Gerry William is a well-respected Okanagan writer of tales. His last book, The Black Ship, was one of the first forays into science fiction by a First Nations writer. In The Woman in the Trees William returns to his roots as a transmitter of Okanagan (the people, not the valley or lake) history, and, more simply put, he is a plain old-fashioned storyteller. Like all good stories there is a little fact in this tale, as well as a bit of fancy, and William is not ashamed to let them co-exist on the same plane. Ultimately, it is a hybrid work that combines Native storytelling with western techniques. As with any fusion creation, it hits on many levels, but misses on some, too.
Storytelling is an intrinsic and valued tradition amongst the Native peoples of this country, as well as most indigenous cultures around the world. Storytelling was an art that conveyed history, culture, a belief system, explanations of natural phenomena and other intricate...
Drew Hayden Taylor is the author of 14 books, currently living in Toronto. His most recent book, Funny, You Don’t Look Like One: Observations of a Blue-Eyed Ojibway, was recently published by Theytus Press.
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