Book notes | The Night Watchman
The16th novel by Minnesota author Louise Erdrich, discussed by UMRA Book Club I at its February meeting, is a stellar depiction of reservation life and the consequences of relocation in the mid 1950s.
The novel is set in 1953–54 on the Turtle Mountain Reservation in northern North Dakota. Tribal Chairman Thomas Wazhashk spends his afternoons and early evenings on tribal business. From midnight to 6 a.m., he is the night watchman at the Turtle Mountain Jewel Bearing Plant in the nearby town of Rolla.
Thomas is grateful for the overnight shift since the reservation is hard up and cannot pay the $30 monthly chairman’s salary. But trouble comes to the tribe in the form of House Concurrent Resolution 108, calling for the “emancipation” and relocation of Indians from their reservations.
If the law is passed by Congress, reservation land will be sold. Thomas and the Tribal Council meet, draw up a petition, and begin their fight against HCR 108—which will take them all the way to Washington, D.C.
The novel’s other primary character, 19-year-old Patrice Parenteau, is intelligent, spunky, and intuitive. She works hard in the jewel bearing plant and is the major financial support for her family. She lives with her mother, Zhaanat, a traditional healer, and younger brother, Pokey. Her father, an inveterate drunk, is rarely home.
Patrice’s older sister, Vera, left the reservation and moved to Minneapolis and the family has not heard from her for five months. This second story line narrates Patrice’s attempts to locate her sister to bring her and her baby back to the reservation.
Most of the UMRA Book Club group had positive things to say about the book, though some members were puzzled by Native American spirituality, especially the jiisikid flying inside a special tent and the spirit with him seeing Vera, although hundreds of miles away.
There was general agreement that there were too many minor characters and keeping track of all the characters was overwhelming. The respect for elders in the community was noted, especially the way Thomas, on his birthday, took a pinch of tobacco to his father and asked his father to tell him about his name.
—Becky Anderson, Book Club I member
UMRA Book Club to meet February 19
Fri, Feb 19 2021, 2pm
Becky Anderson will lead the discussion of The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, February 19.
The UMRA Book Club currently has 16 members, a number that works well for our discussions. Contact Pat Tollefson at [email protected] for more information, including suggestions for starting a new book club.
Upcoming Events
If you currently live in your own home or apartment, have you looked ahead to when you might want to consider a senior living option? Do you have any idea what those options might be? How much they cost? What they provide? UMRA’s May 14 workshop will provide an overview of the world of senior living and the basic information you need.
You’re invited to join the final Family History Interest Group meeting for 2023–24. This will be an opportunity to ask questions related to family history, share insights, talk about recent projects, and suggest topics for next year.
Stephanie Daily will lead the discussion of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by best-selling author Mary Roach when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 17.
The May 20 hike will start at the Historic Lift Bridge in Stillwater and go along the river to the new bridge, cross over and then back on the Wisconsin side, a total of approximately 5 miles. Most of the route is paved. We will eat lunch after at Brian's Bar and Grill in Stillwater. Car pooling will be available.
Climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley joined the U of M faculty in 1978 and has been a weekly commentator on Minnesota Public Radio since 1992. We are honored to welcome him as our guest speaker for UMRA’s May Luncheon Forum and 2024 Annual Meeting. He is always entertaining and informative.
UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club welcomes back, for the second time, author Julie Schumacher, U of M Regents professor of creative writing and English, for a conversation about her novel The Shakespeare Requirement.
We are in for a treat on June 3! Lynn Anderson, will lead us on trails at two parks near her Monticello home. Bring a bag lunch and we will gather in Lynn's yard along the Mississippi River for eating and socializing after the hike.
Get out to the ballpark with fellow UMRA members for the annual U of M Day at Target Field as the Minnesota Twins take on the Oakland Athletics on June 14 at 7:10 p.m.
Please join us at 9:30 on June 17, 2024 for a walk around Lake Como in St. Paul before attending the UMRA Summer Social and Picnic starting at 11 at the Como Pavilion. A perfect opportunity to get in a walk before we gather to celebrate summer.
Picnic under the covered, open-air Como pavilion, gaze at the water, spy some birds, catch up with friends and former colleagues, and meet new members. We’ll have lunch with plenty of time for visiting and then compete in teams as we are challenged by our Quiz master(s)!
Healthy aging, mindfulness, fighting ageism, and more will be the focus of the third annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held on the U of M Twin Cities campus.