A Very Small Rebellion

Gregory Bryan is a member of the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg.

Simon Buffalo, his twin sister, Pearl, and his best friend, Paul
Gautier, live in a small, mixed settlement of Metis and Cree. Their
families have squatted on government land for more than a decade and are
alarmed when surveyors arrive and begin laying out plans to build a
road. Adhering to instructions to keep the road straight, the surveyors
plot the road to pass through the centre of the small community. As a
result the Buffalos, the Gautiers, and their neighbours must abandon
their homes and relocate.

Meanwhile, the children enter a new school where they take central
roles in a drama production depicting the life of Louis Riel. Cast as
Riel, Paul finds inspiration from the Metis leader who defied the
Canadian government and defended the rights of his people. “You must
stand up for your way of life in the forest and protect it against the
dangers that menace it,” Riel declares to Paul in a dream. Further
inspired by the dream, Paul and his friends move the surveyors’
markers in an effort to reroute the road.

Interwoven throughout Truss’s short narrative is an essay by Jack
Chambers, placing the Metis struggle in a historical context.
Chambers’s essay, the children’s efforts to save their community,
and the content of the school play all serve to reinforce one another,
bringing history to life by drawing close parallels with modern events.
A Very Small Rebellion is a thought-provoking read. Recommended.