Author Note: Representation in the Ravenbrook Books

Aletu! [Hello in Houma]

Since I was a child, I’ve always been driven by curiosity—especially toward cultures and traditions different from my own. Growing up in the 1990's there was always an abundance of old (and new) "Country Western" movies that were showing on TV or sitting on the shelves of our local Video store. It was, in fact, one of my father's favourite genres to watch—he loved everything "country" including the music! This was also a time when kids would play "Cowboys and Crooks" or "Cowboys and Indians"... because almost every little boy wanted to be a broad-brim-hat-wearing or gun-slinging cowboy! Almost every boy except for me. When I saw films that featured Native American characters, I wasn’t drawn to the cowboys: I was captivated by the Native people. This was for so many different reasons.. some of which were pretty obvious while others I would only fully appreciate later in life.

So, let's start with the obvious ones...

The Native American warriors in these movies were expert level bad asses. They could tame wild horses and ride on their backs without a saddle. They could navigate through difficult and almost impossible terrain. They could construct and use weapons like axes and bow-and-arrows. But beyond all of this they seemed to be fearless! It didn't matter how impossible the odds against them ever were they would simply keep going.

But there were also a few subtle things that this gay kid was already picking up on, these were my more nuanced reasons...

The fact is that in these movies the Native Americans were frequently painted as the archetypal "outsider" and even at the age of 6 or 7 I already knew exactly what THAT felt like. Beyond that, it was clear that the Native American men with their beautiful flowing long hair did not subscribe to the same rigid ideas of masculinity that the western world so frequently try to enforce... yet another thing I was familiar with! Finally, I was struck by the fact that the cowboys would frequently label these proud Native American people as "savages" even though they were quite far removed from that word. This made me realise that one group of people can hold fundamentally wrong views about another group of people and within their own ignorance end up completely mislabeling those people.

I later learned even more about Native people and connected even more...

That early curiosity led me to learn as much as I could: I followed Native voices on social media, read about different Indigenous cultures, and tried to listen more than I spoke. I learned about their connection to land, their strong sense of community, and the pride they take in their identity. Over time, that curiosity deepened into a genuine admiration and appreciation—perhaps even more than I feel for the culture I was born into. That connection, however distant, has always stayed with me.

Consequently, I decided to include Native American characters in my work...

It’s from this place of respect and love that I chose to include Native characters—especially from the Houma Nation—in my writing.These characters are not tokens, plot devices, or background flavor. They are, I hope, full people, with interiority, complexity, and strength. Their inclusion in Ravenbrook is my love letter to the Native people who inspired me—written with care, and the humility to know it is not mine, but shared. It is my hope that Native readers, particularly those from the Houma community, will find something meaningful in these pages. I welcome feedback, conversation, and continued learning—and I remain open to correction, always.

You can learn more about the United Houma Nation here!