Cree Narrative Memory: From Treaties to Contemporary Times.

Frits Pannekoek is an associate professor of heritage studies, director
of information resources at the University of Calgary, and the author of
A Snug Little Flock: The Social Origins of the Riel Resistance of
1869–70.

What an outstanding book! Neil McLeod, of Cree Swedish ancestry, explains with great clarity, insight, and modest wisdom the critical importance of storytelling to Cree culture and its survival. He not only shares the stories he heard with us, but, more importantly, he puts them in a complex cultural context. The link between geography and the story, and the importance of the collective of storytelling emphasizes again that in an oral culture, storytelling cannot easily be captured by any anthropologist or linguist. One story perhaps can be understood, but the interactive web of stories that is woven by the telling of the many can only be experienced over a lifetime. McLeod illustrates that Cree culture has its foundation in storytelling and remains a living, dynamic, and ever-changing culture.

He deals with a number of differing narratives: the Cree narratives of place, those relating to treaty 6, those relating to the granting of spiritual powers, and the stories relating to change. He illustrates how modernity, colonialism, and resistance have manifested themselves in today’s storytelling. And as McLeod also emphasizes, humour, even in the worst of times, remains a key ingredient to the best stories. We should all be grateful for the sharing of his insights. Any scholar interested in understanding Cree culture and the role of storytelling in the preservation of that culture will make this an absolute must both for himself, his friends, and his students.