The Good Walk

Matthew Anderson was born to settlers on Treaty 4 territory near the Cypress Hills area. He now teaches part-time at both St. Francis Xavier and Concordia universities. Anderson is the author of several books, including Our Home and Treaty Land (with Raymond Aldred). His pilgrimage podcast is "Pilgrimage Stories from Up and Down the Staircase," and more of his work can be found at SomethingGrand.ca and UnsettledWords.com.

A THANKSGIVING by Richard Kotowich INTRODUCTION: A New Story CHAPTER 1: Walking New Paths on Traditional Trails For Further Reading Old Montreal to Kahnawa:ke For Further Reading Fibbers and Fabulists For Further Reading CHAPTER 2: The Traders' Road, Treaty 4 Everett Baker and His Posts The North West Mounted Police Patrol Trail/Traders' Road Wood Mountain Post For Further Reading Val Marie to the Whitemud River Valley A Spirituality of Unsettling A Personal Reconciliation Eastend To Cypress Lake The Frontier Adventure Genre Cypress Lake to Fort Walsh For Further Reading CHAPTER 3: The Fort Battleford Trail, Treaty 6 New Shoes For Further Reading Swift Current to Fort Battleford The Fort Battleford Trail The Landing For Further Reading Mistahimaskwa (Big Bear) The Right of Responsible Access and the Canadian West The Bad Hills For Further Reading Mosquito-Grizzly Bear's Head-Lean Man First Nation Fort Battleford CHAPTER 4: More Prairie Trails The Good Walk on the Prairies Epilogue: The Frenchman's Trail ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS BIBLIOGRAPHY Archival Sources Web Materials Books and Articles INDEX

"Anderson has corrected his blindness of Indigenous historical presence of the land of his childhood - and taken strong steps towards sharing that knowledge...on the trail and in this book. Here is a story that deserves many readers - and many new trail walkers."-The Miramichi Reader "The Good Walk may change the perceptions of those it reaches by telling new stories about what Anderson calls "the repressed histories of the trails." ... [Anderson] frames his project as a small step in persuading Canadian society to live up to its obligations under Treaties 4 and 6 . . . It had that effect on me."-The Literary Review of Canada "Powerful and comprehensive, The Good Walk traverses and sits with the history, land, people, and iconic pathways of rural Canada."-Foreword Reviews "Anderson's work is visceral, approachable, and hopeful...mandatory reading for anyone seeking to understand the prairies of Canada."-Saskatchewan Book Awards Creative Saskatchewan Publishing Award Juror Citation "Anderson observes and savors all the spirits and souls of life." -Louise B. Halfe, author of Sky Dancer "Unsettles all our precious notions of a peaceable history with wisdom, erudition, and such good grace." -Trevor Herriot, author of Towards a Prairie Atonement "Step by thoughtful step, The Good Walk guides us through the minefield of western Canada history."-Candace Savage, author of A Geography of Blood "This book is a powerful meditation on land, history, and reconciliation." -Kristin Enns-Kavanagh, Executive Director, Saskatchewan History & Folklore Society