Review
Review of Shared Histories
Shared Histories is a new narrative and a new imaginary for all of Canada and it must be considered a primer for the ongoing journey of reconciliation – there is no arrival. I love this book. It is smart, has depth and scope, is beautifully written, and is solidly researched. We must know the pain and horror – the hard stuff – to appreciate the strength, resilience, determination, and relentless pragmatism of the Witsuwit’in peoples. The future must be founded on the unflinching reality of the past. Treat this book as a friend and teacher, and it will nourish you with new stories as it draws from the past.
When I arrived in Smithers in 1973, my sense of everything was intense – everything was alive – the peoples, water, and the land. The air was delicious, the mountains magnificent and more than a little scary, the valleys beautiful, and everything was possible. Lots of hardship, but a privilege to be so alive with everyone else. This book vividly brings those memories back because history matters – and it establishes much hope.