Blackbird Calling
Blackbird Calling is a richly-textured story about a young girl who moves to the Prairie Pothole region of Alberta, which features a complex ecosystem of marshes and wetlands. Her brother chronicles the struggle for survival of the flora and fauna of the wetlands through stories that mirror the conflict and attitudes of the town. She encounters a dividing line between staunch townspeople and Aboriginal people, projecting town prejudices until she becomes friends with Gloria, a Blackfoot girl. When she visits her friend’s Ni’is, she learns of Aboriginal stories and culture in a way that seeps into her identity. Horizons fuse both in the wetlands and narrator’s worldview in this compelling narrative gleaned from dozens of interviews with Aboriginal people striving to maintain their culture and pride in often-hostile environments.
