National Network for Equitable Library Service

Many North Americans have little understanding or knowledge of the deep history of the conflicts involving First Nations and other Canadians. Taking place in the lands of the Cree Indians and the original 17th century settlers with the Hudson’s Bay Company, ‘Requiem’ traces family history and the land’s metamorphosis from a simple, nature-centered life to a complex world of trade, politics and intrigue. Penned by Canadian novelist, publisher and editor, Ashis Gupta, ‘Requiem for the Last Indian’ offers a deeper understanding of the roots of conflicts between First Nations and other Canadians. A bittersweet tale of love, wisdom and redemption, the novel is set largely in the frozen, inhospitable land of the Cree Indians bordering the James and Hudson Bays in northern Canada at the end of the 20th century, ‘Requiem’ tells the ill-fated love story of Charlie, son of a London mapmaker, and Rosie, a Cree school teacher. When ‘Requiem’ opens, the police are interviewing Charlie about the murder of three men following the brutal death of his Cree lover, who met the same fate of many of her real life Aboriginal sisters.