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English Titles

I Once Knew an Indian Woman
Ebbitt Cutler
Illustrations: Bruce Johnson
Toronto: Tundra Books,
2000. 69 p.
ISBN 0887760686
Ages 12 and up
First published under the title The Last Noble Savage

I Once Knew an Indian Woman
Source

An Irish Canadian girl from Montréal spends the summers of the Great Depression in a resort town in the Laurentians. There, she witnesses the interaction between English, French and Aboriginal Canadian cultures and languages. Of all the colourful characters in the little town, the person who makes the biggest impression on the young narrator, and on the reader, is the Aboriginal woman of the title. The author paints a sympathetic portrait of this individual — a strong personality who, in spite of many misfortunes in her life, finds the fortitude to continue helping those around her. She shows courage and decisiveness and does the right thing at a time of crisis, when everyone else in the town balks from responsibility.

First published in 1967, this autobiographical sketch won first prize in the Canadian Centennial Literary Competitions. The text reflects the period in which it was written and set; the sophisticated, old-fashioned style will appeal to older children and provide insight into Canadian attitudes of the1960s. The book will be of special interest to those who like Canadian social history or who know of the cottage country around Montréal.

–TD