Rez Dogs

Malian works on her traditional Wabanaki beadwork, perfecting a bracelet. She learned beadwork from her grandmother who is a champion beader. Malian takes a break to sit outside and watch the clouds, passing her grandfather who is carving wood. She thinks about how difficult it is to fill the time. After eight weeks, she is starting to get bored and understands why the muskrateers broke into the school gym to play basketball, even though she doesn’t condone it.

Malsum hears the car before Malian does. He walks with a low growl to the end of the driveway. A white van with “OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT” written on the side pulls up. Malian immediately knows that the blond woman with a clipboard must be from social services. When Malsum’s growl gets deeper, the woman gets back in her van and shouts to Malian to get her dog. Malian says: “Not my dog […] He belongs to himself” (90). The woman says she needs to speak to Malian’s grandparents, to make sure Malian is in “a fit environment” (91). With Malsum by her side, growling, Malian tells the woman she is fine and refuses the woman’s demand to go into the house.