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The White Oneida

by Jean Rae Baxter

Born to European parents but captured and adopted by the Oneida as a young boy, 17-year-old Broken Trail is often referred to as the White Oneida. This dual identity, as well as his role in halting a war with the Mississaugas, catches the attention of a group of chiefs led by Mohawk chief Thayendanegea (a.k.a. Joseph Brant). Broken Trail is selected for an important diplomatic role, and sent to the Sedgewick School in Vermont as a first step in Thayendanegea’s plan to unite the tribes in a powerful federation.

The traditional ways of Broken Trail and his Oneida, Mohawk, Mohican, and Shawnee cabin mates are at odds with the school’s mandate of producing Christian missionaries. Names (Broken Trail is rechristened Moses Cobman), clothing, greetings, and rituals are dictated to the young aboriginals under the mistaken belief that native people are savage and in need of being civilized. Though the setting and attitude expressed by the teachers evokes the residential school system of later years (Baxter’s tale is set in 1785), Broken Trail’s experience is beneficial, as he gains knowledge and builds relationships with his peers from other nations, bringing him closer to achieving Thayendanegea’s goal.

Baxter is an astute storyteller, avoiding the pitfall of relying on historical fact to carry the story. What could have been merely a narrative about Broken Trail’s experience helping Thayendanegea in his political machinations is instead the captivating story of a young man’s education in the ways of both his peoples, and, ultimately, his acceptance of himself as he truly is, not as others want him to be.

 

Reviewer: Helen Kubiw

Publisher: Ronsdale Press

DETAILS

Price: $11.95

Page Count: 280 pp

Format: Paper

ISBN: 978- 1-55380-332-4

Released: Sept

Issue Date: July 2014

Categories: Children and YA Fiction, Kids’ Books

Age Range: 10-14