Wiikwemkoong author inspired by Waubgeshig Rice to pen two books

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WIIKWEMKOONG—Dan Manitowabi has been a lifelong and avid reader, so much so that he started an online book club last fall—that decision led to him becoming an author himself.

Mr. Manitowabi relayed to The Expositor that his book club had invited Indigenous author Waubgeshig Rice to join one of their sessions. Mr. Rice is an Anishinaabe author, journalist, and public speaker from Wasauksing 91��˵�� whose work blends speculative fiction with themes of cultural resilience. He spent nearly two decades with CBC before focusing on writing full time. His books include the short story collection ‘Midnight Sweatlodge,’ the novel ‘Legacy’ and the post-apocalyptic bestsellers ‘Moon of the Crusted Snow’ and its sequel ‘Moon of the Turning Leaves.’ His storytelling is rooted in Anishinaabe traditions and has earned multiple awards, including the Debwewin Citation and the Evergreen Award.

“He was very encouraging,” said Mr. Manitowabi. Suddenly, something that had seemed so mysterious and daunting, writing for publication, was transformed into something attainable.

He started out writing a novel but soon found his premise more suited to a shorter novella format. He also discovered that short stories are a great way to hone the craft. The result was two books. One, ‘The Way Things Go,’ is a collection of short stories. His short bio on Amazon explains that well. “In Wikwemikong, stories don’t always arrive with clear beginnings or endings. Sometimes they appear in small moments — a strange set of tracks at King’s Bay, lights moving over Kaboni, a sound in the trees at night, or a conversation that lasts longer than expected. ‘The Way Things Go’ is a quiet, deeply rooted collection of interconnected stories set in and around Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory on Manitoulin Island. Blending everyday community life with humour, memory, mystery, and the unexplained, Dan Manitowabi captures a world where people still stop to talk, where roads hold stories, and where not everything needs to be fully understood to feel true. Across these stories are rez dogs who quietly patrol the community, meetings about matters no one fully explains, lake monsters, sky canoes, power outages, old teachings and people trying—often imperfectly—to be useful to one another. Written with restraint, warmth and a strong sense of place, ‘The Way Things Go’ is a collection about presence, responsibility and the quiet ways communities continue to hold themselves together.”

His novella, ‘The Quiet Walker’ is “a haunting northern thriller set in the forests of Manitoulin Island, where the line between fear, memory, and truth begins to disappear. When Benjamin Nodin agrees to guide his cousin Devin and two friends on a casual walk through the bush near Wiikwemkoong, he hides one dangerous truth: he does not know the land the way his late father once did. What begins as an afternoon hike slowly turns into something colder, stranger, and far more personal. As the group loses the trail and tensions rise, Ben is forced to confront the stories he ignored growing up—stories about the land, about honesty, and about a presence known only in whispers as Sabe… the Quiet Walker. Blending Indigenous storytelling, psychological tension and the stark beauty of Northern Ontario, ‘The Quiet Walker’ is a powerful novel about fear, pride, survival, and the difficult truth of becoming who you really are.”

Mr. Manitowabi grounds his work in the Seven Grandfather teachings and the vibrant traditions of Anishinaabe culture. “I try to weave local folklore and the storytelling I grew up with,” he said. He adds that he is also inspired by the works of W.P. Kinsella ‘Dance me Outside,’ the 1977 Wikipedia short story collection. The stories are narrated by Silas Ermineskin and focus on life for Cree individuals on an Alberta reserve.

Both of Mr. Manitowabi’s books offer a great summertime read, told in a cadence and style that are immanently readable and entertaining.

‘The Quiet Walker’ and ‘The Way Things Go’ are available in The Expositor book shop in Little Current.

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