Janali Jones

And the way that the bill is framed, it's very like, oh, you know, this is for the benefit of the people and getting them good jobs and, you know, doing the best fiscally for the land and that sort of thing.

So it's quite nefarious in the way that they've drafted it.

But as you say, it's, you know, based on, you know, real legislation, a real bill.

And it's, you know, something you see all the time.

So it's

I found it quite a little bit confronting to read about that because it's like, oh, yeah, this again.

Yeah, I thought she was, it was interesting to introduce her and quite, yeah, quite late in the novel as well.

But it was good to get that perspective as well, because it's like she represents that kind of disconnect and for her coming onto the reservation, everything is different.

is new and that sort of thing and there's this part where she's talking about the funeral or wake or what have you and she's talking about, you know, the music and the chanting and that sort of thing and bringing her perspective whereas you've just kind of read scenes about it and there's not mention of it because it's something that's so culturally ingrained and Patrice wouldn't

find too much reason to dwell on that aspect of it because that's just normal for her, but having that outsider's point of view is interesting.

I feel characters like her and the Mormons were good to include because they present those different perspectives on life on the reservation.

Bladsome.

Yeah, yeah.

I don't want to speak ill against other people's religions, but I will say that it was also for me because as an Indigenous person, I often come across people who are like outside my framework or outside, you know, people who don't know Indigenous people and hearing their perspectives, it can be quite difficult.

you know, eye-opening or jarring or even insightful at times.

And having those, the Mormons in the book and having them come from that, such a drastically different perspective,

I thought that was a good device, a good way to access that.

But I think my favourite line of the book, and I wrote it down because I thought it was brilliant, was when the Mormons come to Thomas' house and he opens the door and one of them asks, have you ever wondered why you're here?

And Thomas says, no.

I was surprised that the Bill sort of plot wasn't more forefront throughout, but that was probably good because I probably would have found that boring despite being a lawyer.