The author and journalist, famed for his reflections on the legacy of the residential school system, died Friday at his home in Kamloops, B.C., his family said.
KAMLOOPS, B.C.—Acclaimed Ojibwa author and journalist Richard Wagamese, whose work reflected on the legacy of the residential school system, has died at age 61.
Family members in northwestern Ontario confirmed the writer died Friday afternoon in his home in Kamloops, B.C.
His novel Indian Horse was a finalist in CBC’s Canada Reads in 2013. The story, about a boy abused in the residential school system who finds his release in a love of hockey, is being adapted for a movie.
Wab Kinew, a writer and a member of the Manitoba legislature, said Wagamese had been his mentor for several years. Kinew said the veteran writer reached out on Facebook, offering to guide him through both the craft and business of writing.
Kinew said he was floored, as he was already a fan of Wagamese’s work.
“To have a hero reach out and basically step into a mentoring role, I think that’s a powerful example of how we should all be. We should all seek out people we can help the way that he did,” Kinew said.
Wagamese began his writing career in 1979 as a journalist. In 1991, he became the first indigenous writer to win a National Newspaper Award for column writing.
He has also won the George Ryga Award for Social Awareness in Literature for his 2011 memoir One Story, One Song, the Canadian Authors Association Award for Fiction for his novel Dream Wheels in 2007 and the Alberta Writers Guild Best Novel Award for his debut novel Keeper’n Me in 1994.
His niece Rhonda Fisher said his works were also greatly influenced by his own childhood experiences. She said Wagamese was removed from his family by the Children’s Aid Society as part of the ’60s Scoop and ended up in foster care in southern Ontario.
Fisher said members of the Wabaseemoong Independent Nations “looked up to him and we were really, really proud of him.”
Kristin Cochrane, president and publisher of Penguin Random House Canada, who published some of Wagamese’s work, said in a statement that “we are deeply saddened by his passing. Richard was a singular talent and one of Canada’s essential storytellers. His unforgettable voice — the beauty, humanity and urgency of his work — will endure. We will cherish his stories alongside our memories of this remarkable man.”
In a 2014 interview with the Star, Wagamese talked about being an indigenous writer and how strong voices were finally being heard.
“If people had been listening, our voices have been present as literature not only since settler people first got here, but generation after generation before that. We had a literature that was oral for time immemorial . . . I think the more accurate way is saying it is being more accepted these days.
“We’re becoming an undeniable voice. And the strength and the vitality in the way we’re learning and choosing to tell our stories is becoming undeniable so that when we present manuscripts to publishers, the first thing they look at is the quality of the writing and not the colour of the person . . . (What) we’re indeed engaged in creating is a literature of our people.”
On Twitter, Assembly of First Nations Chief Perry Bellegarde said Wagamese “profoundly told the stories of our peoples.”
“We lost a great storyteller and he will be sorely missed,” he said.
Richard Wagamese Remembered
Kinew also took to Twitter to express his sadness.
“A talented writer, generous friend and thoughtful mentor. Peace in heaven Richard,” he wrote.
The author and journalist, famed for his reflections on the legacy of the residential school system, died Friday at his home in Kamloops, B.C., his family said.
KAMLOOPS, B.C.—Acclaimed Ojibwa author and journalist Richard Wagamese, whose work reflected on the legacy of the residential school system, has died at age 61.
Family members in northwestern Ontario confirmed the writer died Friday afternoon in his home in Kamloops, B.C.
His novel Indian Horse was a finalist in CBC’s Canada Reads in 2013. The story, about a boy abused in the residential school system who finds his release in a love of hockey, is being adapted for a movie.
Wab Kinew, a writer and a member of the Manitoba legislature, said Wagamese had been his mentor for several years. Kinew said the veteran writer reached out on Facebook, offering to guide him through both the craft and business of writing.
Kinew said he was floored, as he was already a fan of Wagamese’s work.
“To have a hero reach out and basically step into a mentoring role, I think that’s a powerful example of how we should all be. We should all seek out people we can help the way that he did,” Kinew said.
Wagamese began his writing career in 1979 as a journalist. In 1991, he became the first indigenous writer to win a National Newspaper Award for column writing.
He has also won the George Ryga Award for Social Awareness in Literature for his 2011 memoir One Story, One Song, the Canadian Authors Association Award for Fiction for his novel Dream Wheels in 2007 and the Alberta Writers Guild Best Novel Award for his debut novel Keeper’n Me in 1994.
His niece Rhonda Fisher said his works were also greatly influenced by his own childhood experiences. She said Wagamese was removed from his family by the Children’s Aid Society as part of the ’60s Scoop and ended up in foster care in southern Ontario.
Fisher said members of the Wabaseemoong Independent Nations “looked up to him and we were really, really proud of him.”
Kristin Cochrane, president and publisher of Penguin Random House Canada, who published some of Wagamese’s work, said in a statement that “we are deeply saddened by his passing. Richard was a singular talent and one of Canada’s essential storytellers. His unforgettable voice — the beauty, humanity and urgency of his work — will endure. We will cherish his stories alongside our memories of this remarkable man.”
In a 2014 interview with the Star, Wagamese talked about being an indigenous writer and how strong voices were finally being heard.
“If people had been listening, our voices have been present as literature not only since settler people first got here, but generation after generation before that. We had a literature that was oral for time immemorial . . . I think the more accurate way is saying it is being more accepted these days.
“We’re becoming an undeniable voice. And the strength and the vitality in the way we’re learning and choosing to tell our stories is becoming undeniable so that when we present manuscripts to publishers, the first thing they look at is the quality of the writing and not the colour of the person . . . (What) we’re indeed engaged in creating is a literature of our people.”
On Twitter, Assembly of First Nations Chief Perry Bellegarde said Wagamese “profoundly told the stories of our peoples.”
“We lost a great storyteller and he will be sorely missed,” he said.
Richard Wagamese Remembered
Kinew also took to Twitter to express his sadness.
“A talented writer, generous friend and thoughtful mentor. Peace in heaven Richard,” he wrote.
