43 pages • 1 hour read
Thomas KingMedicine River
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1990A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
Life in an Alberta Blackfoot Community
Medicine River takes place in a town by the same name next to a Blackfoot reservation in Alberta, Canada. Quickly, readers learn that “Indian politics are complex” (45), and each person who lives within the community must find their own way of navigating these politics formed by centuries of heritage and oppression. Canadian laws have a direct effect on the social politics of Indigenous people, particularly the now-repealed Indian Act, which required women who married non-Indigenous men to renounce their Indigenous status and leave the reservation, bringing shame on them from their family. Additionally, those who are not “fully Indigenous” are not allowed to live on the reservations, creating a source of rivalry and superiority, as those who are not “fully Indigenous” must live in a town on the reservation’s borders, like Medicine River, or otherwise leave altogether.
The novel argues for a more holistic view of identity than blood quantum, which measures the percentile of one’s biological inheritance. The community of Medicine River is made up of many people with a non-Blackfoot parent, and although some of their conflicts do arise due to identity—as in the case of Big John and Eddie—whether or not one is “fully Indigenous” is not the defining feature of the milieu. In fact, although Big John mocks Eddie for wearing traditional clothes (“too Native” [45]), he himself not only wears Western attire, but also always wears a tie. Big John’s commitment to a Westernized aesthetic while claiming a purity of lineage calls into question the usefulness of blood quantum laws in determining identity, such as those in the Indian Act that determined who was or was not Indigenous via biological inheritance and bloodline purity.
Similarly, although the novel clearly privileges the value of Indigenous history and custom—as shown, for example, through the bone game that Harlen organizes, like the traditional rattle Will gives South Wing—it is also about a community that has fully assimilated many modern American and Canadian ways of living: Pizza is a favorite food, basketball is a popular game, and so on. That Will is a photographer also debunks the myth that Indigenous peoples feared that photographs would “steal” their souls. Photography for him becomes a way not only to record the community but also become part of it. In short, the portrait of Medicine River is multifaceted and complex, as the people who make up the community have found ways to survive through centuries of oppression and have, along the way, incorporated elements of Canadian culture.
Intersections of Past and Present
Throughout the novel, past and present constantly intersect, particularly for Will. In Will’s case, connection to his past runs deep, and though he tried to outrun it by moving to Toronto, it comes calling him back and he returns to where he began. Now making a new life in Medicine River, Will constantly feels the past coming back and shaping his life. To demonstrate this intersection, Thomas King weaves together scenes from past and present that relate to one another. An example of this is the chapter in which Will and Harlen canoe down the river and nearly drown; it reminds Will of a time that he and his family had a similar experience in a rowboat. This loose flow between present events and past anecdotes shows through narrative structure the force of Will’s past in his present daily experience. This is most clear in his relationship with Louise: His inability to commit to her is related both to his father’s abandoning the family and his former girlfriend’s abandonment.
The constant presence of the past is debilitating for Will, as he spends most of the novel unable to reconcile the past and present together, exacerbating his sense of not belonging. When Will repairs his family photo from his childhood and hanging it next to that of the portrait of his town family, his actions suggest the beginning of an integration of past and present that will allow Will to move forward.
Added to this, the history of Medicine River and the culture of the Blackfoot people is a prominent aspect of life in the town. Its people are in many ways defined by the ancestors who settled the land and the ideals and stories they left behind. The Blackfoot people have lived in the southern Alberta area for over three hundred years, and their resolve to settle the harsh land is a sign of strength and perseverance. It built a strong sense of community and closeness that is shown throughout the novel. The history of resistance against European settlers and the Canadian government is one that the Blackfoot people take great pride in, and elders of the community like Lionel James are respected due to their strong connections to the past and the wisdom that goes along with this connection.
Friendship and Forbearance
Friendship is a significant part of Will’s life, and his closest friend is Harlen Bigbear. Most of Will’s friends demand patience and understanding from him, but Harlen more so than anyone. Harlen speaks constantly, rarely letting Will get a word in or allowing himself to be steered in any particular direction: “There’s no point in rushing Harlen. We sat there and drifted together” (59). Harlen also arrives unannounced almost every day, and sometimes leads Will on pointless chases or into a panic with false or half-true information. Harlen also says exactly what he thinks, dispenses advice without being asked for it, and would generally be considered a pushy busybody were it not for his generous nature and desire for people to get along. Forbearance is very much part of the friendship between Harlen and Will, and this is partly what distinguishes their relationship from that of Will and his brother, James, which is characterized as having been full of squabbles and petty jealousies in their childhood and virtually non-existent in adulthood. Because Will learns the value of Harlen’s friendship and its attendant patience and tolerance, Will is able to make amends with his brother.
Harlen himself is also an extremely tolerant person, although he gets frustrated when those he cares about disappoint him. He is always hounding the basketball team to avoid drinking, and lectures Clyde when he gets into trouble. Harlen accepts all and sets an example for what a true townsman should be. He tries to set people up together, particularly Will and Louise, and is always demonstrating concern for others, perhaps to the point of a flaw. Both Harlen and Will appreciate and love the townspeople despite their many flaws. Will is somewhat introverted but still shows up to the social events to show solidarity and friendship. Harlen demonstrates the very qualities that Will must cultivate to be his friend and, consequently, integrate into the greater Medicine River community and become family.
The most prominent symbol of the importance of friendship in the town of Medicine River is the Friendship Centre. Although it has its problems and conflicts, its purpose is as a place of gathering and community. It is the Friendship Centre that sponsors the local basketball team and gives the men of Medicine River an outlet for their emotions as well as a way to bring people together who otherwise may never interact. Basketball itself teaches patience, teamwork, and mutual support—the primary principles of friendship.
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