Hanaway

About the Book

The book Hanaway is about resistance and survival. It is about character transformation and cultural confusion. It is about the state of First Nations in total institutions.

The author, Edmund Metatawabin, (Ten Sunrises to the English) grew up in the natural environment for the first seven years of his life. Life then was full of exploration, laughter and story-telling. It was a quiet lull before the gathering storm. At seven years of age the author was registered at St. Anne's Residential School located in Fort Albany where he was to be incarcerated for eight years. Through the use of legends he brings us the story of the residential school experience as it impacted everybody within the circle.

Hanaway awakes from the mists of ancient legends to once again walk the earth and help fulfill the destiny of the Mushkegowuk. This cultural group that occupies the western shores of James Bay in Northern Canada has been in the area longer than ten thousand years. An ancient curse is revived, threatening the existence of the indigenous sector, where the cry of 'Erase them!' loudly reverberates in the traditional Nakapayhano Washahebayow lowlands.

The warrior of old arrives as a young boy who will walk the trail. Is the personal shield, given by the Elder, sufficient to protect and keep intact the essence of the Sacred Fire? The Sacred Fire that represents the inner soul of the man and family will undergo a severe test to survive. Will Hanaway do honour to the task or is this the end of the legend?

About the Author

Edmund attended the St. Anne's Residential School as a child, for eight years from 1956-1963. Barely stopping long enough to be home, he continued on to High School in Kirkland Lake, graduating five years later. High school was four hundred miles away from his home community of Fort Albany.

In 1988 he was elected to become Chief of the Fort Albany First Nation. He held that position for a period of eight years. At present, he owns a publishing and consulting venture. The company adopts the famous motto 'For Those That Are Not Yet Born' to highlight the goal of publishing written material that speaks of the good things about First Nation people. "We have enough individuals, agencies, and policies that want to do away with us,' he says, 'and I would like to see us communicate with our children to seek ambitious goals.'

The legacy of the Residential School Policy includes emotional scars on parents and elders affecting the way children are raised. Metatawabin Productions and Research hopes to put relevant material on the market that will help First Nation children understand about their rich heritage.