Secret of the Dance.

Britta Santowski is a freelance writer in Victoria, B.C.

“Many years ago, when the world and I were younger, my family defied the government.” So begins Secret of the Dance, the tale of a time when government agents forbade the potlatch. In 1935 our narrator, Watl’kina, was a young boy of eight years old, and overheard the government agent stating to the elders that dancing was now against the law.

At dawn, Watl’kina and his immediate family and extended relatives take flight with the running salmon and go to where a secret potlatch has been arranged. Sent to bed for his protection (in case the government agent followed), this young boy aches to join the chanting voices and the beating drums. Once his siblings are asleep, he does indeed creep out and watch the dancers from the shadows.

As a man now older than his father then was, Watl’kina experiences the joy of wearing the forbidden regalia, for “now the government invites us to dance, to honor visiting kings and queens and other guests.”

The story is an honest reflection of a world that once was, as seen through the eyes of a child. It tells a story of a time in our history that we mustn’t forget, lest we are condemned to repeat these same errors. Even a child will recognize the foolishness of forbidding dance!

The illustrations are a gentle mix of black-and-white and colour paintings, detailed throughout with reflections of Aboriginal art. The story is loosely based on an incident in the life of the illustrator, Alfred Scow, Elder of the Kwick’wa’sut’eneuk, one of the Kwakwa’ka’wakw Nations.

This book includes a Historical Note at the end as well as a Glossary, making the book more accessible to non-Aboriginal readers. Pronunciation can be a bit of a challenge for reading out loud, so I strongly recommend a few practice readings prior to presenting to a live audience. Recommended.