Monkey Beach

Lisa is on the motorboat, heading south to meet her parents. She passes a graveyard, remembering that Ma-ma-oo “told me that everything in the land of the dead is backwards” (140). Lisa explains that Mick drowned. Her mind drifts back to memories of Mick’s funeral. Some members of A.I.M. are there. Barry asks if she wants to keep him company while he smokes. Outside, he shows her a picture of Mick and his ex-wife Cookie (Cathy) on their wedding day. The ceremony had been conducted by a medicine man, and afterwards the couple broke up, remarried, and broke up again. Barry says that Mick was distraught when Cookie died. He gives Lisa his phone number and says to call if she ever needs anything.

The family members feud over Mick’s trophies and medals. Later, Trudy and Josh fight over them as well. Things turn violent, and Josh breaks his leg. In the aftermath, Trudy is evicted from her home, and she and Tab leave Kitamaat. On Mick’s birthday, Lisa and Jimmy go to an area known as the Octopus Beds. Lisa lets loose some tobacco in Mick’s honor, and reveals Al had “pulled Mick’s corpse from the net and wrapped him in a tarp” because he had been disfigured by seals and crabs (148).