to understand the man who gave it to me but I came away understanding a little more about myself.

Jeanette Armstrong is an unsung hero of the movement this book narrates.

[Wren Rusic · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel does the important work of documenting the Indigenous struggle for rights and autonomy across Turtle Island, but particularly within the colony of Canada. The goal to decolonize is no simple task and Armstrong does a good job of outlining the different political ideas, movements and sentiments amongst Indigenous folks in the late 20th century. However, this monumental subject is hindered by its unsatisfactory writing style; meagre attention to details, poor characterization, thin plot, and long paragraphs of prose/pedagogy disguised as dialogue. There was very little plot and when it did come, it would be addressed and dealt with in a few sentences, if not less. At one point, the plot became so repetitive it felt like I was watching a laundry cycle spin in circles. Talking to someone else who read this book, they used the exact same laundry metaphor to describe the narrative. I am staunchly opposed to new major characters being introduced in the last (or last few) chapters of a novel, and Armstrong falls into the same trap. I just wish it took a lot less time for her to get there.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

essential reading. it's really a shame that the women in the book are so one-dimensional and objectified by the protagonist. but i really identify with the critical analysis of the "red power" movement by the protagonist, tommy/slash, and that's where the book really shines. the story follows the timeline of Indigenous rights movements in the 70s and 80s in what is now called Canada and the United States. so despite the misogynist treatment of women in this novel, it is essential reading. readers must listen to Slash's analysis while recognizing their own standpoint. we are not Slash, he is a story-teller and we are listening from our position in the present. we have a responsibility to respond to this information in our own way and with good intentions.

[Big Al · Rating 3 out of 5]

An informative text exploring Indigenous activist movements of the 60s and 70s through one man's journey across Canada and the US. Slash is a seminal text in the way that it provides a lot of context for historical events and calmly presents multiple perspectives on the pressing issues of the day. Unfortunately the characters often feel like wooden mouthpieces for their ideological beliefs and never come to life in a convincing way. Though the characters are not especially memorable or convincing, this is still worth checking out if you're looking for more insight on this turbulent time period.

[Emily Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book lives with me now. Certain moments in my life, I’ll get flashback moments of certain chapters and feelings.

What a gut wrenching book about the struggle with ceremony and addiction, feasting and dollar bills, healing and self sabotage. Highly recommend. This was a beautiful and profound read.

[C.E. Hoffman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A culturally significant work, without doubt. Should definitely be required reading for Canadian youth. The narrative flow leaves something to be desired, and I'll admit I was often bored. I'd far sooner recommend Drew Hayden Taylor, Sherman Alexie, Tommy Orange, Joy Harjo.

[kristi · Rating 2 out of 5]

rating: 2 stars
— read for school

important themes but boring as a narrative

[MilaBS · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Numberbox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting take on Aboriginal rights movement, from the perspective of one man.
Gift from Leslea D (summer 2024)

[Asa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeannette Armstrong does what Canadian lit still flinches at: says colonialism out loud.

Slash is born Indigenous in a country that calls erasure progress. He moves through schools, prisons, and streets built to bleach identity, hitting every wall and still walking. Armstrong doesn’t offer redemption arcs or swelling strings — just the contradictions: rage, addiction, organizing, exhaustion, survival that refuses to look noble.

It’s not elegant. It’s necessary. Trauma rarely comes in complete sentences. Clarity and witness are the form.

If you want subtle irony, go back to your cottage novels about guilty professors and clean lakes. This book knows what was buried beneath them.

Not flawless — just vital.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not entirely boring to read but at point you do get tired of it. The characters are one-dimensional, including the main character Tommy who is constantly drifting from place to place in search for himself as well as an answer to white European colonization. Not much drama ever happens to the characters themselves; most of the time the story is very distant from its characters. I feel like I am reading a historical survey of Indian activism, and the last thing I want out of a novel is to be spoonfed. In this particular case I don't enjoy reading the historical facts, because when I read a novel, I expect to read a story. I feel a bit cheated towards the end.

This novel is deeply conversational, which is probably what redeems it in my mind. The long, uninterrupted dialogues have a strange allure. I think in a way "Slash" is also a collection of voices. Nearly all the characters, no matter how minor, get a chance to speak. Tommy at first listens a lot, and then he begins to speak. His parents get a speech. His uncle. His friend Jimmy. His lover Mardi and later Maeg. This assemblage of self-expressive speeches are both intriguing and informative.

Ah, the novel also provides pinches of social criticism, commenting on church, religion, hospital systems, education...etc. It's not a major part of the book but it's quite refreshing when you see passages that stab and aim right for the heart. Haha.

[Chris Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slash is one of the older books on CBC's list of "12 Books by Indigenous Women You Should Read". It was first published in the 80s and is often read and studied in high school. The main character, Thomas Kelasket receives the nickname, Slash, after inadvertently participating in a knife fight. The novel is the story of Slash’s gradual political and spiritual awakening. It weaves historical information concerning the struggle for Indigenous rights into the fictional narrative of Slash’s life. The novel succeeds in bringing forth important themes concerning Indigenous rights. This is probably the reason it is studied in high schools. The novel is less successful in presenting an engaging story to captivate the reader. Slash hangs out on the periphery of the American Indian Movement (AIM) and political events occurring in Canada. At times, his story seems merely to be a vacant vehicle to recount the struggle of Indigenous peoples in the 70s and 80s. The history was interesting to read, as it provided important background information for how the campaign for Indigenous rights evolved over time. The story was a little weak. However, as this was Armstrong’s first novel, perhaps I am being overly critical.

[Leonie · Rating 1 out of 5]

ugh. no. If I hadn't had to read this one for university I would've put it down after fifty pages and never picked it up again. This is a seemingly, potentially very interesting topic put into a text that bores you out of your mind. It's essentially the repetition of one string of actions over and over again, the language is very flat and the dialogues are inauthentic, more like pagelong monologues strung together. That is not the way young people talk. I didn't connect with the protagonist or his story and ended up skimming three quarters of the novel. I'd actually like to get my money back.

[Sydney · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book to read if you want to further your knowledge about the pan-American Indigenous movements during in the latter 20th century. Also very good for Canadian history for First Nations rights and identity.

Although it is very history rich, I would say it lacks in the way it is creatively composed. The characters didn't really interest me in anyway. Still this book really opened my eyes to a lot of historical events I had no idea happened.

[Agi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful writing. Awful. I can't remember the last time I read something quite as boring as this. It should have been a non-fiction novel, then there would be at least some excuse. (I'm not saying that the issues that are explored in the book are not worth writing about, quite the opposite. But the form was just awful.)

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating story that delves into the politics of being Indigenous in Canada and America. Told through a form that reflects oral culture, this story makes the reader feel the challenges, struggles, and the realness of the issues that Slash, his friends, and family go through.

[Giulia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this a long time ago and remember really liking it. I liked how the story is told in the oral tradition, I found that quite refreshing. I should probably give this a re-read.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars, even though I was pretty disenchanted by the last chapter.

[Łukasz Pacan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely worth checking out. It gets boring towards the end but is very informative and has an interesting structure.

[Lindsey Reed · Rating 2 out of 5]

The epitome of lazy-river storytelling chronicling the Red Power movement.

[Michael Vielhaber · Rating 2 out of 5]

Muss nicht sein