The author of Indian Horse, Richard Wagamese, wrote the book Indian Horse with first had knowledge of residential schooling. I strongly believe that I can trust Richard’s perception of residential schools because in a way, Richard was retelling his version of his second hand residential schooling experiences.
Given my past knowledge of residential schools and after watching several interviews of residential school survivors, I know that the majority of the events in the book are true. Knowing how Native American's were treated in residential schools and the way that residential schools affected Richard’s life, I think that Richard’s version of residential schooling isn’t that far off from the truth.
Richard’s parents and extended family attended …show more content…
I see a little bit of Richard in the main character Saul. Richard uses Saul to retell his past life to readers in a modified way. The beginning of the book relates to what Richard’s life was like when he was young and how his parents abandoned him. In the article that Richard Wagamese wrote about his past life, it says, “When I was almost three, the adults left my two brothers, sister, and me alone in the bush camp, they were gone for days. When it became apparent that we would freeze to death without wood, my eldest sister and brother hauled my brother, Charles, and me across the bay on a sled piled with furs.” This event is very similar to one in Indian Horse. In Indian Horse, Saul’s parents left him alone with his grandmother in the forest while they went to bury his dead brother. Saul’s parents never returned, just like Richard’s parents never returned. Richard is a very trustworthy author because he ties in his personal life and really relates to the story. It makes it a lot easier to understand books like Indian Horse that are both fiction and non-fiction because there is a fair bit of truth behind the events that are actually