Valley of the Birdtail Author Talk (VIRTUAL)

Listen to authors Andrew Stobo-Sniderman and Douglas Sanderson (Amo Binashii) discuss their award-winning book Valley of the Birdtail: An Indian Reserve, a White Town, and the Road to Reconciliation. Borrow the book to read in advance (also available on Libby as an eBook and audiobook).

From the publisher:

A heart-rending true story about racism and reconciliation

Divided by a beautiful valley and 150 years of racism, the town of Rossburn and the Waywayseecappo Indian reserve have been neighbours nearly as long as Canada has been a country. Their story reflects much of what has gone wrong in relations between Indigenous Peoples and non-Indigenous Canadians. It also offers, in the end, an uncommon measure of hope.

Valley of the Birdtail is about how two communities became separate and unequal—and what it means for the rest of us. In Rossburn, once settled by Ukrainian immigrants who fled poverty and persecution, family income is near the national average and more than a third of adults have graduated from university. In Waywayseecappo, the average family lives below the national poverty line and less than a third of adults have graduated from high school, with many haunted by their time in residential schools.

This book follows multiple generations of two families, one white and one Indigenous, and weaves their lives into the larger story of Canada. It is a story of villains and heroes, irony and idealism, racism and reconciliation. Valley of the Birdtail has the ambition to change the way we think about our past and show a path to a better future.

A Zoom link will be emailed the day of the program. Please check your spam folder. 

This event is partially funded by the Niagara Community Foundation.

Please note: 

• Program fees are non-refundable unless a program is cancelled or rescheduled by Lincoln Pelham Public Library. 
• If fees ever present a barrier to participation, or should you require assistance or accommodations related to you or your child’s ability to attend a program, please contact Susan by phone: 905-562-5711 or email: sdibattista@lppl.ca.
• Your attendance at Lincoln Pelham Public Library programs may be digitally recorded through photographs or video recordings. These images/videos may be posted on our website, on social media outlets, or local publications. If you do not wish your image to be published, please notify Library staff before or immediately after the program. No individual identification will be used unless the Library has obtained express consent.