International writers meet up in Eden Mills

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It was a night like any other in the sleepy town of Eden Mills when an author named Leon Rooke came across a woman who told him, "Aside from arson, burglary, illegal moonshining, wife and husband-swapping etc., nothing of interest ever happens in this God-forsaken village." The woman, a fellow writer, inspired Rooke to launch the Eden Mills Writers' Festival.

Sept. 12 marked the 14th year of the festival where authors from Canada and the United States come together to share their work with their peers and fellow book lovers. The jam-packed day was filled with food, live music and a book fair. It was also an opportunity for thousands of event-goers to meet their favourite writers and hear them read their work.

In the Aboriginal authors' area, the line-up included Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm, Joseph Bruchac, Simon J. Oritz, Eden Robinson and Drew Hayden Taylor. Representing the Six Nations Writers Group were Yvonne Beaver, Lorrie L. Gallant, Stephanie J. Styres and Lisa VanEvery.

Other sections in the festival included the fringe genre, as well as young adults' writers, children's writers and French language writers.

Bruchac is an Abenaki storyteller, poet and author of more than 100 books for adults and children such The Warriors, Ndakinna/Our Land and Above the Line. Hailing from Greenfield Center, N.Y., Bruchac has strong family ties to members of the Odanak First Nation in Quebec. Aside from catching up with old friends, Bruchac said the festival was a great way for Aboriginal authors to gain exposure for their work.

"It's a way to draw attention to the large number of Aboriginal writers that have appeared over the last few decades. It's really quite exciting both in Canada and in the United States to see how many Native writers are being published and how many are being praised for their work," said Bruchac.

"It's important to measure Aboriginal writing not just in a limited context, but against all writing; to think of Aboriginal literature as a part of world literature, not even just Canadian literature, but world literature that can stand on its own feet and be measured equally to any good writing anywhere in the world."

Sharing a selection from her upcoming book Blood Sports was Haisla author Robinson, who was thrilled to be back at the festival. From Kitimaat, B.C., Robinson said she relishes the chance to mingle and meet new people.

"(Writing festivals are) invaluable when you have your down time and you need a little pick-me-up and you just want to talk to other people.

You hear how they've gone through the same stuff that you're going through and that's just what you need," said Eden Robinson, whose first novel, Monkey Beach, was a finalist for the 2000 Giller Prize and received glowing reviews.

Although Eden Mills is a great venue, according to Robinson, she said it was uncomfortable for her to be separated by her cultural background into an Aboriginal authors' section. Robinson said it felt "a little old fashioned."

"The only thing we have in common is that we're all Native writers. When we have the Scottish writers of Canada then I'll stop feeling segregated. But a lot of groups are going through the same thing. The folks from the Atlantic are going 'Well, they always stick us in the Atlantic section' ... and it's one of those boxes," said Robinson.

Lorrie Gallant is a Brantford-based storyteller and author of the children's book Bread and Cheese, about the annual celebration on Six Nations commemorating Queen Victoria's tradition of giving the gift of bread and cheese to Aboriginal people for their loyalty.

It was her children's curiosity about her childhood that inspired Gallant to write about her own experiences growing up on the Six Nations reserve.

"(My children) always asked what it was like to grow up on a reserve. 'What did you do? What did you take for lunch?' And they'd go on and on like it was some fairy tale land. So I started to journal stories aboutwhat I did ... out of that came a little series of stories," said Gallant.

Since Bread and Cheese was published, it has become a part of the Grade 2 social studies curriculum across Canada. This fall, the book is being translated into the Mohawk language and is being reviewed by the Six Nations Education Commission for use in schools on reserve. Gallant is a full-time writer who is currently working on a series of monologues called Life on the Six and an adventure series for children.

As a First Nation storyteller, Gallant said she hopes her books will help educate non-Native children and adults. For her Aboriginal readers, Gallant said her work is a celebration of the culture they share. "It's still a positive opportunity to share something that I've got ... my stories are very personal because they're about me. So it's like being able to first-hand give it to somebody as a gift almost," said Gallant.