GOD I LOVE THAT BOOK. The eloquence, beauty and raw emotional timbre made me weep. Canada would be a better nation if everyone read it!
The conflict between the world the protagonist wants to have, and the religious traditions that inform his identity are painfully and beautifully described inKiss of the Fur Queenby Tomson Highway. The change of the protagonist’s name from his Indigenous name of Champion to Jeremiah when he enters residential school reflects the profound identity conflict that he faces throughout his life. This change of name leads to the character being referred to by Champion, Jeremiah, and Champion-Jeremiah. The conflict of identity is central to both the world Champion-Jeremiah seeks to create, as well as the one he lives in. The demarcation between the world that Champion-Jeremiah desires, and the one he lives in is fluid. The sense of fluidity may be due to Indigenous culture making less distinction between states of consciousness, as well as spiritual and material realms. Indigenous spiritual figures, Christian concepts, and real-life experiences are integrated with elegance throughout the novel. Both cultural traditions provide a powerful internal motivation for Champion to fulfill his desires. The dynamics between cultures and the motivation they provide is not however without great tension. The interweaving of Indigenous culture and spirituality, and Christian ideology and practices collide with force in both the real and imagined life of Champion-Jeremiah.
The story is complex in the use of imagery and narrative from both cultural and spiritual traditions. The experience of residential school is especially poignant in this respect. The profound wounding of Champion-Jeremiah through sexual abuse by priests binds the Christian faith to the evil legacy of residential schools. Reflecting on the abuse he has suffered Champion blames himself for the evil violation by the priest that has ripped his rectum. The conflict of emotion, experience, and religious practise are powerfully described. The passage states:
What had he done? Whatever it was, he promised that,
from now on, he would say the prayer in English only:
Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name.
And make me bleed. Please, Father, please, make me
bleed. (Thomson, 287)
The brutality and the guilt of sexual assault that is woven into the Lord’s Prayer is a gut- wrenching example of how Champion Jeremiah struggles throughout the novel with the disconnection between his experience, Christian tradition, and his Indigenous culture.
The image of a Trickster figure provides a poignant counterpoint to the Christian context of the story. The trickster appears as a female white fox. This figure is described as genderless, and as “the clown who bridges humanity and god.” (Thomson, 298) This description further defines the Christian conception of God as being concerned with guilt and suffering. This passage and others in the novel show how religious traditions and cultures both support and diminish the life that is lived, as well as the one that is imagined. The anguish of the protagonist’s journey embodies the humour of the Trickster, as well as the Christian narrative of suffering and redemption.
The moment of redemption may be construed as the climax of the story when Champion- defines his own cultural identity at the deathbed of his brother. “There’s a man dying in here! We’re Indians! We have a right to conduct our own religious ceremonies, just like everyone else!” (Thomson, 305) For Champion-Jeremiah to proclaim himself as “Indian” is a triumphant conclusion to navigating a world with courage, that has been fraught with suffering.