The Colour of Gold

Susan Massarella is a reference librarian at Laurentian University.

In 1899, a newspaper called The Golden Era reported on the trial of Alex
Hughes, a white trapper charged with the murder of a Métis guide, Alex
McCaulay. Based on original documents and newspaper accounts, this book
relates the shooting of McCaulay and the ensuing trial through the eyes
of Adelaide McCaulay, the Métis guide’s wife.

McKirdy’s account of this shameful episode in Canadian history
reflects present-day sensibilities. Those individuals who fought for
justice are richly drawn, whereas the gentlemen of the jury, Alex
Hughes, and others who placed little or no value on the life of a Métis
are presented as one-dimensional figures who are totally lacking in
redeeming qualities. Nevertheless, McKirdy effectively conveys the
frustration and confusion that Adelaide McCaulay must have felt as she
fought for justice in a court where she understood neither the
procedures nor the language. She also paints a vivid picture of life on
the trail and in the rough towns that peppered the Tкte Jaune
Cache—Golden Cariboo-region during the gold rush days. Her book is
recommended for public libraries.