Crazy Dave

by Basil Johnston

"Through the story of his Uncle David and grandmother Rosa, native writer and storyteller Basil Johnston offers an unforgettable portrait of reservation life and pays loving tribute to his family, community, and culture." "David, the last of Rosa's five sons, was born with Down syndrome. Unable to care for himself, he and the indomitable Rosa were to be forever bound together, joined by love and necessity in a life already defined by harsh, sometimes tragic circumstances." And yet, David was remarkable. Strong, stubborn, and utterly determined, he aspired to learn, to be a part of a world in which he would never entirely belong. In that regard, he was and remains a poignant and unsettling reflection of his people, who had fled Wisconsin in the 1830s to seek sanctuary with the Ojibway farther north in what became Canada. With great resourcefulness and integrity, they struggled to sustain and preserve families, a language, and a way of life, while accomodating the increasingly intrusive demands of white society.

Genres: Indigenous, Memoir, Nonfiction, Native American

334 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Basil H. Johnston (13 July 1929 to 8 September 2015) was a Canadian writer, storyteller, language teacher and scholar.

For his work in preserving Ojibwa language and culture, he received the Order of Ontario and Honorary Doctorates from the University of Toronto and Laurentian University. Basil also received the Aboriginal Achievement Award for Heritage and Spirituality.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Rena Holmes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had to read for class. Pretty slow and not my favorite kind of book to read but not bad.

[Bernadette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crazy Dave is a memoir of David McLeod, an Anishinaabe living on a reservation in Ontario during the 1920s to 1950s. Written by David's nephew, Basil Johnston, the book's sources are largely accounts from family members including Johnston himself, who lived nearby when he was a child.

Significantly, David had Down Syndrome (then called "Mongolism") which substantially affected his mental and physical development. Throughout his life, he was unable to speak clearly or read. Although he held odd-jobs, he relied on his mother and siblings for support. Johnston views David as an embodiment of the "place and situation of the North American Indian in Canadian society," someone who "didn't know much about anything," who "stayed where he belonged," a person who could be "put up with" as long as he "kept the peace and didn't rock the boat" (pg. 11). However, David and other Cape Croker residents resisted such pigeonholing. Not only did he exhibit eagerness to do everything that other young men do, but his neighbors saught economic opportunities off the reservation, while continuing to speak Native language and practice traditional healing methods. Particularly after World War II, Anishinaabe asserted greater authority in local government, as well.

Johnston's prose is best when describing David's efforts to participate in everyday activities. Here we see the complex dynamics of living with a person who has significant limitations in the early 20th century. Mother Rosa was very protective, perhaps not only because of his Down Syndrome but also because he was her youngest child. Stanley, the sibling who was closest to David in age, was often confined and frustrated -- on his shoulders fell much of the burden of caring for David during his earliest and later years. Nonetheless, brothers Stanley, Walter, and John were loving and inclusive. In fact, they saw his frequent chatter with imaginary people as a special ability to commune with "little people," spirits that others are unable to hear or see. Thus they did not hold him back. David's brothers introduced him to toilet-training, smoking, horseshoes, splitting wood, and even the atrocities happening a continent away during World War II.

I would have rated Crazy Dave as five stars, but I felt it could have benefited from better editing -- particularly to ensure that each page connects to David's life story, underscores the link between disability and Native lives during the Assimilation Era. There are many paragraphs in the book that may be important to the Johnston family story or Cape Croker's history but do not seem to advance a memoir about David himself. For example, given the personal details we are given about Indian Agent Fred Tuffnell and the build-up of tension between him and Chief Tom Jones, readers might expect a dramatic confrontation between them when they plead for David's release from jail. However, this does not happen. Also, we read perhaps too much about Johnston's father Rufus, an older brother of David's who abandoned Johnston's mother and was scarcely home during David's lifetime. The drift in focus makes for an odd ending. Rather than concluding with David's death and some kind of reminder of what his experiences tell us about people with disabilities or about American Indian lives, Crazy Dave finishes with Johnston's move back to the reservation and his disappointment with pollution of the natural landscape and the loss of language skills among its residents.

Still, Crazy Dave is an engrossing and immensely valuable book. Although I am fairly well-read in terms of American Indian biography, I don't recall many (if any) other accounts of a Native person with Down Syndrome. While it is probably too long to assign in full, various chapters could be very helpful for anthologies, or for teaching units about the dual discrimination (and its resistance). Highly recommended.

[Fischwife · Rating 5 out of 5]

Johnston depicts the life of a man with Down's syndrome with compassion, humour, authenticity and love. Many of us will recognize Dave and be reminded of our own brother, sister, aunt, or uncle. Johnston also shows how, with support and tolerance, someone like Dave can contribute to a household or community, but he also shows the challenges and worry that can go with being the parent of a person who is different and who can be a target. In doing so, Johnston also shows us the struggles and issues of reservation life under the old Indian Agent system.

I really liked the way Johnston used Dave's manner of speaking to create a character we could see and hear in our minds' eyes and ears. I also liked how Johnston allowed us to empathize with Dave, especially in his idolization of his brother, "Back-a-haw", who always took pains to include him and help him learn.

We can all learn from Crazy Dave and his family.

[Kimberlee Feick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting look at how a developmentally disabled person was treated by his Indiginous community, in settings I visit yearly. Loved hearing about the Wiarton area as it was back when Dave was alive. Not particularly the most compelling writing style, but the story was equal parts tragic, comic and you could feel the author's love for his subject matter. I felt deeply for Dave's mother.

[Dunrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story about the author's uncle, a story that tells a larger one about a place, a community, a family, a time in our history, about the play of children, the challenges of difference, and the mysteries of a wider world.

[Leonardo]

Novel/Canadian/Non-Fiction/Indigenous/Copyright 1999

[Charla · Rating 4 out of 5]

The non-fiction story of an North American Indian boy growing up on a reservation in Canada. Extremely well-written and a glimpse into the prejudice encountered in every facet of life by this boy, his family, his People. Written by the Crazy Dave's Great Nephew, I highly reccomend this book.