One thing I can say about Native writers, they sure know how to get angst right! Like ‘John Hughes’ right. Richard Van Camp’s novel, The Lesser Blessed is no exception. I was introduced to this book from one of my professor’s. I read it, wept, denounced humanity, cried some more, and then decided to write my Senior thesis on it. It is one of the most exceptional books I have ever read.
The story revolves around a Dogrib, First Nations teenager, Larry Sole, in the fictional town Fort Smith in the non-fictional Canadian Northwest Territories. Larry is a typical teen, he loves music, has a hate/love relationship with his frenemy Johnny, and is obsessed with doggy-styling it with Juliet Hope, but he also has a horrible secret from his past. And it’s a doozy.
Van Camp creates something so alarmingly poetic and raw. He blends traditional Dogrib stories with the contemporary, meshing a pre-and post-colonial narrative. As literary metaphors go this book is bursting with them. There is the juxtaposition of the loneliness of the Northwest Territories and Larry, fire and destruction, and physical & emotional scars. Then Van Camp rolls out the references to Dogrib culture combining a traditional Dogrib creation story with Larry’s own hilarious, honest narrative. References to ravens, ptarmigans, and blue monkeys are extremely metaphoric for Larry and the Dogrib people. Well, I don’t know about the blue monkeys.
The heaviness of the book comes from the issues it tackles; domestic violence, sexual and emotional abuse, drugs, alcoholism, and the intergenerational trauma from residential/boarding school horrors. The heart of the book lies within the flickering hope Larry Sole has about the future and the love he has to offer. Van Camp has created a character that you want to hold and comfort, then ditch school with to go listen to some Iron Maiden.
My thesis looked into the hope Native Literature can bring to the Native community. The effects of colonization are ever still present in the day-to-day life our people, and we struggle. We struggle in how to view ourselves, how we keep our traditions alive and how to find our place. It’s writers like Van Camp and characters like Larry that support us in those struggles, so we can determine how we see ourselves so we can change our future. This is why I love to read Native literature!! The Lesser Blessed is unparalleled in its humor, pain, and well-written First Nation experiences. As I read and re-read this glorious book, I always walk away with greater hope for my Native community.
The Lesser Blessed was also made into a movie and can be purchased on Amazon.com or iTunes. I have seen it and I loved it. I was so happy that they captured the feeling of the book. Joel Evans portrayed Larry’s sweet personality and he did a wonderful job. I would definitely add this to my movie collection. You can watch the trailer here:
Rambling Navajo Girl 