Sundogs: A Novel

by Lee Maracle

With Elijah Harper’s symbolic blockage of the Meech Lake Accord and the high intensity of the Mohawk Warrior Society’s defiant stand, 1990 marked a significant change for both First Nations and all the other people living in Canada. Sundogs is a novel about the struggle of a young First Nations family for love and solidarity in the context of that turbulent year. From urban Vancouver, to a small town in the Okanagan Valley, and across the country on a desperate bid for peace between the Canadian government and the Mohawk Nation, Marianne, Sundog’s heroine, finds a moment of peace from the confusion and dis-unity in her own life. In returning to the beliefs of her ancestry, she comes to chart the course of her life anew.

Through Sundogs, Lee Maracle takes the reader on a cultural and spiritual journey into the heart of First Nations country. The agony, the joy and humour of First Nation’s people makes the novel a lively and inspirational piece of work. Sundogs presents the reader an intimate look at the lives of one family during the momentous events surrounding the downfall of Meech Lake and the Oka crisis from a very personal perspective.

Genres: Indigenous

215 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1992

About the author

Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, she grew up in the neighbouring city of North Vancouver and attended Simon Fraser University. She was one of the first Aboriginal people to be published in the early 1970s.

Maracle is one of the most prolific aboriginal authors in Canada and a recognized authority on issues pertaining to aboriginal people and aboriginal literature. She is an award-winning poet, novelist, performance storyteller, scriptwriter, actor and keeper/mythmaker among the Stó:lō people.

Maracle was one of the founders of the En’owkin International School of Writing in Penticton, British Columbia and the cultural director of the Centre for Indigenous Theatre in Toronto, Ontario.

Maracle has given hundreds of speeches on political, historical, and feminist sociological topics related to native people, and conducted dozens of workshops on personal and cultural reclamation. She has served as a consultant on First Nations’ self-government and has an extensive history
in community development. She has been described as “a walking history book” and an international expert on Canadian First Nations culture and history.

Maracle has taught at the University of Toronto, University of Waterloo, Southern Oregon University and has served as professor of Canadian culture at Western Washington University. She currently lives in Toronto, teaching at the University of Toronto First Nations House. She most recently was the writer-in-residence at the University of Guelph.

Reviews

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this after reading a reference to it in Elements of Indigenous Style (and because it fit one of my book bingo squares!). Maracle intended the chapterless story to reflect the oratory style in traditional storytelling. I read the book in just a few days (it is just 218 pages), but the going was tough because it wasn't broken up for my convenience of rest breaks. I'm not sure if there were spots where it could break, even if the author wanted a pause because there were no pauses in the narrator's segment of life shown to us.

Aside from this unusual style of story presentation, I think you will deeply appreciate this book if you enjoy well-formed descriptions that explore more than mere aesthetics. Maracle's book is thoroughly beautiful.

[Jennifer Faulkner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm giving this fours stars as there were parts of this book that I loved and I think it provides a great insight into Indigenous perspectives on Canada, our history, our world. This is something that few non-indigenous people in Canada, or around the world, fully understand. But, when we think of protecting the Earth, or providing a prosperous future for all, it is so important to bridge this misunderstanding gap. I also loved the humour and the portrayal of the family and could relate easily to Marianne, who is the youngest in her family. The perspectives provided in the book often come across as harsh and unforgiving but also help to clarify the real issues and appreciate that is the author's unfiltered view. I found the main character's internal dialogue, particularly at the end of the book, goes on too long and is confusing. Overall though, I enjoyed the story. I definitely learned more about Indigenous perspectives and would recommend it.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Oka crisis, a crisis which is mostly forgotten, lost, or ignored amongst most Quebecors. One forgets the useless violence and the use of much military in this conflict of interest which involves converting an ancient cemetary, filled with memories) into a golf course.
Lee Maracle has chosen a very direct language for this story, it is frakly her most "readable" story which involves a young woman who runs for the peace during the most traumatic part of the crisis. She sees the light because of the constant support of her mother. A story in which one discovers a thread of hope and yet feels utterly useless and shocked by the violence of the events.
I did not give it a full marks because I thought it lacked a bit of consistancy. It is not because of the unusual writing of Lee Maracle, but mostly because it did not go deep enough for me.
It is however a good way to recount the events as a passerby, a distant witness.
There are several links to the actual story, but it is mostly fictional.
A good read!

[Nadia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't really know how to rate this. This book is a little rough around the edges and is a little unstructured in its second half but it is totally fascinating for its setting and subject matter, I don't know of much literature that centres around what it was like to be an Indigenous person in "Canada" specifically in the wake of the Oka Crisis, other than the great This is an Honour Song anthology which was published much later. The novel still ultimately tells a personal story and integrates what's going on between the main character's personal relationship and their political awakening pretty well. I'm a little surprised that it has never been reprinted, it seems like exactly the kind of thing that would get taught in Uni courses at the very least. Here's hoping that interest will grow enough so that will happen.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the poetic language too heavy and I got tired of feeling like I was just reading a long poem, but I really enjoyed the story itself and the people in it. Perhaps that's why I didn't enjoy the language as much, because it got in the way of the things I liked.

It is about a young woman in British Columbia who is trying to understand herself as First Nations and a woman in a world that doesn't seem to put much value in either complex identity. It is about her experience in the white world, the First Nations world, and her place within her family. It is very thoughtful and I think the characterization is excellent.