Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing
- Publisher
- Fifth House Books
- Initial publish date
- Oct 1989
- Category
- Canadian
- Recommended Age
- 16
- Recommended Grade
- 11
-
Paperback / softback
- ISBN
- 9781897252833
- Publish Date
- Dec 2010
- List Price
- $12.95
-
Paperback / softback
- ISBN
- 9780920079553
- Publish Date
- Oct 1989
- List Price
- $12.95
Classroom Resources
Where to buy it
Description
Nominee, Governor General's Literary Award for DramaDry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing tells another story of the mythical Wasaychigan Hill Indian Reserve, also the setting for Tomson Highway's award winning play The Rez Sisters. Wherein The Rez Sisters the focus was on seven "Wasy" women and the game of bingo, Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing features seven "Wasy" men and the game of hockey. It is a fast-paced story of tragedy, comedy, and hope.
About the author
Tomson Highway was born near Maria Lake, Manitoba in 1951. His father, Joe, was a hunter, fisherman and sled-dog racer, and his family lived a nomadic lifestyle. With no access to books, television or radio, Highway’s parents would tell their children stories; thus began Highway’s life-long interest in the oral tradition of storytelling. When he was six, Highway was taken from his family and placed in residential school in The Pas; he subsequently went to high school in Winnipeg and then travelled to London to study at the University of Western Ontario, earning a music degree in 1975 and a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1976. Instead of becoming a professional concert musician as he had at one point contemplated, however, Highway decided instead to dedicate his life to the service of his people. Fluent in Cree, English and French, he was for six years the artistic director of Native Earth Performing Arts, the first and most enduring Native professional company in Canada which he also helped found. From 1975 to 1978 Highway worked as a cultural worker for the Native Peoples’ Resource Centre. He has worked for the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Culture and also for the Ontario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres as a program analyst. From 1983 to 1985 he worked as a freelance theatre artist before becoming the artistic director of the De-ba-jeh-mu-jig Theatre Company in 1986. He has been writer-in-residence at the University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, and Concordia University. Tomson Highway is widely recognized for his tremendous contribution to the development of Aboriginal theatre in both Canada and around the world. In 1994, he was inducted into the Order of Canada, the first Aboriginal writer to be so honoured.
Librarian Reviews
Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing
This powerful and complex play focuses on the lives of seven “Wasy” men living on the Wasaychiga Hill Indian Reserve on Manitoulin Island, and the game of hockey.We watch these men cope with their reality in a dominant white society. The playwright candidly presents some of the serious social issues facing Aboriginal communities: alcoholism, fetal alcohol syndrome and a sense of identity. Life often seems futile for them but through their bond of friendship and their ability to find humour in their daily lives, they prove resilient even in the face of tragedy. Cree and Ojibwy are used throughout.This play won the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Best New Play and was nominated for the Governor General’s Literary Award.
Caution: Contains coarse language and accounts of violence against women.
Source: The Association of Book Publishers of BC. Canadian Aboriginal Books for Schools. 2008-2009.
