Roots Roundup – $20

[gdlr_button href="https://shop.artscommons.ca/single/selectSeating.aspx?p=10954&id=2864B9E6-E8CB-4718-8694-9A9C206D8F4A" target="_self" size="medium" background="#358CCB" color="#ffffff" border_color="#999999"]Buy Tickets[/gdlr_button] [gdlr_space height="20px"] Discover bold perspectives from Canadian writers whose work encourages us to think differently about the collective west and our place in it. Lisa Charleyboy probes the contours of pop culture, fashion and urban life, but with an Indigenous twist. Gail Anderson-Dargatz's new novel explores a family's tangled history and rootedness in the Thompson-Shuswap region of British Columbia. J. Edward Chamberlin conjures up the never-before-told story of a time at the turn of the century when the people in the foothills of Alberta — First Nations and Métis, ranchers and settlers — respectfully set out to accomodate Blackfoot sovereignty. Métis writer Katherena Vermette pens a fascinating novel exposing the lives of residents in Winnipeg's North End. No one is better positioned to understand the changing significance of Calgary's ubiquitous Stampede than Aritha van Herk. Presented in partnership with The Calgary Foundation. Hosted by Michelle Robinson. [gdlr_divider type="solid" size="100%" ]

Featured Books:

The Spawning Grounds by Gail Anderson-Dargatz

The Spawning Grounds is an intimate family saga rooted in the Thompson-Shuswap region of British Columbia — a bold new story that bridges Native and white cultures across a bend in a river where the salmon run. On the one side is Eugene Robertson, a rancher who settled during the gold rush of the 1860s. On the other side is a Shuswap community that has its own tangled history with the river — and the white population. At the heart of the novel are Hannah and Brandon Robertson, teenagers whose lives and understanding of their world are thrown into chaos when a new development project further threatens an already fragile river system.

The Banker and the Blackfoot: A Memoir of my Grandfather in Chinook Country by J. Edward Chamberlin

In his remarkable and entertaining memoir of his beloved grandfather, J. Edward Chamberlin conjures up vividly the never-before-told story of a particular time and place not long after Canada was founded. Set in Fort Macleod at the turn of the last century, this is the story of when “Sorreltop Jack” became friends with Crop Eared Wolf, over two decades, from 1885 to 1905, when the people in the foothills of modern-day Alberta — First Nation and Métis, rancher and settler — respectfully set out to accommodate Blackfoot sovereignty and new settlement, before Canada broke its Treaty promises to the First Peoples.

Urban Tribes and Dreaming in Indian by Lisa Charleyboy

Urban Tribes and Dreaming in Indian both profile contemporary Native voices from across North America, exploring how they connect with Native culture and values in their contemporary lives. Unflinchingly honest, the contributors explore a wide range of topics. Whether pursuing an acting career in Manhattan, making a city-rez relationship work, or leaving the reserve to attend high school in the city, these urban Natives share their unique perspectives on bridging the divide between their past and their future, their cultural home and their adopted cities.

Lightfinder by Aaron Paquette

Lightfinder is a power-packed, best-selling fantasy novel that follows the stories of Cree siblings Aisling and Eric, who are unwittingly thrust into a millennia-old struggle for life’s future on earth. The novel deals with growing up, love and loss, and the choices that life puts in our path. Set in the Alberta landscape with references to real-world challenges faced by youth today, Lightfinder has proven to be a hit with young readers and adults alike.

Stampede and the Westness of the West by Aritha van Herk

In 2012, the Calgary Stampede hosted Aritha van Herk as Artist in Residence, providing her with a privileged insider’s view of the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth. Stampede and the Westness of West is the result of her unique insights — a prose/poetry book that is meditative, imagistic, historical and speculative while eliciting all the humour, joy and occasional critique that the Stampede demands.

The Break by Katherena Vermette

A powerful intergenerational family saga, The Break showcases Vermette’s abundant writing talent and positions her as an exciting new voice in Canadian literature. When Stella, a young Métis mother, looks out her window one evening and spots someone in trouble on the Break — a barren field on an isolated strip of land outside her house — she calls the police about the possible crime. In a series of shifting narratives, people who are connected in some way with the victim — police, family, and friends — tell their personal stories leading up to that fateful night. What emerges is a fascinating novel exposing the lives of residents in Winnipeg's North End.

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