Métis language, culture drive deft debut novel

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This article was published 13/05/2023 (881 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Louis Riel, the impassioned defender of the Métis, once proclaimed: “We must cherish our inheritance. The story should be written down to pass on.”

Local francophone Métis author Matthew Tétreault takes these words to heart in his richly textured and thought-provoking contemporary debut novel. Set in his hometown of Ste. Anne and Winnipeg, the story explores French Métis identity through the eyes of a young man struggling to move forward with his life.

Tétreault holds a PhD in literature from the University of Alberta. He received a Governor General’s Gold Medal for academic excellence for his dissertation on the literary history of the Red River Métis. He previously published the linked short-fiction collection What Happened on the Bloodvein in 2015. It features Métis characters living in southeastern Manitoba. In fact, the protagonist in his novel is a character who first appeared in one of those stories.

At the outset of the novel, Richard is in a rut. Six years after high school, he is laid off from his job in a powder coat plant, his girlfriend has moved to Winnipeg and he is driving a honeywagon part time. Should he stay in St. Anne at a dead-end job or join his girlfriend in Winnipeg? Richard can’t seem to decide.

Things go from bad to worse when his great-uncle Alfred has a stroke, for the old man is like a grandfather to him. As Alfred’s condition deteriorates, Richard spends time with his relatives in both Ste. Anne and Winnipeg.

The plot thickens when he learns much more about Métis history through the stories family members tell about land disputes, long-kept secrets and the suppression of French-language rights. Armed with this newfound knowledge, Richard must then confront his sentiments about being Métis and make some important decisions.

Written in nimble, sure-footed prose, Tétreault’s first-person narrative consists of four sections that occasionally hopscotch back and forth in time. The opening chapters introduce us to the Ste. Anne community during Richard’s search for his dad to tell him about Alfred. The second part takes place in Winnipeg during Alfred’s hospitalization. Set in both Winnipeg and Ste. Anne, the third and fourth portions deal with further developments in the lives of Richard and his family.

Throughout the novel, Tétreault’s keen ear for dialogue is well evidenced in the use of French spoken by the townspeople. By interspersing their version of the language with some English, he provides readers with a context for the verbal exchanges. As well, he immerses us in the cadences and idiosyncrasies of language, thus authenticating and enriching the novel.

Furthermore, the use of sensory images enhance the story. “Fresh worry lines seemed to etch themselves around the eyes. Red River gumbo in a drought, cracked and red,” Tétrault writes in a description of Richard’s mother; in another passage the shingles of an old farmhouse “fluttered like a bad combover.”

The well-chosen title refers to the lengthy silence in Richard’s family about the past; “hold your tongue” also serves as a strong appeal to the Métis to maintain and preserve their language.

Tétreault’s debut novel demonstrates his talent as a storyteller by spinning an engaging tale about many important issues in Métis identity and culture.

Bev Sandell Greenberg is a Winnipeg writer and editor.

Matthew Tétrault launches Hold Your Tongue at McNally Robinson Booksellers’ Grant Park location on Friday, May 26 at 7 p.m. in conversation with author Chantal Fiola.