Trickster in the Lake

The story opens with a mythic, almost timeless scene: a young Anishnawbe woman and a mysterious man swim together in a secluded lake, their playful banter hinting at a deep connection. The man, whose identity is ambiguous, is both charming and otherworldly, and the woman is about to be sent away to a residential school, a fate dictated by colonial policies. Their separation is inevitable, and the man's jealousy of a new, distant figure—Jesus—signals the coming of change and loss. This prologue sets the tone for the novel's blend of Indigenous myth, colonial history, and personal longing, foreshadowing the return of the Trickster and the enduring impact of colonial disruption on Indigenous families.

Lillian's Last Goodbye

Lillian Benojee, the family's beloved grandmother, is dying. Her home becomes a gathering place for her sprawling family, each member dealing with her impending death in their own way. Lillian's wisdom, humor, and resilience shine through as she reflects on her life, her faith (a blend of Christianity and Anishnawbe tradition), and the challenges her family faces. She shares cryptic hints about needing "magic" in their lives and makes a mysterious call for help. Her death is both a personal and communal loss, marking the end of an era and the beginning of a new chapter for her descendants.

The Return of John

A mysterious, handsome man named John arrives in Otter Lake on a vintage Indian Chief motorcycle. His appearance is both an event and an enigma—he is White, yet speaks Anishnawbe, and seems to know things he shouldn't. He quickly becomes the talk of the town, charming some and unsettling others. John's presence stirs up old memories, rivalries, and desires, especially for Maggie Second, the widowed chief, and her son Virgil. His arrival coincides with Lillian's death, suggesting he is the answer to her final call for magic.

Sweetgrass and Schooldays

Virgil, Maggie's adolescent son, is adrift—skipping school, mourning his grandmother, and feeling invisible in his mother's busy life. He finds solace in a secret spot by the train tracks, where he braids sweetgrass and contemplates the world passing him by. Virgil's encounters with John are fraught with suspicion and curiosity, as he senses the stranger's intentions toward his mother and the community. The sweetgrass becomes a symbol of tradition, memory, and the need for connection in a changing world.

Chief Maggie's Dilemma

Maggie Second is overwhelmed by her roles as chief, mother, and daughter. The community's recent acquisition of three hundred acres of land brings bureaucratic headaches, political infighting, and endless opinions from relatives and politicians. Maggie's personal life is equally complicated—she is lonely, haunted by her mother's expectations, and drawn to the enigmatic John. Her struggle to balance tradition, progress, and personal happiness is at the heart of the novel's exploration of Indigenous leadership and womanhood.

Raccoons and Revenge

A running subplot features a comical yet symbolic feud between John and the local raccoons, who seem to recognize him as an ancient adversary. Their escalating pranks—culminating in the raccoons defiling John's beloved motorcycle—mirror the Trickster's own history of mischief and the community's uneasy relationship with the supernatural. The raccoons' actions are both comic relief and a reminder of the land's memory and the persistence of Indigenous cosmology.

The Motorcycle Man Arrives

John's integration into Otter Lake is marked by a series of memorable encounters: he rescues Maggie from a flat tire, gives rides to awestruck children, and becomes the subject of gossip and desire among the women. His knowledge of Anishnawbe language and culture, his shifting eye color, and his uncanny abilities (animal calls, dancing, storytelling) unsettle the community. John's presence forces everyone to confront their beliefs about tradition, change, and the possibility of magic in the modern world.

Family, Loss, and Legacy

Lillian's funeral brings the community together, highlighting the complex web of relationships, rivalries, and shared history. Maggie and Virgil both struggle with guilt and regret, while the family debates the meaning of Lillian's life and the future of Otter Lake. The funeral is a moment of collective mourning and a catalyst for personal transformation, as characters grapple with the loss of their matriarch and the responsibilities she leaves behind.

The Land and Its Bones

The community's new land becomes the center of controversy and mystery. As Maggie navigates political negotiations and community expectations, John hatches a plan to "protect" the land by seeding it with ancient bones stolen from a museum, creating the illusion of a sacred burial ground. This act of trickery is both a satirical commentary on bureaucracy and a literal manifestation of the Trickster's power to disrupt, confuse, and ultimately preserve what matters. The discovery of the bones at a press conference throws the community into chaos, but also ensures the land's protection.

Wayne's Island Wisdom

Wayne, Maggie's eccentric brother, lives in self-imposed exile on an island, developing a uniquely Anishnawbe martial art based on animal movements and clan roles. Virgil seeks Wayne's help to confront John, leading to a series of comic and profound exchanges about tradition, masculinity, and the nature of power. Wayne's wisdom, humor, and outsider status provide a counterpoint to the community's struggles, and his eventual showdown with John is both epic and absurd.

Dakota's Moonlit Watch

Dakota, Virgil's cousin, becomes infatuated with John, spying on his moonlit dances and interpreting his actions through the lens of adolescent desire and myth. Her perspective highlights the generational shifts in the community, the allure of the unknown, and the enduring power of story. Dakota's experiences mirror Virgil's, as both young people navigate the confusing terrain of family, tradition, and the supernatural.

The Battle in the Trees

The tension between Wayne and John culminates in a surreal, high-flying battle through the treetops, witnessed by Virgil and Dakota. The fight is both physical and symbolic—a contest between tradition and change, human and supernatural, order and chaos. Neither man wins outright, but the confrontation exposes the limits of violence and the necessity of negotiation, humor, and humility in the face of the Trickster's power.

Bones, Bureaucracy, and Bedlam

The discovery of the planted bones during a high-profile press conference throws the community, the media, and the politicians into a frenzy. Maggie is caught between gratitude and fury at John's "solution," which both protects the land and creates new headaches. The scene is a satirical tour de force, skewering government, media, and the absurdities of land claims, while reaffirming the Trickster's role as both protector and provocateur.

Nanabush Unmasked

In a series of intimate conversations, John reveals his true identity as Nanabush to Virgil, who is both awed and disillusioned by the Trickster's ordinariness and self-deprecating humor. The petroglyphs, sweetgrass, and stories all come together as symbols of continuity and change. Nanabush's departure is both an ending and a beginning, leaving the community changed but still itself, and Virgil with a new sense of possibility.

The Trickster Rides On

The novel ends with the community settling back into its rhythms, changed but not destroyed by the Trickster's visit. Maggie, Wayne, Virgil, and Dakota each find new ways to honor Lillian's legacy, embrace their own quirks, and look to the future. The final image—of Nanabush riding his motorcycle across the lake, witnessed by a disbelieving elder—reaffirms the enduring power of story, magic, and Indigenous resilience.

Characters

John / Nanabush

John is the incarnation of Nanabush, the Anishnawbe Trickster—a shapeshifter, storyteller, and agent of chaos and renewal. He appears as a handsome, enigmatic White man on a vintage motorcycle, but his true nature is revealed through his supernatural abilities, shifting identities, and deep knowledge of Anishnawbe culture. John's role is to stir things up, challenge complacency, and bring magic (and mischief) back to Otter Lake. Psychologically, he embodies both the longing for connection and the fear of being forgotten, and his interactions with the community force each character to confront their own desires, fears, and histories. His development is cyclical—he arrives, disrupts, teaches, and departs, leaving transformation in his wake.

Maggie Second

Maggie is the widowed chief of Otter Lake, a woman caught between tradition and modernity, family and community, duty and desire. Her leadership is marked by compassion, pragmatism, and exhaustion, as she juggles political battles, family expectations, and her own loneliness. Maggie's relationship with John/Nanabush is both romantic and transformative, forcing her to confront her own needs, her mother's legacy, and the meaning of leadership. Psychologically, she is driven by a need for control and a fear of failure, but ultimately learns to embrace uncertainty, magic, and the possibility of happiness.

Virgil Second

Virgil is Maggie's thirteen-year-old son, struggling with grief, alienation, and the pressures of growing up in a changing community. His journey is one of self-discovery, as he navigates school, family, and the supernatural events swirling around him. Virgil's skepticism, curiosity, and vulnerability make him both a stand-in for the reader and a unique voice in the story. His relationship with John/Nanabush evolves from suspicion to understanding, and his final acceptance of magic and story marks his coming of age.

Lillian Benojee

Lillian is the heart of the family and the community—a wise, funny, and resilient elder whose death sets the story in motion. Her blend of Christian and Anishnawbe beliefs, her storytelling, and her final call for magic shape the novel's themes. Lillian's psycho-spiritual legacy is one of love, adaptability, and the insistence that tradition and change can coexist. Her relationship with John/Nanabush is both romantic and symbolic, representing the enduring power of Indigenous cosmology.

Wayne Benojee

Wayne is Maggie's younger brother, a self-exiled hermit who develops a uniquely Anishnawbe martial art on his island. He is both comic relief and a source of deep wisdom, challenging the community's assumptions about tradition, masculinity, and power. Wayne's psychological complexity lies in his need for solitude, his struggle with family expectations, and his eventual willingness to fight for what matters. His showdown with John/Nanabush is both a literal and metaphorical confrontation with the Trickster within.

Dakota

Dakota is Virgil's cousin, a young girl caught between the modern world and the allure of the supernatural. Her infatuation with John/Nanabush, her moonlit observations, and her hunger for story reflect the generational shifts in the community. Dakota's psychological journey is one of awakening—she moves from naivety to a deeper understanding of tradition, desire, and the complexity of adulthood.

Sammy Aandeg

Sammy is a residential school survivor, now an alcoholic recluse who speaks only in Anishnawbe iambic pentameter. His presence is a living reminder of colonial trauma, resilience, and the power of language. Sammy's relationship with John/Nanabush is one of mutual recognition—both are outsiders, both bear scars, and both are essential to the community's story. Psychologically, Sammy embodies the wounds and endurance of Indigenous experience.

The Raccoons

The raccoons are both literal animals and symbolic agents of the land's memory and resistance. Their feud with John/Nanabush is a running joke, but also a reminder that the land remembers, and that the Trickster is never entirely in control. They represent the persistence of Indigenous cosmology, the unpredictability of nature, and the necessity of humility.

Crystal Park

Crystal is the local MP, a well-meaning but self-interested politician whose interactions with Maggie and the community highlight the absurdities of government, land claims, and cross-cultural misunderstanding. She is both a foil and a mirror for Maggie, representing the challenges of leadership in a colonial context.

The Otter Lake Debating Society

This group of local men provides a running commentary on the events of the novel, debating everything from television to politics to the relative merits of Mary Ann and Ginger. They embody the community's resilience, humor, and capacity for adaptation, serving as both witnesses and participants in the unfolding drama.

Plot Devices

Trickster Narrative Structure

The novel is structured around the arrival, disruption, and departure of the Trickster figure, Nanabush, whose presence catalyzes change, exposes hidden truths, and forces characters to confront their own desires and fears. The narrative blends myth and realism, past and present, humor and tragedy, creating a space where the supernatural and the everyday coexist. The Trickster's interventions are both literal (planting bones, starting storms, seducing women) and metaphorical (challenging assumptions, exposing hypocrisy, restoring balance).

Foreshadowing and Symbolism

Recurring symbols—sweetgrass, motorcycles, petroglyphs, raccoons—serve as anchors for the novel's themes of tradition, change, and the persistence of story. Sweetgrass represents memory, healing, and the continuity of culture; the motorcycle is both a vehicle of disruption and a symbol of modernity; petroglyphs embody the layers of history and the Trickster's enduring presence. Foreshadowing is used to build suspense and connect the personal to the mythic, as in Lillian's final call for magic and the eventual revelation of John's true identity.

Satire and Subversion

The novel employs satire to critique government, media, and the commodification of Indigenous culture. The land claim subplot, the press conference chaos, and the planting of bones all serve to expose the absurdities and injustices of colonial bureaucracy, while also affirming the community's agency and resilience. The Trickster's interventions subvert expectations, challenge authority, and create space for new possibilities.

Intergenerational Dialogue

The novel is structured around conversations—between elders and youth, men and women, humans and animals, the living and the dead. These dialogues are both sources of conflict and vehicles for healing, as characters negotiate the meaning of tradition, the demands of the present, and the possibilities of the future. The Trickster's role is to keep the conversation going, to ensure that no story is ever truly finished.

Analysis

Motorcycles & Sweetgrass is a vibrant, witty, and deeply moving exploration of what it means to be Indigenous in contemporary Canada. By weaving together myth and realism, Drew Hayden Taylor reclaims the Trickster as a living force—one who disrupts, heals, and reminds us that magic is always possible, even in the most bureaucratic and mundane of circumstances. The novel challenges stereotypes, satirizes colonial institutions, and affirms the complexity and adaptability of Indigenous communities. Its lessons are both personal and political: that tradition and change are not opposites but partners; that grief and joy, loss and renewal, are intertwined; and that the stories we tell—about ourselves, our families, and our land—are the most powerful tools we have for survival and transformation. In the end, the Trickster rides on, and so does the community, forever changed but still itself, still laughing, still telling stories.

Last updated: May 27, 2025