Explain what you believe is the significance of God’s Lake in the novel "Indian Horse" (Chapters 5 and 6) using quotes to support your answers.

Gods Lake represents the traditional Ojibway way of life. In Chapter Five, the family travels to the lake, where Wagamese dwells on the beauty of the landscape, as well as the two brothers’ joy at reuniting. Nature and family are intimately connected; Saul savors the warmth of the rain while laughing with his brother and reveling in their love for one another. The land isn’t just the place where they are; it is another character in their lives, sharing in Saul’s relationship with his brother just as his grandmother does.

"As they started to unload, the hunters heard laughter from the trees and the low roll of voices speaking in the Old Talk, the original language, unspoken but for ceremony. But no one was there. As they splashed through the shallows in a panic trying to get their canoes back into the water, laughter rolled openly from the trees. The hairs on the back of those hunters' necks stood straight up, they trembled as they paddled back to the head of the portage. By the time they made it back to their home, every hair on their heads was white."

The gods of Gods Lake seemed pleased that we were there, and as the weeks dwindled off to the far edge of summer, our camp was light-hearted and peaceful.

Describe Saul’s childhood. What would be considered the defining influences in his early childhood? Why? (Be careful to not just focus on the negative as many students do.)