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by Richard Wagamese
I knew that Richard Wagamese was an author. I had seen his columns in the newspaper from time to time, read some of his articles about his life in Canadian Dimension, I had even read another of his books, Keeper ‘n Me. But after reading One Native Life, I feel like I know Richard Wagamese!
One Native Life is a beautiful, lyrical portrait of just that – one life. Through dozens of short chapters organized into four ‘books’ – Earth, Fire, Water and Universe – Wagamese shares with us his journey from his birthplace on a remote Ojibway community in Northern Ontario to his current home, an idyllic lakeside cabin in BC’s interior. Along the journey, Wagamese had more than his share of bumps and bruises – he was moved from foster home to foster home, never quite fitting in, and spent years drifting without a solid home or community before reconnecting with his family, his people and ultimately, his identity.
Throughout, the curious little boy, the angst-filled teenager, the zealous young adult and the truth-seeking man demonstrate hope, resilience, and an admirable inner strength. Where do these virtues come from? Wagamese was given every reason to give up – from alcohol-induced violent abuse as a very young child; the repeated sting of being labelled as other, as inferior; bouts of homelessness – yet he does not give up. Instead, this story abounds with hope, joy, exuberance and gratitude.
“You were created to be three things...You were created to be a male, an Ojibway, a human being. That is the truth of you, Creator’s gift to you, never to be taken away”. In One Native Life, Wagamese shares this journey of becoming what he was created to be. It is a journey that is as unique as Wagamese himself, yet universal – after all, aren’t we all just trying to become what we were created to be?
Did you read One Native Life or other works by Richard Wagamese? What do you think?
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Sunday, 05 February 2012 
