Earlier this week Cherie Dimaline, Award-Winning Author of renowned works such as The Marrow Thieves, Red Rooms, and Empire of Wild captivated close to 100 people during an insightful Q&A held at Sheridan College. The room was alive with vibrant discussions about the Metis writer's works, along with the philosophies pertaining to the Indigenous voice in today's storytelling industry.
Who is Cherie Dimaline?
Cherie Dimaline is a member of the Georgian Bay Metis Community in Ontario whose novel, Empire of Wild (Random House) was named Indigo's #1 Best Book of 2019.
Praised for her unique storytelling style and incredible use of the metaphor, Cherie is the recipient of numerous awards including:
- The Governor General's Award for Young People's Literature.
- The U.S. Kirkus Award for Young Readers for her 2017 novel, The Marrow Thieves, which is now being adapted into a TV series, and is anticipating a sequel.
- Fiction Book of the Year from the Anskohk Aboriginal Book Awards for her first book, Red Rooms, (Theytus Books, 2007).
- The Girl Who Grew a Galaxy (Theytus Books, 2013), which was shortlisted for the 2014 Burt Award.
Cherie has edited numerous publications including Spirit, FNH and Muskrat magazines. Her fiction has been anthologized internationally. She was named the 2014 Emerging Artist of the Year - Ontario Premier's Award, and was named the first Writer in Residence - Aboriginal Literature for the Toronto Public Library.
Stories Come Alive
While Cherie Dimaline is an accomplished writer and champion storyteller, she spoke about how her stories are not just works of fiction for entertainment's sake, but a method of protecting a culture against dispossession.
"When I returned to the Bay with my kids, what I realized was that the area that my grandmother used to play in as a child is slowly disappearing. Many areas are closed off and replaced with mansions and cottages, and it struck me that the only way that my kids are going to have an understanding of what our heritage is, the land they came from who they are is if I keep those spaces that no longer exist in the real world alive in my stories," said Dimaline, explaining her driving motivation behind her books.
"The memories, lands, experiences of my grandmother and her friends who used to play in these areas are gone, and with them, whatever remnants of our heritage are gone with them. I'm literally fighting to preserve who we are and our way of life through stories," she continued.
The importance of the land that Cherie Dimaline grew up on is also influential in her unique writing style.
"One of the first ways that I was taught about how to hold a story was through the bark of a birch tree," continued Dimaline in the Q&A, speaking about the significance that her place of birth had on her writing and cultural pride.
"If you peel it at the right time of year, it will gift you that bark and it's literally a scroll that carries stories. The truth of the matter is that the timing of when you peel the bark gives you a story. Yet if you leave the bark, the tree still carries stories. They're in there but they aren't collected. This is analogous with the fact that some stories are meant to be shared, and some always remain with the story maker. It's a powerful message."
The importance behind that statement alludes to the stories of the land that are slowly being industrialized, and in the process are eroding the rich history and culture of the Indigenous communities that habit them.
Another practice that Cherie Dimaline grew up with was time-based narratives. The stories that she grew up with were symbiotic with the seasons that passed. Each season inspired a new tale, and with it, morals that were unique to that time. Many stories have specific ceremonies and protocols that go along with them.
"In the publishing industry, I have no control over when these stories are made available. You have to make decisions and you're not going to worry about the weather," said Dimaline.
"For example, we have legends of monsters that come out at specific seasons so that affects how we live our lives. There's one that comes out in the snow. You cannot insert a how-to in your book and instruct your reader on how to read the book. I mean, it would be funny to say 'If you're in this season, skip over these pages,'" added Dimaline, chuckling at the complications of blending oratory stories to match the print of the publishing industry.
Speaking of monsters and legends, much of Cherie's characterization in Empire of Wild is inspired from folktales about monsters, most notably the Rugaroo (similar to the French word loup-garou for werewolf). The character is inspired from stories told to Dimaline during her childhood about predators out in the wild to be mindful of.
"I'm not sure that was better for us than the actual predators and wildlife out there," said Dimaline, chuckling.
Taking Back the Narrative
Dimaline writes to preserve the pride of a people whose rich, cultural heritage is at stake, but to also publish authentic stories about Indigenous people from veritable sources.
Cherie did not shy from the ramifications of cultural appropriation, and highlighted the importance of those who can write whose stories.
"We've had a lot of instances in the indigenous community where we have had writers coming in and writing our stories. If you write a story about my community and you get it wrong, you're changing what we understand and what our children will have access to as their place. If you get my story wrong, you are literally making my children homeless, and I refuse to have my children homeless," said Dimaline.
According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, Cultural appropriation is "the act of taking from someone else’s culture without their consent."
Cultural Appropriation includes taking aspects of a culture such as:
- Expressions
- Music
- Dances
- Regalia
- Cuisine
- Ceremonies
Much to Dimaline's credit is the rapacity with which she publishes her books.
"So part of the impetus of the speed with which I'm writing right now is that the land is everything. It's where the stories come from and it's who we are; and I'm watching it be pulled away. This is why I want to write my stories. I can use words and stories to occupy space that we are sometimes not allowed to occupy physically," concluded Dimaline, who was speaking about weaving a tapestry that generations forward can look back to.
"It is our land, and I write to keep abreast of what being taken away. The more I publish, there more we remain strong."
While Dimaline spoke about the struggles of the Indigenous voice, she also made mention of straddling the balance between writing for the Indigenous culture and publishing in a welcoming manner, so that all audiences, even those from outside of the culture are invited to read and learn.
This all has to be done without compromising the integrity of the structure.
A Gentler Struggle
As the heavier topics were discussed, the conversation shifted to more light-hearted and introspective questions about Dimaline's personal writing practices.
She charmed the audience with her honest reflections about going up on stages with unprepared speeches, gushing at "writers are so much more gorgeous than I could have fathomed". Cherie thought of funny ways to encapsulate the fond memories of Dimaline's aunties and elders who "spilled the good tea," around her community, and how she could use all these fond memories that made her a writer with profound undertakings.
Already boasting several awards under her belt, Cherie is now excited to take the next step. Her much-anticipated sequel to The Marrow Thieves is already under works. The hit book is already being made into a television series, spreading the influence of her work to not just the publishing industry, but ideally the visual storytelling world. This is a colossal win for both the writer and the Indigenous community.
"I pretended it was no big deal but I have to say that I was so overwhelmed by how many big projects were turning into fruition because of my book."
"I had no idea that TV writers make so much more money than we do, did you?" asked Dimaline, playfully conversing with the audience assembled.
"I was asked if I would like to adapt The Marrow Thieves into a television show and I just said no thanks. Then they showed me the contract that comes along with a TV show and I just replied saying I would like to adopt all my books into a TV show. Also I have one kid left, would you like them?"
Dimaline emphasized the importance of The Marrow Thieves as an important piece of work for her due to:
- The commodification of culture
- The importance of language
- The Reservation of Schooling
- The unique Two-Spirit love story
"I was asked questions like how important is it to me to have all the characters in the main group be Indigenous?" continued the writer when broached about her meeting with potential producers. "I replied saying, well since this isn't The Maze Runner, pretty important."
Having to revise the book to fit the TV screen was an interesting avenue for Dimaline to explore.
"Some of my characters can be pretty pretentious in the book, especially since in the book we can experience their feelings and thoughts. For a TV show, it all has to be turned into action, and rewriting the script was a whole new experience."
Dimaline recounted a funny incident where she went to a high school in Vancouver and was asked if she would be writing a sequel to The Marrow Thieves. She responded saying "no" and was booed off the stage.
"I asked the teachers if I should leave, and they said it's probably a good idea," she said with an incredulous look on her face. "I asked if someone could walk me to a cab because this is a pretty intimidating high school right now."
For all the fond memories and adventures that Dimaline has gone through as a writer, the fact remains that this is a huge leap for the Indigenous Community.
"I'm really happy at the fact that a person from the Aboriginal community is getting into TV," said Jared Ihtsi Nudah Erickson, a student pursuing the Bachelor of Film and Media Production at Humber College who identifies as Tsek'ene (Sekani) and Dakelh (Carrier people).
"I know that the Aboriginal people didn't have much of a voice in media entertainment, and seeing that we're finally breaking into the industry is a huge step up from movies like The Revenant where both the Metis people and Indigenous were poorly represented."
Another question that Cherie answered was how she balanced being a full-time mother with being an author.
"Let's just say I am highly jealous of writers who don't hire nannies, and highly suspicious too."
One of the books that Dimaline said influenced her was Halfbreed by Maria Campbell, citing it as the "definitive guide" for writing a memoir, which encapsulates the tragedy faced by discrimination and mistrust.
The Community Experience
“The event was a particularly special one for me as I, an aspiring fiction writer, got the unprecedented chance to receive a chapter from Dimaline’s book of expert advice," said Fallon Williams, and Industrial Design student at Sheridan College. "I will carry this advice with me throughout the rest of my personal journey.”
This evening of conversation was the first installment of The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences’ C² = The Creativity Calendar, an initiative that brings noted speakers and creativity centric activities to the Sheridan community during the Winter 2020 term. Lending itself well to Sheridan College students from Mississauga as well as Oakville, the event inspired a wide variety of folks to come on out and enjoy literature, which is not only resounding but also important to understand.
Morgan Grace Pannunzio, a Self-identified Metis and Aboriginal Student Success Assistant at the Humber College Aboriginal Resource Centre said, "It's very important for Indigenous writers and artists of any medium to be recognized. There is a lack of representation when it comes to issues of indigeneity. The kind of narrative that Dimaline provides opens up a much-needed conversation to society." Morgan is also a Musician and writer herself.
For more from Cherie Dimaline, check out her website here and check out this CBC article for more on the TV adaptation of the book.