Analysis Of Kiss Of The Fur Queen By Tomson Highway

The caribou hunter played his accordion as if for the last time when he heard the sound of engines in the air. The novel Kiss of the Fur Queen by Tomson Highway was published on September 1998. The story is set in Northern Manitoba and is about two Cree brothers named Champion and Ooneemeetoo Okimasis’ experience attending a residential school and how this affects their identities throughout their lives. Residential schools in Canada began in the 1880s and continued on until the last residential school which closed in 1996 (Miller). The schools were controlled by the Protestant and Catholic church and supported by the government with the primary goal of assimilating aboriginals into Canadian society. This essay is going to be about the

“Aboriginal languages were the first targets of the operators of residential schools… Children were severely punished if they spoke their native language.” (Neegan 6). When Jeremiah comes back to the residential school now with his brother, five-year-old Gabriel, Father Lefeur calls out Jeremiah immediately when he speaks in Cree with his brother (Highway 53). The children in residential schools were forbidden to speak their native language even though it was the only language they could communicate in. They were being forced into learning how to speak English as an attempt to permanently get rid of the aboriginal language. A few years later, it can be seen that Jeremiah has a minor problem in communicating with his parents in the line “How, for God’s sake, did one say “concert pianist” in Cree?” (Highway 217). It is a small issue but it shows that a small language gap now exists between Jeremiah and his parents. Language is a big component of any culture and the prohibition of native languages in residential schools resulted in children being unable to communicate with their elders. Hence, “the loss of language had an adverse effect on Aboriginal communities” (Neegan 7). The aboriginal children were being removed from their roots which included their values, family, language and way of life, and forced into mainstream Canadian

In the novel, Jeremiah and Gabriel have an argument about religion. Jeremiah completely believes in Catholicism that was taught to him in the residential school while Gabriel remains critical. Jeremiah asks, “How can anything make more sense than Christianity?” (Highway 211). Although Catholicism was already present in the native community at the time, it was not the traditional spirituality in the aboriginal culture. Amanda Clear Sky is shown in the book to be practicing the traditional spiritual practices of the natives such as when she invites Jeremiah to a pow wow in her community. Gabriel begins to talk about Amanda Clear Sky and her spiritual belief and Jeremiah responds, “That’s pagan, Gabriel, savages do that kind of thing.” (Highway 211). Jeremiah has lost his Cree identity due to the teachings of the residential school. He was made to believe that in order to become successful and fit into society, he must get rid of his native culture and beliefs. The children in residential schools were taught the history or beliefs taught to them in their native homes were wrong and instead replaced by Euro-Canadian knowledge (Zalcman 75). “We never did powwows until two or three years ago. We’re all Christianized, we’ve all lost that part of ourselves, of our culture.” (Zalcman 76) says Grant Severight. It is a struggle for aboriginals who went to residential schools to find their identity when they were taught for so