Latest news with #DrewHaydenTaylor
Hamilton Spectator
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Toronto Star bestsellers: Drew Hayden Taylor's play ‘Cottagers and Indians' joins fiction lists
Clearly, summer is a time for rediscovery. How else to explain how a Canadian book that has never made the Star's bestseller lists suddenly popped up this week in both the original and Canadian fiction rankings, at No. 5 and No. 2 respectively. I can't say why 'Cottagers and Indians' — the book version of a play by author and humourist Drew Hayden Taylor , first published in 2019 — has lately captured readers' attention. Suffice to say it has. In the play — inspired by a real-life dispute — Hayden Taylor dramatizes a tussle over land and water rights in Ontario cottage country between an Indigenous man and a Toronto woman. Hayden Taylor, who is Ojibway from Curve Lake First Nation, isn't the only Indigenous author with an older book on the lists. Jesse Wente 's memoir 'Unreconciled: Family, Truth, and Indigenous Resistance,' which is in part about growing up in Toronto the son of an American father and an Anishinaabe mother, is back on the original non-fiction list at No. 6 and the Canadian list at No. 5. It's the book's first appearance on original non-fiction since September 2021, although it was a regular presence on Canadian non-fiction that year. Hayden Taylor has even more company on the Canadian fiction list, where Waubgeshig Rice 's 'Moon of the Crusted Snow' (2018) returns at No. 6; Jessica Johns ' 'Bad Cree' (2023) at No. 8; and 'Medicine Walk' (2014) by the late Richard Wagamese , at No. 10. ORIGINAL FICTION 1. One Golden Summer , Carley Fortune, Viking (11)* 2. An Inside Job , Daniel Silva, Harper (1) 3. The Woman in Suite 11 , Ruth Ware, Simon & Schuster (2) 4. Don't Let Him In , Lisa Jewell, Atria (4) 5. Cottagers and Indians , Drew Hayden Taylor, Talonbooks (1) 6. Atmosphere , Taylor Jenkins Reid, Doubleday Canada (7) 7. The Enchanted Greenhouse , Sarah Beth Durst, Bramble (1) 8. My Friends, Fredrik Backman, Simon & Schuster (12) 9. Broken Country , Clare Leslie Hall, Simon & Schuster (16) 10. Every Summer After , Carley Fortune, Viking (11) ORIGINAL NON-FICTION 1. The Idaho Four , James Patterson, Vicky Ward, Little, Brown (1) 2. Anatomy of a Cover-Up , Paul Palango, Random House Canada (6) 3. The Anxious Generation , Jonathan Haidt, Penguin (55) 4. The Serviceberry, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Scribner (34) 5. One Day, Everyone Will Always Have Been Against This, Omar El Akkad, McClelland & Stewart (20) 6. Unreconciled , Jesse Wente, Penguin Canada (2) 7. Everything Is Tuberculosis , John Green (7) 8. Abundance , Ezra Klein, Derek Thompson, Avid Reader (6) 9. 52 Ways to Reconcile , David A. Robertson, McClelland & Stewart (9) 10. The Crisis of Canadian Democracy , Andrew Coyne, Sutherland House (4) CANADIAN FICTION 1. One Golden Summer , Carley Fortune, Viking 2. Cottagers and Indians , Drew Hayden Taylor, Talonbooks 3. Every Summer After , Carley Fortune, Viking 4. Valentine in Montreal , Heather O'Neill, Arizona O'Neill, HarperCollins Canada 5. A Most Puzzling Murder , Bianca Marais, Mira 6. Moon of the Crusted Snow , Waubgeshig Rice, ECW 7. Finding Flora , Elinor Florence, Simon & Schuster 8. Bad Cree , Jessica Johns, HarperCollins Canada 9. Everyone Here Is Lying , Shari Lapena, Seal 10. Medicine Walk , Richard Wagamese, Emblem CANADIAN NON-FICTION 1. Value(s), Mark Carney, Signal 2. Anatomy of a Cover-Up , Paul Palango, Random House Canada 3. Outsider , Brett Popplewell, HarperCollins Canada 4. One Day, Everyone Will Always Have Been Against This, Omar El Akkad, McClelland & Stewart 5. Unreconciled , Jesse Wente, Penguin Canada 6. 52 Ways to Reconcile , David A. Robertson, McClelland & Stewart 7. Murder, Madness and Mayhem , Mike Browne, HarperCollins Canada 8. A History of Canada in Ten Maps , Adam Shoalts, Penguin Canada 9. The Massey Murder , Charlotte Gray, HarperCollins Canada 10. Lessons From Cats for Surviving Fascism , Stewart Reynolds, Grand Central CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULT 1. Sunrise on the Reaping, Suzanne Collins, Scholastic 2. This Place , Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm, Sonny Assu, Brandon Mitchell, etc., Highwater 3. Love You Forever , Robert Munsch, Sheila McGraw, Firefly 4. Dinosaurs Before Dark , Mary Pope Osborne, Sal Murdocca, Random House Books for Young Readers 5. The Summer I Turned Pretty , Jenny Han, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers 6. Karen's Ghost (Baby-Sitters Little Sister #11) , D.K. Yingst, Ann M. Martin, Graphix 7. Binding 13, Chloe Walsh, Bloom 8. We Were Liars , E. Lockhart, Ember 9. Borders , Thomas King, Natasha Donovan, HarperCollins 10. Fearless, Lauren Roberts, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers BUSINESS AND PERSONAL FINANCE 1. Atomic Habits , James Clear, Avery 2. The Psychology of Money , Morgan Housel, Harriman House 3. Rich Dad Poor Dad , Robert T. Kiyosaki, Plata 4. How Countries Go Broke , Ray Dalio, Avid Reader 5. No More Tears , Gardiner Harris, Random House 6. Dare to Lead , Brené Brown, Random House 7. Surrounded by Idiots , Thomas Erikson, St. Martin's Essentials 8. Start With Why , Simon Sinek, Portfolio 9. Radical Candor (updated) , Kim Scott, St. Martin's 10. In This Economy? , Kyla Scanlon, Morgan Housel, Currency * Weeks on list The bestseller lists are compiled by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited from information provided by BookNet Canada's national sales tracking service, BNC SalesData.
Toronto Star
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Toronto Star
Toronto Star bestsellers: Drew Hayden Taylor's play ‘Cottagers and Indians' joins fiction lists
Ojibway author Drew Hayden Taylor made the original fiction and Canadian fiction lists this week with his play 'Cottagers and Indians.' Sara Cornthwaite
Globe and Mail
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
Sir John-in-the-box, no more
Drew Hayden Taylor is an Anishnawbe playwright and humorist. It's been said old soldiers and politicians never die, they just fade away. In some rare cases, they roar back into our lives and make a fundamental fuss over how we should view them. Sir John A. Macdonald, the first prime minister of Canada, died in 1891 and is once again in the news. A statue of the man standing in Toronto's Queen's Park was boxed up five years ago after vandals defaced him amidst protests about his revered place in Canadian history. It seems the politicians thought pink paint was not his colour. A recent decision was made by Ontario's Legislature to unbox the man and let him once again stand proud and unfettered, proudly extolling the virtues of colonization. He came, he legislated, he conquered. Sir JAM will be cleaned and mounted this summer … if you'll pardon the expression. Yes, the man did cobble together a country, amidst a sea of champagne at that notorious gathering of elite white politicians in PEI. I'll drink to that. Coincidentally, he also kept the Americans at bay. For that, some might decry, Where is he today? He was the poster boy for functioning alcoholics. There's also the creation of the Canadian national railroad and a few other things that make the man memorable, through rose-tinted glasses. However, those kinds of actions seldom spark such vandalism or controversy. What does, Indigenous critics argue, was the fact that Macdonald was an architect of the country's disgraceful residential school system. With the help of Egerton Ryerson, the state took Indigenous children from their families in an effort to assimilate them. There was also Macdonald's development of a plot to starve out the Indigenous people of the Prairies so that Europeans could flood the area, putting up such culturally important landmarks as the world's largest badminton racket (St. Albert, Alta.), the world's largest curling rock (Arborg, Man.), the world's second-largest fire hydrant (Elm Creek, Man.), and the world's largest golf tee (Trochu, Alta.). The man knew what was important. What's that old joke? At least Hitler made the trains run on time? Some say the past, warts and all, shouldn't be hidden away. It should be up front, in your face. As many have said of George Orwell's 1984, it was meant to be a warning, not a guidebook. Thus, some think removing statues of Macdonald and his buddy Ryerson are counterproductive. It does little to educate the population to their dubious deeds. Out of sight, out of mind maybe. Doug Ford says he pushed to free Sir John A. Macdonald statue at Queen's Park This is the same principle being celebrated in America. Statues of Southern Confederate war heroes, as well as Christopher Columbus, don't have long lifespans any more. It seems such a waste to destroy such works of art. Creations the sculptors spent weeks, even months labouring over. For that, as a playwright and novelist, I am sympathetic. For Canada's sesquicentennial in 2017, I was asked to write a play about our first prime minister called Sir John A: Acts of a Gentrified Ojibway Rebellion, for the National Arts Centre. (A remount opens on June 18 at the Blyth Festival in Ontario.) Many felt my script wasn't mean enough to the man. Others felt I didn't give him enough respect. One interesting solution might be to create a park only for such controversial statues. Wall-to-wall discussions and arguments. Maybe even provide things to throw at the statues. Here's another idea: maybe build this park somewhere along Dundas Street in Toronto. There's been discussion about changing the name because the street is named after Henry Dundas, a prominent politician who played a role in delaying the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. Birds of a feather … And hey, why not? I've seen museums dedicated to torture and other such politically incorrect issues. History is written by the winners. And winners with guilty consciences can often take two steps back. Many, if not most, Indigenous people want to eliminate all such monuments to questionably monumental people. Tanya Talaga, on CBC Radio, even suggested Macdonald's statue remain where it is, and how it is. Boxed up. Perhaps a grand metaphor for the reserves he placed Indigenous people on. The difference here is to add a plaque or sign to the statue detailing his contributions more accurately. National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21 is fast approaching. Contrary to popular belief, it's not when Nanabush comes down the sewer pipe and leaves little dreamcatchers hidden throughout the house. It's a time to recognize and celebrate the traditions, cultures and contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis. In the end, I'm not sure how much these statues matter. Despite all of Macdonald's efforts, the Indigenous people of this land survived everything he threw at us. All things considered, a large chunk of sedentary metal can't hurt us.
Globe and Mail
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
Make Canada the 51st state? How about making America the 11th province, instead
Drew Hayden Taylor is an Anishnawbe playwright and humorist. Ever since Donald Trump became U.S. President again, he's been talking smack about making Canada the 51st state. It even came up when Mr. Trump met Prime Minister Mark Carney in the Oval Office last week. Speaking as an Indigenous person, this isn't the first time somebody from far away has cast covetous eyes upon the land we call home. If we had a nickel for every time we've heard somebody say 'Trust us, it's for your own good,' well, we'd be able to afford better housing. The difference here, of course, is those people were usually white, not orange. Needless to say, the response in all 10 provinces and three territories has been less than enthusiastic. The Simpsons once called Canada 'America Junior,' but truth be told, we prefer to think of ourselves as a healthier version of the States. We tend to chicken-fry fewer things, for instance – though we do have a habit of covering things with gravy and cheese. Maybe we should call that Canadian-goose-frying. I would like to humbly offer up an alternative suggestion – a modest proposal, if you will. It seems like it would make better sense if – conceivably, maybe, just hear me out – we make America Canada's 11th province. Look at it logically. Our country is bigger. I've always been told – and why, I'm not sure – that size does matter. Canada is a whole 1.6-per-cent larger than our southern neighbours. You can do a lot with 1.6 per cent – especially when you put our respective populations into the formula. America holds 340 million souls, while Canada is home to substantially fewer, at 41.1 million people, all equally divided into regions according to their allegiance to a hockey team. The difference in population means the average American, living in their crowded cities, could easily afford a split-level duplex in Flin Flon, Man., that has a front yard extending practically to the horizon. Moose included. Add to that the fact we have an unlimited (in theory) supply of fresh water, and a substantially larger amount of natural resources of all types. Who wouldn't want that? Ah, I have such fond memories of harvesting, with my family, the bounty of the land, coming home with bushels full of butter tarts and ketchup chips. America will never have that without us. Somebody down south once asked me what a Nanaimo bar was. I told him it was a chain of bars that only served Caesars, Canadian Club, screech, Molson Golden beer and basically any drink that has a human toe in it (ever been to Dawson City?). I told them, 'It's a Canadian thing,' and they believed me. This is why they need us. I casually mentioned the proposal on X, and the response was pretty much uniform: No Americans allowed, unless they are fleeing some Asian land war. Some followers floated the idea of keeping California; a few mentioned Hawaii. Others admitted a fondness for New Orleans or Key West. Evidently the parts were greater than the whole. It should be pointed out here that from an Indigenous perspective, there never was a border. If you ever get the chance to glance at a map of North America designed by the Indigenous community, you'll notice there is a very definite turtle shape to the continent: One bottom leg is Florida, the other is California, and the top arms and head are Canada, with the bulk of the shell being America. Interestingly enough, it has roughly the same shape as the North American tectonic plate. Ancient Aliens theorists may not believe Indigenous people were capable of building our own large stone edifices, and needed extraterrestrial help in designing a dreamcatcher, but I think our ancestors knew a tectonic plate when they saw one. Regardless, that is why many First Nation communities refer to this continent as Turtle Island. Within the cosmology of many Aboriginal cultures, specifically the Haudenosaunee, North America rests on the back of a giant turtle where Sky Woman landed from a hole in the sky, and then proceeded to create the land, the trees, the mountains, and the first casinos. Borders came later, with colonization. For proper annexation, we could augment the Catholic Church's Doctrine of Discovery, which provided legal and religious justification to Christian explorers and colonizers claiming ownership of lands and territories they 'discovered' outside of Europe. Essentially, it argued these lands were effectively 'empty' or available for Christian powers to claim because they were not inhabited by Christians. With a little tweaking, Europe could become Canada, and Christians could be changed to Canadians. Granted, it's a stretch. But greater travesties have been committed with much less rationale.
