Il y a d'abord cette diffusion, par la station de radio CREZ, d'un chant traditionnel haudenosaunee oublié, qui attire sur Terre des visiteurs imprévus... Puis cette intelligence artificielle qui, à la stupeur de ses concepteurs, développe de la curiosité et, surtout, des sentiments de tristesse et de révolte lorsqu'elle s'intéresse à l'histoire des Premières Nations... Et que penser de cette journaliste autochtone qui reçoit des informations confidentielles alarmantes concernant ces capteurs de rêves que l'on voit de plus en plus partout. Se peut-il vraiment que cette prolifération soit due à un plan machiavélique du gouvernement canadien ?... Or, il ne faut surtout pas oublier ce qui s'est passé à Old Man's Point quand Tarzan, Cheemo et Teddy buvaient tranquillement leur bière en regardant le lac. C'est avec de l'étonnement plutôt que de la terreur qu'ils ont vu jaillir de l'étrange objet descendu du ciel cette créature aux allures de calmar géant... mais avec une totale certitude qu'ils ont su vers qui la diriger lorsqu'elle a exigé sans détour : Nous voulons voir votre chef ! Bref, voici neuf nouvelles issues de l'imaginaire débridé de Drew Hayden Taylor, et chacune d'elles est un argument indiscutable qui prouve hors de tout doute que, oui, la science-fiction autochtone existe... et qu'elle peut être drôlement bonne !

Et si la science-fiction rencontrait les Premières Nations ? Nous voulons voir votre chef ! mêle humour, extraterrestres et traditions autochtones dans neuf nouvelles aussi décalées qu’inventives.

Rien ne se produit jamais dans la réserve anichinabée de Lac-aux-Loutres. Enfin, jusqu'à l'arrivée d'un séduisant étranger aux cheveux blonds porté par une rutilante moto Indian Chief 1953. Les intentions du bellâtre sont d'autant plus mystérieuses que celui-ci semble connaître la communauté sous toutes ses coutures. Si la cheffe Maggie tombe instantanément sous son charme, son fils Virgile est beaucoup moins enthousiaste. Aidé par son oncle Wayne, créateur d'une forme d'art martial autochtone, il tentera d'éloigner l'étranger de Lac-aux-Loutres - et de sa mère. Et on dirait que les ratons laveurs veulent en faire autant. Drôle, profonde, lumineuse et remplie d'espoir, l'histoire est servie par l'incontestable talent de conteur et l'humour qui ont fait la renommée de Taylor au Canada anglais. L'édition originale anglaise (Motorcycles & Sweetgrass, Knopf Canada) a été finaliste au prix du Gouverneur général. -- Traduction d'Eva Lavergne

In these two plays, Drew Hayden Taylor delves into the past and speculates about the future as he examines the dilemmas facing young Native Canadians. Toronto at Dreamer's Rock is a moving portrayal of a teenage boy who is torn between the traditions of his people, which he only vaguely understands, and the lure of modern life. His magical encounters with two members of his tribe - one from 400 years in the past and one from the future - make him aware of how little he has thought about what it means to be an Indian. Education is Our Right borrows from the familiar story of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, but in this version the spirits of Education Past, Present and Future attempt to show the Minister of Indian Affairs the error of his ways. Drew Hayden Taylor combines humour, passion, spirituality, and tough realism to create a hopeful vision of the future. Both plays have toured extensively to schools in Ontario and Quebec.

Affectée par le départ de sa mère, Tiffany, une jeune Anishinaabe, cherche à prendre en main son existence, entre son père et sa Mamie Ruth, sur la réserve de Lac-aux-Loutres, dans le centre de l'Ontario. Alors qu'elle compose déjà difficilement avec l'autorité de son père, les exigences de l'école et le début d'une relation amoureuse avec un garçon non autochtone, Tiffany voit sa vie bousculée par un mystérieux personnage, Pierre L'Errant, que son père a décidé de prendre comme chambreur. Celui-ci, qui dit débarquer d'Europe, fait une drôle d'apparition dans ce village où jamais un touriste ne met les pieds. Mamie Ruth, qui en a vu d'autres, n'est cependant pas dupe de ses histoires et devine qu'il camoufle d'épouvantables démons intérieurs. Auteur de nombreux romans et de pièces de théâtre, Drew Hayden Taylor, lui-même Anishinaabe, a voulu écrire un « roman gothique autochtone » où il aborde les défis de l'adolescence, la transmission de la culture et, surtout, la nécessité de ne jamais abandonner.

Someday is a powerful new play by award-winning playwright Drew Hayden Taylor.  The story in Someday, though told through fictional characters and full of Taylor's distinctive wit and humour, is based on the real-life tragedies suffered by many Native Canadian families.Anne Wabung's daughter was taken away by children's aid workers when the girl was only a toddler.  It is Christmastime 35 years later, and Anne's yearning to see her now-grown daughter is stronger than ever.When the family is finally reunited, however, the dreams of neither women are fulfilled.The setting for the play is a fictional Ojibway community, but could be any reserve in Canada, where thousands of Native children were removed from their families in what is known among Native people as the "scoop-up" of the 1950s and 1960s.  Somedayis an entertaining, humourous, and spirited play that packs an intense emotional wallop.

This comedy by the author of Toronto at Dreamer's Rock and Education Is Our Right is about love, family, and what to do with too much beer. Set on a reserve, it follows the plight of Martha, a church-going, teetotaling woman who finds herself stuck with 143 cases of beer after a church fundraiser fails. She decides to bootleg the beer, to the horror of her son Andrew, nicknamed Blue, who is a special constable on the reserve. Meanwhile, Andrew has fallen for a young woman he thinks is his cousin, and his sister Marianne is bored with her "Indian Yuppie" husband and finds herself attracted to a handsome dancer at the powwow. The pace is fast and vigorous in this romantic situation comedy.

A mesmerizing blend of vampire thriller and coming-of-age story -- now available as a graphic novel. Newcomers to the Otter Lake native reserve don't go unnoticed for long. So it's no surprise that 16-year-old Tiffany's curiosity is piqued when her father rents out her room to a complete stranger. But little do Tiffany, her father, or even her insightful Granny Ruth suspect the truth about their guest. The mysterious Pierre L'Errant has a dreadful secret. After centuries roaming Europe as a brooding vampire, he has returned home to reclaim his Native roots before facing the rising sun and certain death. Meanwhile, Tiffany is deeply troubled -- she doubts her boyfriend is being faithful, has escalating disputes with her father, and her estranged mother is starting a new life with somebody else. Fed up and heartsick, Tiffany threatens drastic measures and flees into the bush. There, in the midnight woods, a chilling encounter with L'Errant changes everything as Pierre introduces Tiffany to her proud Native heritage. For Pierre, though, destiny is fixed at sunrise. In this stunning graphic version of the award-winning novel, artist Mike Wyatt brings a brilliant story to visual life.

A mesmerizing blend of vampire thriller and coming-of-age story -- now available as a graphic novel. Newcomers to the Otter Lake native reserve don't go unnoticed for long. So it's no surprise that 16-year-old Tiffany's curiosity is piqued when her father rents out her room to a complete stranger. But little do Tiffany, her father, or even her insightful Granny Ruth suspect the truth about their guest. The mysterious Pierre L'Errant has a dreadful secret. After centuries roaming Europe as a brooding vampire, he has returned home to reclaim his Native roots before facing the rising sun and certain death. Meanwhile, Tiffany is deeply troubled -- she doubts her boyfriend is being faithful, has escalating disputes with her father, and her estranged mother is starting a new life with somebody else. Fed up and heartsick, Tiffany threatens drastic measures and flees into the bush. There, in the midnight woods, a chilling encounter with L'Errant changes everything as Pierre introduces Tiffany to her proud Native heritage. For Pierre, though, destiny is fixed at sunrise. In this stunning graphic version of the award-winning novel, artist Mike Wyatt brings a brilliant story to visual life.

A mesmerizing blend of Gothic thriller and modern coming-of-age novel, The Night Wanderer is unlike any other vampire story. Nothing ever happens on the Otter Lake reservation. But when 16-year-old Tiffany discovers her father is renting out her room, she's deeply upset. Sure, their guest is polite and keeps to himself, but he's also a little creepy. Little do Tiffany, her father, or even her astute Granny Ruth suspect the truth. The mysterious Pierre L'Errant is actually a vampire, returning to his tribal home after centuries spent in Europe. But Tiffany has other things on her mind: her new boyfriend is acting weird, disputes with her father are escalating, and her estranged mother is starting a new life with somebody else. Fed up and heartsick, Tiffany threatens drastic measures and flees into the bush. There, in the midnight woods, a chilling encounter with L'Errant changes everything . . . for both of them.