The Prairie Chicken Dance Tour

by Dawn Dumont

'The Prairie Chicken Dance Tour' is loosely based - like, hospital-gown loose - on the true story of a group of Indigenous dancers who left Saskatchewan and toured through Europe in the 1970s. Dawn Dumont brings her signature razor-sharp wit and impeccable comedic timing to this hilarious, warm, and wildly entertaining novel.Dumont lives in Saskatoon, SK. From the author of 'Glass Beads'.

Genres: Indigenous, Fiction, Canada, Book Club, Historical Fiction, Roman, Humor

300 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2021

About the author

A comedy writer with an interest in the supernatural.

Reviews

[Stitching Ghost · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun little read with a quirky yet charming cast of characters.

[Emmkay · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a lot of authors whom I’ve read, enjoyed, and meant to read more of, but then had trouble getting around to doing so. Yet somehow, I’ve eagerly read all of Dawn Dumont’s books. This one is her latest, a funny story about a group of Indigenous folks from Saskatchewan going on tour in Europe in the 70s as a dance troupe. There’s potty humour and slapstick, and Europeans who are a little too into seeing (and touching the braids of) the ‘Indians,’ but it’s also a sweet, humane story that draws in a number of more serious themes, including residential schools, the Sixties Scoop, and the racism the characters face on a daily basis back in Canada. I really enjoyed it and can see why it was shortlisted for the Stephen Leacock Medal. I’ve seen the news lately about the serious turn the author’s life has taken and the problems she’s facing - I hope we’ll be able to enjoy more of her work in future.

[Karine Mon coin lecture · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,75
Beaucoup aimé le ton, l'humour et l'époque. J'ai ri fort à plusieurs reprises et c'est parfois du grand n'importe quoi. Par contre, ça se disperse un peu dans les intrigues et les conversations proposées et j'ai mis un bon moment à m'attacher aux personnages. Dawn Dumont reste une autrice que je lirai à chaque nouvelle parution.

[Teena in Toronto · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book sounded like fun and I liked that it was written by a Canadian author. But sadly I didn't finish it.

A dance troupe from Saskatchewan was all set to head to Europe to participate in a dance festival when all the dancers get food poisoning. The local Chief puts together a ragtag group of dancers led by his reluctant rancher brother and off they go having lots of adventures.

I thought the writing style was okay but there was just too much jammed into the story ... plane hijacking, homosexuality, ghosts, drugs, identity theft, the stigma of being an "Indian" (the book is set in the early 1970s), the trauma of residential schools, very religious older woman. a lovesick woman torn between two men who aren't aware she's got the hots for them, and more. I tried to keep going but gave up at the 62% point.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am usually someone who is driven by plot (to a fault - this may be evident in some of my other reviews), and despite the looser plot, I adored reading this book. I felt like all the characters could have been people I’d known all my life, and it made the character development so rewarding. Dumont did a wonderful job of balancing a ridiculously silly plot line with some very tough topics like Canadian residential schools and intergenerational trauma, without taking away from the entertainment of one and the gravity of the other. Go to your local independent bookstore and support Indigenous authors!!

[Colinda Clyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Dawn Dumont writes it, I'm there. Why are more people not reading all of her books? Whipsmart and funny as hell, fully realized, flawed Indigenous characters.

[Gail Amendt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been wanting to read something by Dawn Dumont for a while, but I must admit that it was hearing of her recent personal troubles in the news that finally prompted me to do it. I am so glad I did. The story follows a hastily thrown together group of aboriginal dancers from Saskatchewan, who replace a group who have fallen ill right before they were to leave on a performance tour in Europe. The things that happen to them while on tour are totally unlikely and slapstick. This book is funny, and has been nominated for an award in humor, but it also manages to touch on some very serious topics, such as residential schools and their aftermath, and the terrible prejudice against indigenous people in Canada. It was especially poignant to me when the characters marveled at the fact that in Europe they were seen as people, rather than "dirty Indians" as they so often were at home. The characters were wonderful, and by then end of the book many felt like friends. I hope that Dawn Dumont is able to keep writing.

[Carolanne Foucher]

excellent comme d'habitude.

bonne journée de la vérité et de la réconciliation tout le monde. lisez autochtone !!!!

« – vous savez quoi? j'ai fini par comprendre que, chaque fois que je pense devoir choisir et que j'arrive pas à me décider, c'est toujours parce que, dans le fond, j'ai pas vraiment le choix. »

[Virginie Rainville · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5⭐️
L'histoire se lit très bien. Les parties un peu extraordinaire de certaines situations m'ont un peu moins accrochée (le premier vol d'avion surtout).
Le personnage de Nadine était un peu trop intense à mon goût.

[NicoleWReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slapstick comedy that touches on some serous issues.

[Rhoddi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have finished Prairie Chicken Dance Tour a lot sooner, but around 100 pages in my weaker eye got a bad case of eye strain that lasted a few weeks. So then it was off to the optometrist to get a new prescription, which didn't help at all, so then off I went to a new optometrist who told me about reading glasses and after a little bit I received my new reading glasses and the ability to read again. It sucks not being to do something that you really love, but in my case, the cure wasn't that bad.

As for the book, it's a fun read with some serious moments and history lessons that ends on a positive note. I'm glad it drove me to get those new glasses!

[Tamsin Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caution: Spoilers.
The Prairie Chicken Dance Tour was our book club's March choice, and I can certainly say this book was not what I expected, although I'm not sure what I expected.

Reminiscent of Thomas King's work Indians on Vacation in its theme and self-deprecating humour, The Prairie Chicken Dance Tour is the hilarious misadventure of a hastily thrown together dance troupe who begrudgingly learn to appreciate one another while participating in festivals in three different European countries, in order of increasing stereotyping and caricaturing on the part of their fans. It turns out that the racism that Indigenous people faced at home in Canada was the least confusing and most manageable after all; the portrayals of stupid white people are some of the funniest parts of the book. From pg. 289: "Canadians tended to have soft, stupid looks on their faces that she had missed very much [...] You could trust Canadian prejudice; it was as predictable as rain in the Spring. Those European whites were so damn confusing, what with the Swedes' total ignorance, the Germans' desire to imitate, and the Romans' love that seemed to be stuck in the 1800s".

Once our dancers return to North America, after many twists and turns, several surprising truths have become evident, as each character's story arc has revealed the complexity of the Indigenous experience, critiqued life on a First Nation (in the 1970s, when the book is set, and also in our present age, through extrapolation and the author's wry wit) and refuted assumptions made by Settler Canada about Indigenous peoples. In John's case, he is grappling with his emergent sexuality that goes against his family's expectations for him and his own desire for a son; for Edna, clutching to the white man's religion to the point of being unable to acknowledge the ugliness that she and so many others faced at Residential School; Nadine's path is perhaps the most tragic--her strong feminist ideals have blended the line between desire and expectation. The paths of Shane and Desiree seem to point to a fork in the road faced by so many Indigenous youth, past and present, and Lucas as an unsuccessful antagonist makes a powerful statement about turning your back on your own people.

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was funny in a self-deprecating way, and I felt bad laughing at some of the jokes that John kept cracking. Mostly, the situations that they found themselves in were the source of my endless amusement with this book. Some were so ridiculous!

The characters are great, and the relationships they had with each other, their backstories, were plot twists that I didn't expect!

There was a startling scene in the book (involving a certain book and fire) that made Edna my favourite character. Their time in Sweden was probably my favourite part of the story. It was when we started to see a lot more of the characters' depth.

There are light touches on heavy topics, such as how the characters were treated in residential schools and how their families and communities were impacted by colonialism, But the characters, John in particular, didn't dwell on these topics consciously, and so the story didn't make this the centre of the plot. I did find that it was still relevant to the story, and there were some nods to those injustices through the way the characters acted. Having some background knowledge of the history and current events related to indigenous people in Canada helped me fill in the gaps of some things that the Edna and John talked about or recalled in flashbacks. Perhaps not necessary background knowledge to read the book, but it gives it more depth.

This is a fun, light-hearted (most of the time) book about people bonding (questionably for some of them) over a shared experience that none of them (except one) really wanted to have. Chaos ensues almost as soon as they set off on their journey.

[Andréanne Dufresne · Rating 4 out of 5]

L’œuvre de Dawn Dumont nous entraîne encore une fois dans une aventure éclatée, avec des rebondissements, de l’humour et des moments de profondeur. La première moitié comportait certaines longueurs qui m’ont presque fait décrocher, mais la deuxième moitié m’a complètement enchanté!

[Stéphanie Bourgoin · Rating 4 out of 5]

J'ai aimé l'angle pour découvrir/ approfondir la culture autochtone, comment ils le vivent eux et comment ceux qui les côtoient pensent.

Cependant, les péripéties étaient parfois rapides / saugrenues !

[Rhonda Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the characters, and the story made me laugh and cry at different points. I enjoyed it while reading, but didn't have a strong compulsion to pick it up when I wasn't. Still, it was well-written, and it had a lot of important things to say, wrapped up in an entertaining story.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. Everything I want in comedy.

[Sabine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Le style et l humour de Dawn Dumont sont bien là, mais ce n est pas son meilleur livre. Les personnages ne sont pas très sympathiques. Il y a un peu trop de sous-intrigues absurdes dans l intrigue principale. Malgré tout on passe un bon moment de lecture.

[Alison Jacques · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story. I didn't enjoy it as much as Dumont's other books, but I did enjoy it. As usual from her, a mix of comedy and realness.

[Milly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Humour, adventure and originality, this story would make a great movie.

[Cloé · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tout aimé de ce roman-là

[Lorijane · Rating 4 out of 5]

très original 💫 je vais m'ennuyer des personnages

[Meredith Brock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bad ending

[Debby Potter · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was a fun read. I look forward to reading more of Dawn's work!

[Enid Wray · Rating 4 out of 5]

An irreverently humorous - farcical - take on Indigenous life, feeding off - and taking no prisoners with - just about every stereotypical belief about ‘Indians.’ She skewers them all. Fast paced and entertaining, the quirky cast of characters will endear themselves to you.

I did feel like there was just too much zaniness - too much going on. This is full on farce… While I enjoyed reading it, I think I would enjoy it even better on the stage as opposed to on the page.

The way that the narrative moves back and forth between characters - and time - meant that I sometimes found myself confused. I also think it could have used some tightening up - some additional editing… sometimes there was just too much information provided to take in. This book is best when it lets the snappy dialogue take the lead and move the story forward.

An interesting concept - and I like that it is loosely based on reality - it will appeal to fans of last year's Indians on Vacation…

All in all... worth the read.

3.5 rounded up

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Prairie Chicken Dance Tour by Dawn Dumont is my first foray into the work of this indigenous author but won’t be my last.

Telling the story of a haphazardly assembled group of dancers coming together to tour Europe, Dumont has written an entertaining yet barbed story of how indigenous people are viewed by non indigenous people and vice versa.

The antics within the story are a bit preposterous and have a great sense of physical comedy.

I was somewhat reminded of Jo Nesbø’s middle grade fiction writing while reading this and also Anxious People by Fredrik Backman. I can’t quite put my finger on exactly what it was but it might have been the tone and humour.

I enjoyed the surprises revealed and the underlying messages.

[Julie-Christine Denoncourt · Rating 4 out of 5]

L'autrice nous offre des réflexions et réalités sur les peuples autochtones canadiens tout en dépeignant une histoire un peu loufoque, originale et surprenante. Ça fait changement d'autres romans ou essais dans lesquels ces mêmes thématiques sont abordées de manière plus lourde ou émotionnellement chargée. Les personnages sont également vraiment attachants et c'était agréable de suivre les dynamiques évoluer entre chacun d'eux.

[Cori · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was quirky and funny. I enjoyed all of the characters. There are several themes woven throughout the story; love, devotion, adventure, pride, racism, regret, beauty and humour.

[Anne Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m no dancer, but I FEEL like doing a little jig of excitement when I see Indigenous author Dawn Dumont has a new book coming. She is without a doubt one of my favourite writers, and in my humble opinion, one of the best Canadian writers working today. If you have never read one of her books (there are 4 in total now) you must rectify that immediately, and I’d recommend you start with this one. The Prairie Chicken Dance Tour is a romp of a novel that sees a small, unlikely group of Indigenous people from Saskatchewan travel across Europe for 15 days, experiencing adventures big and small as they navigate a tour originally meant for other people. Prepare for regular, out-loud laughter in this one!

Plot Summary

John is a quiet man of the land, feeling much older than his 30-year-old age should, but when his brother asks him to go on a last-minute trip to Europe and resurrect his traditional dancing skills, he begrudgingly agrees. Joining John is Edna, a ferverent Catholic woman who struggles with arthritis but still able to manage a bit of dancing, as well as her niece Desiree, a 19-year-old beauty who flirts with just about anything and commands lots of attention in return. Lucas Pretends Eagle is an experienced dancer coming from the U.S. adding a bit of star power to this group. Nadine is the tour organizer, but when her and the scheduled dancers come down with a horrific bout of food poisoning right before their flights, the aforementioned folks are hastily assembled in their absence so the opportunity to showcase Indigenous culture is not gone to waste. Previously unaware of this last-minute contingency plan, when Nadine discovers what’s been done she fights through her frequent bouts of stomach upset and hauls herself onto another plane to catch up with this odd group, desperate to ensure this tour she’s worked so hard to organize is executed properly. Throw in a plane hijacking, a sleepover in a haunted castle, more than one bout of jailtime, and an international FBI operative and you’ve got yourself one heck of an adventure in these pages.

My Thoughts

Grouping together a bunch of characters with conflicting goals, perspectives, and lifestyles is a recipe for disaster, but pushing these people together into a place that expects them to look, act and talk the same way simply because they are “Indians” is a surefire pathway to laughter. Fully aware of each and every stereotype, and eager to either play into it or break through it (depending on the situation), each character wields a power that is both refreshing and inspiring. None of them have been to Europe before, and as they come to learn about the different cultural expectations of each country, the reader is treated to the varying perspectives on North American Indigenous culture abroad, which is sometimes puzzling, but often entertaining.

I’ve been lucky enough to hear many Indigenous people speak about their various cultures and stereotypes, why they are more than just keepers of the land, and how humour plays a key role in helping them move past the atrocities of residential schools and systemic racism they have experienced in Canada. Dumont does not avoid the difficult subjects in this book – John is a survivor of residential school and often has flashbacks of abuse and neglect, but this book is about moving forward, and laughter is the driver behind that hope for a better future.

Edna’s devout Catholicism raises a fascinating, and not-often talked about consequence of residential school, and that’s the fact that many Indigenous people are now practicing Christians, and Edna’s experience of residential school seemed to be mostly positive (although she does admit she witnesses overt abuse and neglect). At one point, she gets in a fight with some other Indigenous people while in Sweden who are trying to burn a bible as they recount all the horrific treatment they experienced, and Edna staunchly defends Christianity and all the good it has brought into her life. From what I can tell, Edna’s viewpoint is not common, most people, white people included, recognize the harm that residential schools have done, but I appreciate Dumont’s efforts to weave these differences into her characters, addressing these small pockets of beliefs, however divisive they may seem.

Dumont isn’t just a funny writer, she creates nuanced characters that both entertain and inspire us. Her plots may veer into the absurd at times, but it’s all part of the enjoyable ride she takes us on in this latest treat of a novel. I can’t recommend this book enough!

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[Pascal Scallon-Chouinard · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story begins in the 1970s. About to embark on a two-week European tour, the Prairies Chicken danse troupe is struck by a gastrointestinal virus of rare strength. Rather than cancel the tour, a motley crew was formed to take over. The group include a ranch owner who hasn't danced in a while, the lovely young daughter of an influential Indigenous chef and her arthritic "aunt" who is responsible for watching her, and a dancer from the United States who seems to be more or less up to the task. To these wild bunch will be added a rather dynamic and intense but, above all, love-seeking tour leader and another dancer from the USA, whose identity has been stolen, and is not exactly who he says he is. The formula seems ideal for a complete disaster. And, indeed, each new encounter and situation brings its own set of twists and turns, misunderstandings and wacky moments, from a hostage situation to a confrontation with Papal Swiss Guards, spectral encounters and troubles with the FBI. The humour is present on every page, and one cannot help but smile at the rhythm of the dialogues, each more colourful than the last.

Through the numerous adventures and their sometimes incredible outcomes, the story also examines the representations of indigenous peoples of North America and, more specifically, the perspectives of their culture abroad. With humour and great skill, the author addresses the "freak show" phenomenon that the characters sometimes face, as some people try to imitate them, touch their hair or ask them to act like in Hollywood movies. Dumont also does not fail to offer some criticism of the Canadian colonial context, notably by addressing the issue of the Treaties, residential schools, reserves, racism and profiling.

In the end, each character plays with the difficulties they faces, whether it's finding themself through a religion that has been imposed, taking advantage of the stereotypical cultural expectations that shape their daily life, preserving and sharing teachings and traditions, taking pride in their identity by gathering and sharing elements of their culture, or understanding certain desires and feelings that certain encounters have helped to exacerbate. The author also succeeds in introducing and presenting certain Indigenous cultural realities, such as the question of bispiritualism (two-spirited), the Elders, Indigenous figures and movement, etc.

Dawn Dumont is a remarkable author who knows how to use humour to present complex situations, subjects and realities, and who manages to offer a story that is both captivating and touching.