Tyler dreams of running marathons like his older cousin Robert. So when Robert arrives on the bus for the annual First Nations gathering, wearing a cowboy hat and a big smile, eager for his daily run, it's hard for Tyler to believe his favourite cousin is ill. At 21, Robert has HIV. By speaking out he hopes he can encourage an awareness of AIDS among the First Nations community. That's the set-up for The Gathering Tree (Theytus $19.95) co-authored by Larry Loyie and Constance Brissenden of Vancouver. During an outing to the zoo, Robert tells Tyler and his little sister, "I'm just like this tiger...locked up in a cage. We both want to be free but we're not."; Robert further explains why he can never be away from the city and his doctors for long periods. At the rural gathering, under the old tree that had welcomed his people for generations, Robert adds, "I thought I could run through life, winning trophies, partying, and that nothing bad would ever catch up with me. "[But to heal] I had to tell the truth and be open to others."; Later, when Tyler joins in an honor dance to support Robert, he suddenly understands that by just being part of his family, he's helping Robert stay strong. With illustrations by award-winning artist Heather D. Holmlund, The Gathering Tree was initiated by Chee Mamuk, an Aboriginal HIV/STI educational program. Co-author Larry Loyie spent his early years living a traditional Cree life before being placed in residential school. He received the 2001 Canada Post Literacy Award for Individual Achievement and is the author of Ora Pro Nobis (Pray For Us), a play about residential school, as well as the children's book As Long as the Rivers Flow (Groundwood). In 1993, Loyie (Cree name: skiniko/Young Man) and Constance Brissenden formed Living Traditions Writers Group to foster writing within First Nations communities. 1-894778-28-6

--by Louise Donnelly

[BCBW 2005] "Kidlit"