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In THE LAST REPORT ON THE MIRACLES AT LITTLE NO HORSE, Louise Erdrich proves once
again that she is a masterful storyteller. The author of the National Book Critics Circle
Award-winning novel LOVE MEDICINE returns to the fictional North Dakota Ojibwe reservation
of Little No Horse and its vigorous, flawed, sometimes supernaturally gifted residents
Lulu Lamartine, Nanapush, and Fleur Pillager.
The narrative is framed by a Vatican-initiated inquiry into the possible sainthood of
Sister Leopolda. The star witness in the inquiry, and central character of this story, is
the missionary priest who remembers her all too clearly: Father Damien…formerly Agnes
DeWitt…formerly Sister Cecelia. In the very first pages of the novel, we are
introduced to the kindly, elderly Father Damien and the secret of his gender. Father
Damien arrived at the Little No Horse reservation under false but well-intentioned
pretenses and carried out the work of the church by converting inhabitants to Catholicism.
By turn he questioned their spiritual philosophy, forgave their trespasses and, finally,
took to his heart the Anishinaabeg's way of life.
Erdrich knowledgeably and compassionately conveys the desperation of life on the
reservation: the alcoholism, poverty, and exodus of its youth. At the same time, we soon
see past the descriptions of the poor meals eaten and the horrific North Dakota winters
endured and become caught up in the trials and triumphs of their lives --- which are
always, in Erdrich's novels, the triumphs and tribulations of human spirits everywhere ---
and forget the dramatic difference between that environment and ours. Having grown up in
the same region as Erdrich, the Red River Valley of Minnesota, I recognize the landscape:
the frozen fields, the black skeletal oak trees of winter, the humble wild rice stands on
the edges of small reservation towns. But as a reader, the vivid landscape recedes to the
fringes of one's vision while the exploits of Sister Leopolda and Fleur Pillager take
center stage. This is part of Erdrich's gift: to portray in an exacting, impressive way a
landscape that is alien to most in such a way that it begins to feel natural to us and,
finally, to become secondary to the universal human experiences that take place there.
Father Damien's presence on the reservation brings into focus the white man's forced and
forceful role in reservation society. The strict rules of Catholicism do not mesh easily
with Native American spirituality. At times, the two could not seem more different. But
Father Damien's mission becomes transmuted by his ongoing interaction with the Ojibwe and
he occasionally questions --- in his conversations with the wise and wily Nanapush ---
whether his goal of conversion is indeed the right thing. When Father Damien attempts to
resolve the personal and religious issues that trouble him most by writing letters to the
Pope in Rome, mailing them off in faith and receiving no response, he cannot help but
admit the reality, the tangibility of the Native American spirituality before him, in the
earth, in the rocks and trees. Life inside the rectory and the convent, shown from 1920 to
1996 in this novel, is a world of courageous perseverance in the face of doubt and
compassion for all, despite petty interior squabbles.
Father Damien's goal on the reservation shifts during his 75-year tenure, from baptizing
as many Native Americans as possible to bestowing forgiveness on every confessor he comes
across. Forgiveness is a spiritual need Father Damien finds, as he contends with his own
mortal sins. Seeing that everyone from the most devout parishioner to the most pagan
resident has human failings, Father Damien realizes that neither gender nor religious
denomination dictate the make-up of the soul, and he sets about righting the crippling
burdens of guilt that crush those around him.
One of the most fruitful friendships he has on the reservation, in fact, is with the
blissfully pagan and deliciously sly Nanapush. Nanapush debates with Father Damien matters
of the spirit, shares funny stories and Native American myths and, most importantly, lives
a life of truth rather than piety. In a game of chess with Nanapush one day, Father Damien
is paralyzed with fear when Nanapush indicates that he knows the secret of Father Damien's
identity…but in a reverse turn beautifully executed by Erdrich, Father Damien
realizes through his tears that Nanapush has only used the revelation to distract him from
the chess game. Nanapush accepts Father Damien's spirit regardless of what is underneath
his cassock. Faced with this instinctive humanitarian response, Father Damien is
flabbergasted and inspired.
The threads of this story's beautiful, complex tapestry are strengthened by humanity and
colored by humor. Myths and anecdotes such as the tragically hilarious incident involving
undercooked beans, moose droppings, and the love of a tough woman, all of which result in
Nanapush's death, are thankfully the norm with Erdrich. Long live Nanapush!
--- Reviewed by Stephanie Sorensen
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