As Long as the Rivers Flow (30 page)

Thank you to John Macfie who spent many years in the 1940s and 1950s in the territory of the Nishinabe Aski Nation and who was willing to share his insights with me. The book he co-authored with Basil Johnston
(Hudson Bay Lowlands
, Dundurn Press, Toronto, 1991) and the research paper of Edward Rogers
(The Round Lake Ojibwa
, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, 1962) also provided useful information about community celebrations in the 1950s, including details about the construction of water drums that I drew on in the novel. Professor Donald Smith also kindly read the manuscript and provided helpful comments for which I am grateful.

Thank you to the individuals, especially Eric Van Pelt, who were prepared to share with me their insights on life on the streets of Toronto in the late 1980s and early 1990s. A thank you to Alistair MacLeod, Deb Mathews and Shelley Peterson for reading the manuscript and encouraging me to publish it. And most important of all, special thanks and gratitude to Louise Dennys and Diane Martin for their friendship and guidance.

JAMES BARTLEMAN is a member of the Chippewas of Rama First Nation and rose from humble circumstances to become Canada’s first aboriginal ambassador. After a distinguished career of more than thirty-five years in the Canadian diplomatic service, in 2002 he became the first Native Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario. He is the author of four bestselling works of non-fiction including the prize-winning memoirs
Out of Muskoka
and
Raisin Wine
.