PLEA THREE DEM Ee PARR Ot RAL SE hed Ps ee the other si Reminiscences on native survival ‘Tales from the other side of the fence: Bella Coola Man, More Stories by Clayton Mack, Harbour Publishing. 238 pp., hardcover. KEEPING A balance on the burgeoning ranks of cowboy . lit are tales’ of native survival ~ during: the colonial boom. * Clayton Mack, a Bella Coola “Indian. who already . endeared ‘ readers with his book Grizzlies “and White Guys, now has a “second, (posthumous) volume -of* first-hand . accounts . of " Rative life.in early 1900 B.C. * Born! Nuxalk’ Indian in Bella "Coola. Clayton Mack. became a respected ‘grizzly bear guide and important elder, whose memory has. preserved many of the cultural tra-: ditions: of ‘the! Nuxalk nation. He ‘also. -pives us the poe of white Thornmasen, Mack transports us to native life on the British Columbia Coast on the brink of the European and Asian influx: The first-person, colloquial narrative brings Mack's voice and ‘personality: to. the: text, -- making ‘it: feel" like an: intimate “story-telling ° session. Stephen: Hume’s foreword which, although ‘eloquent, contains the usual recitations of native oppres- “sion at the hands of whites, Mack’s erative is candid and unsentimen-, ; 2. Stargate (new) 4: Clear & Present Danger Unlike. ok ares ko ete tal. Although it is apparent that the way of life Mack describes has all but disappeared, there is no waxing poetic (or even bitter) about it. His “moral,” if there is any, is emnbed- ded in the stories, not trumpeted in theories about cultural oppression. A harsh early life, coupled with an unwavering nonchalance, seems . to have made Mack a man of prac- tical wisdom and humility. The first Sentence of Chapter | reads, “i know quite a. bit about the. old Indian. ways because | spend a lot of time with them old Indian people when I was a kid.” ; What follows is a veritable encyclopedic account of fishing, trapping, hunting, carving and food-gathering in ‘carly. coastal native society —- a testament to their ingenuity and environment- sustaining economy. Unlike muse- um brochures which flood your Mind with facts, Mack’s accounts have an immediacy. Imagine hunt- ’ ing mountain goats by placing peb- bles under a cedar plank and watch- ing the animal. “roll” down the slope to its death! Efficient and clever. “Subsequent chapters detail med- . icinal herb uses, native slave trad- ing and raiding, legends’ and native justice. - Like their counterpart, the cow- boy slory, Mack’s stories contain plenty of characters, some decent, some shifty or just plain crazy — both white and native. One of Mack’s loner white neighbors stirs interest in the local community when he decides to mail- order a bride: “That mail-order woman came up to Bella Coola on the steamship. B.C. Wright thought she would be old and real ugly. She was young and real pretty. Way younger than B.C. Wright. When he sees that woman he think she look like a | Hollywood woman. B.C. Wright go crazy. The first night together, B.C. Wright run outside and run all around the house, yelling like a coyote or wolf. Running around and round his new log cabin... Next day that woman took off on him and went back home.” And there is something faintly ridiculous in ‘the account of Alexander Mackenzie’s bush- whacking journey along a long- existing eulachon grease trail that was later officially named the Alexander Mackenzie | Heritage’ Trail. But Mack never comes right out. and says it. He just tells the story, : straight and simple. Sometimes you - can sense his grin. : Artists’ work needed | - LOCAL ARTISTS interested i in having their works displayed on the North . Shore should get ready for the Ferry Building Gallery's spring jury, Sunday, : April 9. . Selected artists’ work will be scheduled for a two-week exhibit at the West Vancouver gallery between July and December this year. The artist must be a past or present resident of the North Shore.. Submissions should include three finished and framed pieces of artwork, 20 slides or prints of current work, a written concept or proposed theme of ‘ exhibition, a resume and $10 (plus GST) jury fee. ‘The artist must not have shown in the district -— at the Ferry Building, Silk: Purse or West Vancouver Memorial Library. — within the past 12. months. The jury takes’ place at the Masonic i Hall, 1763 Bellevue Ave., West Van. Submissions should be dropped off between 9 and 11 a.m. on April 9 and can be picked up between 4 and 6 p.m. the same day. For more informaticn, phone Ruth at 925-3605. . CRITICS’ 2 MPAA AVERAGE ° RATING ~ | ote < Fi ae ery —_ VIOLENCE aarti SEX & LANG. - nhac Much Mach Eee Mich Much Some Mild. ei CE SSRESEN Much Some’ ries a aI se MEY Thriller Lots Lots “Lots aa _ Drama _Lots jem save PG- 13 ~ Comedy JUST ARRIVED “ TONYA HARDING'S: WEDDING NIGHT © ' (Adults only — Uncut) ; RENTAL: ‘3.00 SALE: 119.95 Some ue : Mild. ENTER TO WIN! . - Rent a Video by March’ 28/95 :: and enter tor'a chance to: : WIN TWO TICKETS ° “CANUCKS vs. LA, KINGS Mar, 29/95" TICKETS SAVE UP TO | On Sale Now At Extra Foods fresh pork butt steak: * bone in» club pack ssa501 «3.24 kg fresh green beans 2.16 kg tb. §62504 Bakeshop : Winniped rye bread sliced or unsliced,. azses 454. g- each sauce 167023 455 ml Catell, | assorted, 7 pasta sauce 037887 700 mi scams juice 710984 1.89 LL” ay Wal tide 12 Cire “p i2)Laundry ” | all 12/Detergent. Oe | SEE Goupon must be prasented ai time of purchase. 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