Larry Loyie and James Bartleman As Long as the Rivers Flow

It is always noteworthy when an Aboriginal author is published. The former Governor General of Ontario, James Bartleman, has his first book out. It is a novel called As Long as the Rivers Flow. The overall theme is residential school and its effect on a person's life.

Thousands of readers are familiar with Larry Loyie's illustrated children's book As Long as the Rivers Flow (Groundwood). The book shares Larry Loyie's last traditional summer living with his Cree family in the northern forest, a life he loved. It ends with the poignant, memorable scene of a grain truck coming to pick Larry and his sisters up and taking them to residential school. An epilogue explains the meaning and purpose of residential school and Larry's experience. Larry Loyie's As Long as the Rivers Flow came out in 2002 and is still in print and going strong. It won the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction, as well as the First Nation Communities Read Honour Book. In 2010, it was one of four books chosen for major distribution by the Durham District School Board as part of their province-wide literacy program. (One of the other books chosen was its sequel Goodbye Buffalo Bay by Larry Loyie.) In 2010, it was one of only 20 Aboriginal titles chosen for distribution by the Belinda Stronach Foundation in laptops to schools across Canada.

Several years ago, Larry met James Bartleman at the first award ceremony for his Aboriginal youth writing competition. Larry gave James Bartleman a complimentary copy of Larry Loyie's As Long as the Rivers Flow. By the way, James Bartleman read from his manuscript at this event. At the time, he noted that he did not have a title yet.

Both books, by Larry Loyie and James Bartleman, are about residential school, which makes the same-title issue confusing. Larry's publisher, Groundwood, told us that titles can't be copyrighted. Constance talked to Bartleman's publisher a few months back to let them know about the same-title issue, and we were told they did not know of Larry Loyie's book As Long as the Rivers Flow.

Congratulation to James Bartleman, but there are two points to make:

Is it so hard to find an original title?

Why did the publisher not check if the title had been used before?

Especially since Bartleman's book is also about residential school?

Larry Loyie's As Long as the Rivers Flow is a classic children's book that has won its place in the hearts and minds of its readers of all ages. We hope you will read it.

You can also check out the reviews for the book on Larry Loyie's website: www.firstnationswriter.com. It includes study materials, photos of Larry Loyie in residential school, images from As Long as the Rivers Flow and more.

Larry Loyie also write a not-to-be-missed sequel, Goodbye Buffalo Bay (Theytus), a chapter book about his time in residential school and moving on. Please check out information about this readable, moving, dramatic, funny and uplifting book.

The images by Heather D. Holmlund in As Long as the Rivers Flow are moving, beautiful and instructive about traditional Aboriginal life. We are proud that Heather D. Holmlund will illustrate Larry Loyie's new book, The Moon Speaks Cree, coming out this fall from Theytus.