My strength has come from my family. Thank you for your support, encouragement, inspiration and enthusiasm. John, Winnie, Dale and Carla, you are my heart and everything I learned about courage, I learned from you. I would like to acknowledge Laura Robinson and Annie Hunt, the strongest women I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing. Their compassion, humour, intelligence and generosity make them powerful and loved. The descendants of Laura Robinson taught me to reach for my dreams, to never be afraid of hard work and to be proud to be Haisla. The descendants of Annie Hunt taught me to face my fears with laughter, to never be afraid of change and to be proud to be Heiltsuk. I will always remember and cherish my baby-sitters, protectors, and guides. My family in Comox and scattered throughout B.C. and Canada, you’ve given me warm welcomes and endless hospitality. You are all gifts from the Creator and I am honoured to be a part of your lives.
My agent, Denise Bukowski, deserves a medal for patience. This book would have been impossible without her support in the face of chronic writer’s angst. Big thanks to Louise Dennys, my editor and midwife, whose gentle guidance brought this manuscript to life. Thank you to Diane Martin and Noelle Zitzer for their patient suggestions. To the staff at Knopf Canada, thank you for your support. To my publishers, thank you for your faith.
For sharing their insights about Lisamarie, I’d like to thank Karen Nyce, Angie Starr, Lynn Williams, Karen Smith, Sherry Smith, Nancy Nyce and Terri Galligos. Special thanks to Zsuzsi “Title Queen” Gartner for her instrumental help in naming this book. Thanks to my friends, who never tired of listening to my writing saga. Thanks to my teachers, for their patience.
Some of the source material for this book came from Eulachon: A Fish to Cure Humanity by AlLene Drake and Lyle Wilson; Salmonberry Blossoms in the New Year by Alison Davies with Beatrice Wilson; Tales of Kitamaat by Gordon Robinson; A Haisla Book, compiled and edited by Emmon Bach; Shingwauk’s Vision by J.R. Miller; Lakota Woman by Mary Crow Dog with Richard Erdoes; Forgotten Soldiers by Fred Gaffen; Forgotten Warriors, a film directed by Loretta Todd. My technical advisors include John Robinson, who guided me through my settings, especially Monkey Beach; Bea and Johnny Wilson; Ian Green and John Kelson, who showed me the Kitlope; and Bruce Billy and Ted Hunt, who patiently explained boats, fishing and emergency rescues. My cultural advisors include Winnie Robinson, Patricia Wilson, Louise Barbetti and Pam Brown, who generously shared their knowledge of plants and ghosts; and the people of Kitamaat Village, who have always shared their stories.
Last, but not least, thanks to my guardian spirits.
Eden Robinson is a First Nations woman whose father grew up in Haisla territory near Kitamaat Village, B.C. Her first book, a collection of stories called Traplines, was awarded the 1996 Winifred Holtby Prize for the best work of fiction in the Commonwealth, and was selected as a New York Times Editor’s Choice and Notable Book of the Year. Eden Robinson lives in North Vancouver. Monkey Beach is her first novel and is a 2000 Finalist for the Giller Prize.
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