Indian Horse

Indian Horse (2012) is a novel written by Canadian author Richard Wagamese. The story follows Saul Indian Horse, an Ojibway boy from northern Ontario who escapes his demons and rough childhood through hockey, only to succumb to alcohol after losing his joy for the game.

Content Warning: The source material and this guide include instances and discussions of rape, assault, racism, and substance use disorder.

Plot Summary

As a young boy, Saul lives in the bush and has little contact with the outside world. His grandmother, Naomi, hides him and his brother Benjamin from the threat of St. Jerome’s, a Catholic school intended to “civilize” Indigenous children. Saul’s sister, Rachel, was taken away by white men before Saul was born. In 1957, when Saul is four, the Zhaunagush (white men) abduct his brother Benjamin. His mother changes, having lost a part of herself along with her two abducted children. She and Saul’s father and uncle find alcohol and begin to lose themselves in it.

His family leaves the bush for transient camps on the outskirts of mill towns in pursuit of alcohol. They become nomads, moving from tent village to tent village, eating whatever they can, including roasted dog.