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 o...