The Night Watchman

A semi-biographical novel based on the author's grandfather, who fought Arthur V. Watkins' attempt to terminate government recognition of Indian tribes. Set in 1953 on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation in North Dakota, the story brings together the experiences of Thomas Wazhask, the night watchman of the book's title, and Patrice Paranteau, a young woman who works at the jewel bearing factory where Wazhask is the watchman.

Thomas has a wife and kids, and memories of his education at the state Indian boarding school. He finds out about Watkins' bill to “emancipate” Indians from their reservations, and is troubled enough to organize some action to try to stop it.

Patrice is a recent high school graduate who was lucky enough to get a job at the jewel bearing plant. Her paychecks support her mom and younger brother as well as herself. However, she is troubled because her older sister, Vera, moved to Minneapolis and then disappeared. She arranges to take time off from her job to go to Minneapolis and look for her.

Surrounding Thomas and Patrice is a tight knit community of whites and Indians who know each other and look out for each other, even though they might not always understand each other very well.

This is a great story for descriptions of Ojibwe culture on a reservation and the challenges that tribes faced in the mid 20th century and still face today.