The Chief Who Danced: My Life with the Salish

Kerry Abel is a professor of history at Carleton University. She is the author of Drum Songs: Glimpses of Dene History, co-editor of Aboriginal Resource Use in Canada: Historical and Legal Aspects, and co-editor of Northern Visions: New Perspectives on the North in Canadian History.

In a series of vignettes based on her childhood experiences among the
Salish people of British Columbia, the author gently illustrates some of
the consequences of non-Native intervention in the lives of aboriginal
peoples. Events are seen through the eyes of a child and presented in a
simple, direct writing style that could be read by children (although
the subject matter is too complex for young readers). The book is
illustrated by some fascinating drawings by Art Harrigan.

The stories point out the problems created by seemingly arbitrary laws
that designate who is and who is not an Indian and who may and who may
not attend school, or that forbid the “dancing” at the heart of the
community. As administrators of these programs, the Indian Agent is
depicted as an unpleasant character, although the Roman Catholic
missionaries are described with affection and respect (the author is a
nun). In the end, the author argues that the solution to the problem
lies in mutual respect and working together. It is a simple message in
an uncomplicated book about a very complex situation, but ultimately
respect may at least be a beginning.