Tribal Journey

by Gary Robinson

Jason's lucky to be alive, but life in a wheelchair was not in his plans. Even when he was protecting his mom and siblings from his drunken father or escaping from home to be with his friends, he never imagined his future in a wheelchair.

When reading a text message while driving, he is in a car accident that leaves him with a paralyzed leg. Jason sees himself only as a kid who will always be paralyzed, but when he becomes part of the Raven Canoe Family and learns to "pull" a canoe, his outlook on life begins to change.

After completing a two-week tribal canoe journey with his Duwamish tribal members, Jason is proud to be a Coast Salish Indian. From the hardships and camaraderie of the journey, he gains a new sense of courage and determination to someday swim and walk again.

Genres: Young Adult

96 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2013

Reviews

[Jennybeast · Rating 4 out of 5]

16 yo West Seattle boy helps his family leave a dv situation and get into a shelter, is in a distracted driving accident that leaves him with a paralyzed leg. His mom gets him back in touch with his Duwamish roots and he becomes part of a canoe pulling journey to Cowichan.

For me this is local story, and I love that it is a realistic contemporary teen story -- love the focus on the Duwamish (they don't get enough press) and that the author (Cherokee/Choctaw) has a statement specifically thanking the local tribal people he talked to when researching the book. The details seem very believable and accurate, with the possible exception of the family being able to find a room in a shelter on only a couple of days notice -- sadly, that is not the reality in Seattle at this point. However, this is an experience that will resonate with many kids in Seattle, and I appreciate that it's part of the plot, and is presented as an ultimately positive, hopeful, part of the journey.

I found all of the parts of Jason's journey that connects him to the Raven canoe and the canoe puller family fascinating and inspiring. It was a little jarring that the book clearly splits into before accident (diverse school friends) and after accident (school is almost never mentioned again, nor any of those friends) -- given the seriousness of his injury and recovery, I think this is plausible, but it does seem odd that his good friend Ron is never seen again.

As with the other pathfinder titles I've read, it does feel like an instructional/ inspirational story. The writing is a little dry, and a little didactic/predictable -- it's a hi-lo title, so that may be a reflection of the nature of the genre. This is a very straightforward story, told in a very straightforward manner, that sometimes loses the drama and nuance of more complex works. That does not, in my opinion, detract from the message or the story, and I appreciate that it is a fast moving plot and a shorter book.

[Salsabrarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Because of the intended reading level, Jason's story is presented simplistically with little character development or background. However, once Jason's canoe family embarks on the Tribal Journey to Canada, it becomes an intriguing and interesting travelogue of the Northwest Indian culture. Readers will get a sense of the cultural pride Jason experiences on his journey. A deeper, more detailed and resonant narrative would really make the story of tribal journeys compelling.

[Ms. Bernards · Rating 2 out of 5]

Writing seems accessible to struggling readers, but I'm not sure if it had enough suspense to capture the reluctant reader. I loved reading about the Salish traditions, but overall the writing was too formulaic for me.