Taapoategl & Pallet

A Mi’kmaq Journey of Loss & Survival

Peter J. Clair

Winner of the 2017 New Brunswick Book Awards for fiction.

The practice and celebration of storytelling is a touchstone of cultural survival for Indigenous people right across Canada. With Taapoategl & Pallet, Peter Clair adds his voice to this narrative tradition and makes a contribution to Indigenous literature.

The Mi’kmaq culture was one of many disrupted by European colonizers. The effect of this disruption and the long path of recovery are at the centre of this book, along with numerous stories from the Mi’kmaq oral tradition.

This novel is a work of imagination. It creates the parallel stories of Taapoategl, starting in the mid 18th century, and Pallet, starting in the mid 20th century. Taapoategl’s story is one of incredible faithfulness to culture and family. Pallet’s story is one of a wilderness quest for personal and cultural identity. The stories of Taapoategl and Pallet converge in a dramatic an unforgettable way.

About the Author

Peter J. Clair was born in Elsipogtog, New Brunswick in the Nigmag territory of Signigtog. He now lives in Tobique, NB. He has worked for much of his life at the traditional craft of ash splint basket making. He has created original product designs for a variety of uses. His baskets have been exhibited in several galleries. Taapoategl & Pallet is his first book.

Paperback • 228 pages • $25 (CAD) $20 (USD) • ISBN 978-1-988299-11-2 • Published 2017/08/29