ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank the Canada Council for the Arts for its generous support in the creation of this manuscript. Also, my heartfelt gratitude goes to Chief Allan Luby and the Band Council of Ochiichagwe’Babigo’Ining First Nation for the space to complete it.

Thanks to my family, for their support and belief in me; my agent, Bruce Westwood, for friendship and guidance; Natasha Daneman, for enduring the phone calls, e-mails and nomadic movements; Maya Mavjee and Nick Massey-Garrison at Doubleday, for encouragement, advice and acceptance. Further, immense gratitude to Shelagh Rogers for her humanitarianism, Dawn Maracle, Drew Hayden-Taylor, Carla Robinson, Sally Catto, Kika Mowry, Peter Simpson, Professor John Wadland, and all the friends of Bill W. for being there when I needed them.

And especially to Catherine, Sebastian, Pizhoo, and Buddy, for giving me a home and the strength to write this book.