"Toronto at Dreamer's Rock" - pages 9 to 22

The play takes place at Dreamer's Rock, which is a large outcropping of rock overlooking a scenic valley, near the Whitefish River in Ontario in 1989. The first twenty pages deal with the meeting of Rusty, a boy from the present, and Keesic, a boy from the past on the top of Dreamer's Rock. 

The reader doesn't find out that all the protagonists are Native Americans until page fourteen, where the word Indian appears for the first time. While Keesic probably seems like a "real" Native American to students, Rusty doesn't seem very Indian. He climbs up Dreamer’s Rock, listening to his Walk-man and singing heavy metal tunes, drinks beer, speaks English and wears Levi jeans. Keesic on the other hand only speaks the language of his tribe at the beginning and is dressed in a buckskin breech. It becomes very clear that he lives in the past when he compares everything to nature: beer with water in a swamp, Levi must come from an animal in his opinion and when he asks if he can hunt a Chinese restaurant. This aspect makes the first twenty pages very enjoyable to read. It seems to be particular suitable for students because according to a study I have just read for a paper I had to write, Native Americans still live in the past in the minds of most German students. Throughout Lutz entire survey (1977/1978) the majority of children constantly referred to Native Americans of the past. Lutz showed that German children imagine Native Americans as male wearing fringed and decorated cloth, which only applies to Keesic in this case (cf. Lutz (1985), p. 448f.). It would be interesting to discuss this aspect with students and have them reflect upon their own knowledge on Native Americans.

Furthermore I like the way Drew Hayden Taylor addresses the problem of Native Americans and alcohol (my family would like to shower in it, if they could) as well as the change of values and traditions. While Rusty is ashamed of his middle name Mukwa, which actually stands for being very strong, he rather prefers being called Rusty, which derives from his rusty gold colored hair. Taylor also introduces the topic of tourism, which often signals change in my opinion, when Rusty says that Keesic shouldn’t throw up, because it would make the rock appear less sacred for tourists. It doesn't seem like it would bother him, he is only concerned about the tourists. 

Altogether  the storyline and language is easy to understand and the first twenty pages only take place on the top of the rock. I really like the solution Drew Hayden Taylor chose so that the reader is confronted with the language of the native tribe but also understands what is meant by it by translating it at the beginning and switching languages trough magic later on in the play. Altogether I really enjoyed reading the first pages of the play and look forward to what is coming next.