Julia rewrote her novel Copper Magic after criticism for stereotyping Anishinaabe characters, collaborating with Ojibwe elder Sandi L Boucher over five years to create Copper Stone. Sandi initially set strict boundaries, insisting on an observer role, but the repeated revisions transformed the characters and deepened cultural accuracy throughout the book.
Chapters
Good morning. When I was working on the book that this book used to be Copper Magic, I knew it was risky as a non Native to include Anishinaabe characters in my story. But the story had to do with who got to be in charge of a certain place not long after most Native people were forced away. Wouldn't the absence of Indigenous characters be erasure? How could I include them in a way that was right? Books and articles and documentaries and visits to sacred sites could only offer limited insight. I asked around, hoping to find an Indigenous scholar or historian or writer or activist or elder who would be willing to work with me on accuracy protocols, where to be? Hands off. But nothing panned out. At that time, the early 2000s, there was no industry or network of sensitivity readers. I forged on, doing my best to avoid cliche and misrepresentation. But I didn't feel altogether easy about the book when it was published. I wasn't completely surprised when it was criticized by a prominent Indigenous reviewer. I'd stepped where I had no business stepping. I'd presumed to understand the spiritual life and beliefs of an Anishinaabe woman from another century. I'd perpetuated the mystical Indian trope. When the book went out of print, I wondered if it could be possible to recreate the story, lose the stereotypes, make a new edition. I understood that I couldn't do that alone. I liked what I knew of Sandy Boucher's reconciliation work. Her book, the Path, presents a clear and challenging template for bridging Indigenous and mainstream worlds. I didn't dare to hope that she herself would work with me, but maybe she knew someone who would. We talked. She was interested in the possibility. I sent her the book. There was some cringy stuff in there, she said, but she was willing to help. I was giddy at my good fortune. The process was joyful. Her notes and our conversations opened me to a different understanding of relationships between Anishinaabe people and the unseen. She was clear, kind, creative, patient and witty. Working with her was, and is an honor. If I hadn't written Cover Magic, With all its missteps, I wouldn't have had the opportunity of getting to know Sandy. Her life's work, confronting and confounding injustice, teaching awareness and empowerment, and creating healing pathways is crucial. In this time, I'm grateful for the walk we took together to make the Copper Stone. We moved beneath cloudy skies that brightened as we made our way. And this is what we made together. Thank you, Sandy.
I met the Winter lady in the middle of a hot summer day in 2019, but I expected her for her visit was announced in a random email received received earlier that season. Julia was unknown to me, but it became apparent that I was known to her, first through a beloved friend and elder, and then through the words I post on a Facebook page. She was a fan of my messages of empowerment and fierce justice advocacy, and that worked for me. But it was her request that intrigued me. An invitation, if you will, to go on a journey with her to Blue Lake to visit Violet and Mercy and Ms. Nadia and the rest. But truth be told, my first visit left me uneasy. You see, as Anishinaabe Kwe, an Ojibwe woman, I am sensitive to stereotypes and the insane amount of misinformation about Indigenous peoples that is forever being regurgitated in written and spoken word. I have long advised that non Indigenous should not and cannot write in an Indigenous voice, for they lack the worldview and understanding needed to give validity to that voice. An observer role, however, is fine. That is how our journey began. Over the course of the next few years, I had the honor and privilege of walking with Julia through several amazing discussions and rewrites. With each revision, Violet and the others grew, now armed with the potential to bring me to sheer excitement, excitement and to tears. And it was a grand journey. Thanks to our work and Julia's amazing talent, I now believe she has created a journey that intrigues without disrespect, one that informs without misinformation, one that inspires a reader to learn more. The real truth, the honest truth, so often not found in the pages of a book, but perhaps located in the clear blue waters of a northern lake. Enjoy the journey. I know I did.
