Rez Dogs

Fiction | Novel/Book in Verse | Middle Grade | Published in 2021

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-3

Chapters 4-6

Chapters 7-9

Chapters 10-12

Chapters 13-15

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Symbols & Motifs

Frybread

Frybread is made from government rations of the “cheapest and worst kind of stuff” that Malian’s people were given after losing their land to the European colonizers (49). It is also a powerful symbol of resilience, creativity, perseverance, and gratitude—traits that have enabled Indigenous people to preserve their identity and culture in the face of extreme governmental oppression. Frybread, composed of white flour, lard, and sugar, has been made by generations of Indigenous people, with variations passed down and through families.

Indigenous people have created something delicious out of meager supplies and “made it their own” (49). There are frybread competitions at reservation festivals (which Grandma Frances usually wins), and an old tradition of leaving a piece of frybread under a tree for the Manogies, “little people who are the guardians of the natural world” (46), a tradition which Malian’s grandparents continue to uphold. Malian’s grandmother sings a “thank-you” song in their old language as they eat the frybread, turning an insulting handout into a traditional food to be celebrated.

Freedom

The motif of freedom, and lack thereof, flows throughout the narrative. The travel restrictions implemented at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic took away everyone’s freedom to travel or gather in an attempt to protect the most vulnerable populations from the new, rapidly spreading virus. These restrictions were carried out with good intentions, unlike the restrictions and conditions that historic and present governments put upon Indigenous populations. Malian’s grandparents tell stories of the freedoms their ancestors lost in addition to losing their lands: the freedom to raise their own children on reservations, the freedom to speak their own language, and the freedom to practice their traditional cultures.

Rez dogs (like Malsum) symbolize freedom—they are free to live where and with whom they choose. Malian contrasts rez dogs with city dogs, noticing that city dogs do not have lives of their own and are not allowed to run free because of the fear that they might hurt someone if they are not controlled. This mirrors the control that governments historically exerted (and still exert) on Indigenous populations. Rather than embracing and celebrating different cultures, allowing freedom for all to honor their heritages, fear of the unknown edges governments to enforce conformity.

Storytelling

History, identity, and story are intimately interlaced. Malian’s grandparents relay factual stories about the brutal histories that Indigenous people suffered through. Bruchac also uses traditional fictional stories and legends to educate Malian and the reader about the Wabanaki’s ethos of respect and consideration for all living things.

The stories that have been passed down through generations teach the importance of gratitude and diligence, like the story of Notkikad the planter, who gave thanks regardless of whether his crops were thriving or failing. Traditional stories also emphasize equality amongst all living things, such as with Grampa’s rez dog story, and, the importance of service and community, such as the story of the Creator making humans based on the ash tree: grounded but with intertwining branches and growing hearts.

Despite being isolated at her grandparents’ house with spotty Internet access and the backdrop of a global travel ban, Malian sums up the power of storytelling— “through the stories her grandparents were sharing, she was getting to travel in another way, feeling her spirit travel through time, being part of something so much older, so much deeper” (110).