196 Books: Canada

Green Grass, Running Water by Thomas King

I assume most people know where Canada is...you know, the big country above the US, but just in case:

Here's the Wikipedia summary:

Green Grass, Running Water opens with an unknown narrator explaining "the beginning", in which the trickster-god Coyote is present as well as the unknown narrator. Coyote has a dream which takes form and wakes Coyote up from his sleep. The dream thinks that it is very smart; indeed, the dream thinks that it is god, but Coyote is only amused, labelling the dream as Dog, who gets everything backwards. Dog asks why there is water everywhere, surrounding the unknown narrator, Coyote, and him. At this, the unknown narrator begins to explain the escape of four Native American elders from a mental institution who are named Lone Ranger, Ishmael, Robinson Crusoe, and Hawkeye. The elders are each connected with a female character from native tradition: First Woman and the Lone Ranger, Changing Woman and Ishmael, Thought Woman and Robinson Crusoe, and Old Woman and Hawkeye. The book then divides into four main sections: each of these sections is narrated by one of the four elders.

In addition to these four explaining the "ordinary" events, they each tell a creation story that accounts for why there is so much water. In each creation story, the four encounter a figure from the Bible of Judeo-Christian tradition, as well as the western literary figures from whom each derives his name.

The book has four major plot lines. One follows the escape and travels of the elders and Coyote, who are out to fix the world. Dr Joseph Hovaugh and Babo, his assistant, try to track down the elders. Dr. Hovaugh keeps track of every time the elders have gone missing; he attributes major events, such as the volcanic eruption of Mount St Helens, to their disappearances. The second plot line follows Lionel Red Dog, Charlie Looking Bear and Alberta. The third plot line follows Eli Stands Alone, Lionel's uncle, who lives in his mother's house in the spillway of the Balene Dam. The fourth plot line involves characters from Christian and Native American creation myths and traditions, as well as literary and historical figures including Ahdamn, First Woman, the Young Man Who Walks on Water, Robinson Crusoe, Nasty Bumpo and so on.

The climax of the novel approaches at the time of the traditional Blackfoot annual ceremony of the Sun Dance. Ultimately, the dam breaks due to an earthquake caused by Coyote's singing and dancing. A flood destroys Eli's house, but also returns the waterway to its natural course.

The novel concludes much as it began. The trickster-god Coyote and the unknown narrator are in an argument about what existed in the beginning. Coyote says nothing, but the unknown narrator says that there was water. Once again Coyote asks why there is water everywhere, and the unknown narrator says he will explain how it happened.

But I also wanted to add the summary from the back of the book:

Strong, sassy women and hard-luck, hardheaded men, all searching for the middle ground between Native American tradition and the modern world, perform an elaborate dance of approach and avoidance in this magical, rollicking tale by Cherokee author Thomas King. Alberta is a university professor who would like to trade her two boyfriends for a baby but no husband; Lionel is forty and still sells televisions for a patronizing boss; Eli and his log cabin stand in the way of a profitable dam project. These three-and others-are coming to the Blackfoot reservation for the Sun Dance and there they will encounter four Indian elders and their companion, the trickster Coyote-and nothing in the small town of Blossom will be the same again... 

So, sorry, the summaries took up a lot of space, but I really wanted you to know about the plot. Because this book was so fun. 

When I was looking for Canada books, I felt like I was cheating a little bit by picking this one; the author is Canadian American instead of solely Canadian. But I loved the sound of the book so much I went with it anyway. I also really like the Native American culture, so that kind of hooked me. When I was in college I dated a guy who was half Native American and he took me to the reservation his dad lived on. I'm sure I wrote about him in here about 10 years ago but I don't remember the name I gave him. Anyway I found it to be such a peaceful, beautiful culture. Oh God, I sound super white right now don't I? 

Regardless, I was excited to read a Native story. And it was super interesting. I mean, I've most enjoyed the books that are true stories, but I breezed through this one pretty quickly. Each section of the story was quick and it jumped around kind of a lot so it was easy. It also left me wanting more, even though it was close to 500 pages long. I enjoyed the characters and want to know what happens to them. They were real and raw and bold. Also the author is very witty. 

Well fine, I know I'm not actually saying much about the book. But it was really good. It was witty and funny and endearing. I loved it and I might have to search out more books written by this author. You know, if I ever finish this around the world in books challenge. 

196 Books: Cameroon

The Poor Christ of Bombaby Mongo Beti

Cameroon is slightly under the horn of Africa:

Here's the description:
A novel of considerable power and complexity from the pen of one of Cameroon's greatest modern writers, Mongo Beti (1932-2001), The Poor Christ of Bomba is a biting critique of colonial life and the destructive influence of French Catholic missionary activities in Cameroon.

Written as a journal of a young priest's assistant, the satirical novel tells the story of a missionary in the 1930s. In Bomba, the girls who are being prepared for Christian marriage live together in the women's camp. It is not clear whether the girls have to stay in the women's camp for such long periods for the good of their souls or for the good of the mission-building program. Only gradually does it become apparent that the local churchmen have also been using the local girls for their own purpose. The priest realizes the futility and pointlessness of attempting to convert Africans who, as he concludes, already worshipped God in their own way. 

The  Moore translation is a must read for all who wish to come to terms with colonialism and the peculiar role of the Church in the projection of White Power. 

I also want to add a small passage the author added before the actual book starts:
"I don't wish to deceive the reader. There has never been a Reverend Father Superior Drumont in African experience. probably there never will be one--not if I know my Africa. That would be too much luck for us.
The Africans who swarm in these pages have been taken straight from life. And there is no incident here which is not strictly and demonstrably authentic." M.B. (I'll get back to this later)

Well, I knew from the get-go that this book would be unpleasant. You've got a white priest going on a tour through the bush, acting all high and mighty and basically just telling everyone they're godless and terrible. But the scandal begins to break and he changes; starting to listen to the villagers and asking their opinions on why they're not more interested in the religion. Finally he decides that he's wasting his time; the fact is they're not interested and he realizes that the missionaries basically came in and just told them all to change their lives. So he decides he's a failure and should go back to France, because he's pretty exacting and doesn't leave much room for people to have faults.  
I did start to feel sorry for him though. He did care about his flock and did his best, though he seemed to be quite naive. 

So, le scandale. (It's referenced in the description so I won't be providing any big spoilers). There's this women's camp that engaged girls have to go to before they can have a Christian wedding, which they call the sixa. (I tried to look this up but couldn't find any information; I'm not sure if it's a local or historical thing or what). The guy running the sixa was not a good guy and was basically forcing the girls into sex work for most of the guys in the missionary. This is bad enough, but the uninvolved parties kept blaming the women. 
In fact, this was a running theme in the book. This was so fucking infuriating! The women were basically blamed for everything, including things that the men did. One example is a guy who gets caught cheating. His wife finds out and beats the crap out of the mistress. The husband then feels that the wife should be beaten for her actions, and gets some agreement. Because the wife had recently had a baby so he should be allowed to cheat...? 
That's basically when they start hearing about the scandal. So they get back to the mission and Father Drumont wants to interrogate the girls about what's going on. How does he conduct this interrogation, you ask? By beating them of course. And telling them how wicked they are. All while they're explaining that if they hadn't slept with these men their lives would have been made hell. Not that any of them are having a great time; the conditions they're living in are deplorable, they have very little food, and most end up getting STDs. 

Of course, I couldn't help but make the connection with all of the church scandals that are now coming out from the 60s and 70s in the US. The difference is that in reality the scandals were just covered up, and in the book the entire mission was disbanded. Oh, also the priest in the book didn't take part and at least wanted people to be punished. 


I went back to read the author's added pre-message a few times throughout the story. At first it made no sense. I thought the priest was a huge ass who didn't give any room for real life circumstances. But by the end I got it and it made me sad. What first struck me was the second section--the one that said the people and situations were pulled straight from everyday life. Then I went back to Beti saying that Africa wouldn't be lucky enough to have a Father Drumont. My interpretation was he wished there had been someone who understood that missionaries firstly came into Africa, a place where the people already had their own customs and beliefs, and tried to push the Christian religion on them. (Which essentially is the whole point of a missionary, I guess). Further, that the Father realized shoving it down their throats wouldn't work, and maybe didn't need to. Lastly, that these terrible events were happening right under his nose and took steps to end it, and take some steps of correction. 

This one got to me more than I expected it to. With the current Me Too climate, I think there are a lot of historical (and not so historical) problems that we need to at least be made aware of; to understand some of how they were allowed to happen. It all makes my brain hurt.