Douglas Sanderson

Andrew Stobo Sniderman

An Indian Reserve, a White Town, and the Road from Racism to Reconciliation

Valley of the Birdtail

A heart-rending true story about racial injustice, residential schools and a path forward Divided by a beautiful valley and 150 years of racism, the Waywayseecappo reserve and the town of Rossburn have been neighbours for nearly as long as Canada has been a country. Their story reflects much of what has gone wrong in relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians. It also offers, in the end, an uncommon measure of hope. In the town of Rossburn, once settled by Ukrainian immigrants, the average family income is near the national average and more than a third of adults have graduated from university. By contrast, the average family on the Waywayseecappo reserve lives below the national poverty line and less than a third of adults have graduated from high school. Many live in the shadow of the residential school system. Valley of the Birdtail details the way these two communities became separate and unequal--and what it means for the rest of us. Following multiple generations of two families, the book weaves their experiences into the larger story of Canada. It is a story with villains and heroes, irony and idealism, racism and reconciliation. A story with the ambition to change the way people think about Canada's past, present and future.

Andrew Stobo Sniderman

Books

Your next favorite book is out there