Exiled to the Red River: Chief Spokane Garry

Trailblazer Books (Chronological) #12

by Dave Jackson, Neta Jackson

A Trailblazer book. When his Indian tribe wants to learn more about God, Garry is chosen to travel the long distance to attend Christian school. What the young man is about to learn will allow him to lead hundreds to Christianity, making Garry the greatest revolutionary for his tribe.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens, Christian Fiction, Christian Historical Fiction, Christian, Fiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2003

About the author

Dave and Neta Jackson are a full-time husband/wife writing team who have authored and co-authored many books on marriage and family, the church, relationships, and other subjects. Their books for children include the TRAILBLAZER series and Hero Tales, volumes I,II, III, and IV. The Jacksons make their home in Evanston, Illinois.

Reviews

[Robert A. Foster · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a kids book, ok. Other wise if your digging for facts, no.

[Grace Lynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great historical details. Very much an enjoyable read for me in middle school.

[SouthWestZippy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sorry I started it and sorry I finished it.

[Kale Mosley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly, on its accuracy: this isn’t a biography of Chief Garry. The book tells of a true life adventure— Garry’s adventure to Winnipeg and back— and his establishment of a church for his people. It leaves out the portion of Garry’s later life not associated with that story— which is appropriate, since the story of Garry’s later years is, perhaps, a little dark for a children’s book. It isn’t an attempt at whitewashing history. It’s editing a kids’ book to tell just the heroic story at hand. Adults are free to go read about Garry’s later life at their discretion.

That said, don’t let the negative reviews fool you. It is surprisingly accurate in telling what it tells. The spiritual aspect of the story- the tale of Circling Raven- may rub some modern secularists the wrong way, but besides being an integral part of Garry’s story, it turns out to be mostly accurate. Some people only want the parts of history remembered that happen to fit their own world view.

Most surprising of all for me was the author’s closing note, giving children a wonderfully balanced viewpoint on the sins of white Europeans against other races, and how modern whites, especially Christians, should view their role today in ending racism and cultural abuse. It is done in a balanced way that is not heard at all from either side of the political spectrum in 2020.

I found this book in a Little Free Library and snagged it for my kids, since we live near the book’s setting. I read it first, just to know what I was giving them, and I’m very glad I did. An excellent read for junior high kids, and I STRONGLY RECOMMEND adults take the two or three required hours to read it, too.

Two sidenotes for people in the Northwest:
1) Chief Garry died in 1892 in the city of Spokane, and he was buried in an unmarked grave in Spokane’s Riverside Memorial Park. The gravesite is now lost to history, but there is a simple and beautiful memorial there to commemorate his life. Worth a visit.
2) Some of the Spokane nation settled, at direction of the US government, on the Coure d’Alene Reservation, in Idaho. Thus, the Coure d’Alene nation’s world class golf course being named Circling Raven Golf Club.