Anishinaabe author and journalist up next for MoD Talks

Written By Paula Brown

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Museum of Dufferin (MoD) will be welcoming Anishinaabe author and journalist, Waubgeshig Rice, as their next guest in a new upcoming session of MoD Talks series. 

The MoD Talks session with Rice will be held on Sept. 10 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Museum of Dufferin, located at 936029 Airport Rd., in Mulmur. 

“It's a big honour to be invited to share as part of the series. I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to talk about my work, my background and my overall experience with the community there, and connect with the readers,” Rice told the Free Press. 

Using Rice's novel Moon of the Crusted Snow as a jumping off point, the discussion will touch on topics of fiction literature, history, the wider current issues related to indigenous community, and a how the future may look.  

“I'll do a couple of readings from Moon of the Crusted Snow and hopefully that'll get the wheels turning as to some questions they may have about the book, about Anishinaabe storytelling, or indigenous literature in general or even some of the deeper themes the book explores like colonialism, displacement, and the impacts of those things on Anishinaabe people,” said Rice.  “Most importantly the premise of the book really is reconnecting with the land around you and finding comfort and protection in the land, your family and in your community, in a time of crisis, and how those strong bonds can help lead you out of dark times.” 

Rice is originally from Wasauksing First Nation, near Parry Sound, and his works are directly influenced by his upbringing in his community. Rice's first short story collection, Midnight Sweatlodge, was inspired by his experiences growing up in an Anishinaabe community, and won an Independent Publishers Book Award in 2012. His debut novel, Legacy, was published in 2014 and was followed by his 2018 breakout book, Moon of the Crusted Snow, a dystopian novel about a northern Anishinaabe community who must return to traditional practices to survive a power outage during winter. 

Rice is in the process of completing a sequel to Moon of the Crusted Snow, which will take place about 10 years after the ending of the first book. 

“I'm excited for readers of the first book to have the opportunity to spend more time with these characts and this world, once the book is out,” said Rice. 

The sequel is expected to be released in Fall of 2023. 

Booklore will be on-site at the event selling Rice's books. 

Tickets for the upcoming MoD Talk featuring Waubgeshig Rice can be purchased for $25 through the Museum of Dufferin website – dufferinmuseum.com/events/.