Drew Hayden Taylor

A perfect combination: Indigenous science fiction short stories. Hilarious, poignant, and brilliant. Some classic sci-fi tropes but in Indigenous contexts, so I never quite knew how the story was going to turn out. Some stories were set in Curve Lake First Nation, where the author lives; others were set elsewhere. There's a Haudenosaunee story, which definitely had an unexpected ending. This was such a good read, and I'll definitely enjoy reading it more than once.


This was an amusing, almost tongue-in-cheek adventure on the Otter Lake reserve of the Anishnawbe in Ontario. While the beginning was a bit rocky, related to kids being scooped for residential school, the story flashed forward to the present, becoming intriguing, mysterious and realistic at the same time.

The characters were so adroitly shown in the narrative that it was simply delightful to get to know them and go with the flow, a touch of myth and magic, a slightly cynical flavour of white show more politics messing around with Indians and their traditions. It was great! show less

Do you love Canadian Literature as I do, but sometimes harbour secret critical thoughts? Do you ever inwardly ask yourself questions like: Does CanLit have to be so depressing? Is everyone in Canada impoverished and filled with self pity? Could Can Lit ever allow its reader’s to indulge in a little escapism? Character development is wonderful – but could we cut out about 100 pages of navel gazing? Is any sub group in Canada not filled with lamentations?

It was with this trepidation that I show more picked up [Motorcycles &Sweet Grass] by Drew Taylor Hayden. Yes, I ‘d read excellent reviews that promised me that this book would read “like a romp.” But, I reasoned, this is a book about life on a First Nations Reserve and that is not generally indicative of a book that will be humour filled. I was most wonderfully surprised in so many ways.

[Motorcycles and Sweetgrass] is indeed filled with humour and great lines, but it also gently touches on many serious issues. Residential schools, abuse by Catholic Priests, alcoholism, drug abuse, the clashing intergenerational First Nation Culture and many other difficult topics are skilfully brought to our attention. Native mythology is prominent in the book, but presented in such a way that it very understandable to virtually any reader. I also got a real feel for the prejudice that First Nations people are subjected to, as well a look into what life might be like for both adults and children living on a reserve in today’s Canada. I was also able to get a very good idea as to what forces – both from within and outside a Reserve - are dealt with by an aboriginal Chief.

This is a most fun and enjoyable read ,but it would be a mistake to say it is simply that. There is so much more to this book, and it well earned its place as a finalist in the 2010 Governor Generalist’s Award. The author, Drew Hayden Taylor , born and raised on Curve Lake First Nation Reserve in Ontario well deserves his award from Knopf Canada as a New Face in Fiction in Canada.
Many humourous lines are quoted by other LT reviewers, but that one that grabbed me that has not been mentioned is this one concerning the Chief of the reserve :

“She hated appearing on television, felt that she looked too haggard and worn, like a character from a Margaret Lawrence novel.”

This is a wonderful read and deserves to be much more popular than it is. I look very forward to Drew Hayden Taylor's next book! show less

A young First Nations girl, disaffected and aimless, encounters a stranger who’s come home after a very long time, though his mystery is far less important to her than the fact that her mother left the family to go live with a white man in the city and her own budding-yet-troubled relationship with a white boy. A lot of the writing was tell-y in a way I don’t like now but wouldn’t have noticed (or would have liked) as a teen, e.g., “This was Tiffany’s first real relationship and show more she was nervous, though again she would never let Tony know.” But there were flashes of fun: “From deep in the bush, a hunter older than James, his house, and the mayonnaise at the back of his refrigerator all put together watched him closely.” Tiffany was a believably annoying teen, and this wasn’t a vampire romance; despite the supernatural element, there were no miracles, only perhaps some hope at the end. Overall I enjoyed it. show less