NATIVE CULTURAL IDENTITY CONFIGURATIONS: A STUDY OF TRUTH AND BRIGHT WATER

English Literature

Known for his poetic comedy and tragic humour, Thomas King is an award-winning Canadian author. "Thomas King has quietly and elegantly done it again," according to Newsday. During a summer spent in Truth, Montana, and the Bright Water Reserve, Alberta, two young Native American cousins, Tecumseh and Lum reminisce on their experiences. An enigmatic woman throws rubbish into a river before leaping in, which sets the tone for the entire film. Her disappearance is being investigated by Tecumseh and Lum, who are on their way. To Tecumseh, it's a mystery as to whether his mother will take him back; if his rolling-stone aunt is home to stay; and why no one is there to shield Lum from his rages. While working with an artist (Bright Water's most famous son) on a life-changing project later in his life. As they prepare for the Indian Days event, Truth and Bright Water's secrets come together in a tragic climax. The guys witness a woman jumping into the river one night. After discovering a child's skull, Tecumseh begins to inquire. That being said, Truth and Bright Water isn't really a mystery. It's all about a delicate balancing act: leaving, returning, giving away, and reclaiming. Truth and Bright Water is an edgy, bitter, brilliant elegy that triumphs in its small-scale repatriation scheme. Every character in this book has an idea about what’s wrong with the world: all the reasons are different, and all are true. But the unfinished bridge between the communities of Truth and Bright Water proves that most of them are thinking too small.

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