The Mozhay Point ricers, who know that no sweetgrass grows on the LaForce land, even in the swamp on the far side of the allotment, occasionally stop in their work to wonder about this; the scent reminds us that we have been blessed by the Creator in all ways, understood or otherwise, here during our time on Mother Earth, and so we accept the mystery for what it is.
The geographical reference here is to Mozhay Point Ojibwe Reservation in Minnesota. The lineage reference is to an influential family named LaForce and their family allotment on the property. And, of course, the titular reference point is to sweetgrass which is exactly what one should rightly assume: a species of fragrant grass that has long been of essential interest to Native American tribes not just because of the bouquet, but because of its sturdy quality suitable for the construction of baskets and other items. Not to mention its potential as herbal remedies for an assortment of maladies. Perhaps it is a bit of hyperbolic overstatement, but on some level sweetgrass might be considered the plant equivalent to buffalo for a great many of the tribes that called the upper regions of North America home. Little wonder, then, that it is considered worthy of being considered a great blessing.
As she approached elderhood, Margie Robineau had come to be regarded as unarguably the hands-down best frybread maker on the entire Mozhay Point Indian Reservation. Although she had unofficially held that title since she was twenty-two, Indian Country protocol and etiquette called for no recognition beyond “that Margie, she makes pretty good frybread” until after Annie Buck, venerable elder and longtime frybread queen, had died.
Margie is one of three Ojibwe women from the reservation who are the central focus of the narrative. That narrative covers an extensive period of time which is alluded to in these opening lines of the first actual narrative-centered chapter. (The short opening chapter from which quote above is excerpted is more a broad philosophical overview.) Margie’s stature as queen of the frybread makers is easily overlooked and underappreciated by society existing outside the confines of Native American culture. Frybread is situated to varying degrees of significance and important in nearly every major work of Native American literature and those wanting to learn a little more who face difficulties with reading, the comedy-drama film Smoke Signals is highly recommended. For those who are eager to read to learn more about the intense relationship between frybread and Native American culture, picking a book at random from a list of the best books about life on the reservation is equally recommended.
“Dale Ann, the federal relocation program is looking for young Indian people like you, who have shown in school that they have the ability to succeed in life if they are given the opportunity to do so.”
Dale Ann is another of the three women at the center of the story. Mr. Gunderson works for the federal government in a position charged with the responsibility to travel across the Midwest meeting with Native American high school students and informing them about the wonderful world of opportunities to be found in the federal relocation program. Dale Anne will be the first member of her family to graduate high school, has proven herself a bright student, and is interested in attending college. All of which sounds like a perfect meeting of the minds between her ambitions and Mr. Gunderson’s vision. As it turns out, however, Gunderson’s excitement is over the dream of the feds training Dale Ann to become a long distance telephone operator working for Illinois Bell in Chicago. He symbolizes the U.S. government vision of taking care of Native Americans and can see no farther than the idea that working in such drudgery is like the Emerald City compared to drifting into waste back on the reservation. In his mind, there seems little room for any alternative options between the two.
