Tomson Highway

Laura Moss (University of British Columbia)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 3.1.5: Indigenous Writing and Culture of North America - Canada.
Vol. editors: Renate Eigenbrod (University of Manitoba), Sarah Henzi (Simon Fraser University), Padraig Kirwan (Goldsmiths College, University of London), Glen Nichols (Mount Allison University), Wendy Roy (University of Saskatchewan), Denis Salter (McGill University), Karis Shearer (University of British Columbia)

Dates

Born 6 Dec 1951
Activity 1971-ongoing

Places

Born in Canada
Active in Canada

Cultural Identities

First Nations/Indigenous Canadian

Activities

Primary

Novelist
Playwright / Dramatist

Resources

Highway's Works

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Tomson Highway was born on December 6, 1951, in a tent on his family’s trapline in northern Manitoba, Canada. His father was a trapper/ fisherman and a legendary dog-sled racer. Joe Highway won the World Dog Derby at The Pas Trappers’ Festival nine months before Highway was born. Until the age of six, Highway lived with his family off the land, trapping in winter and fishing in summer. In an interview he has stated that “the first six years of my life were magic. I had the trapline, the dog sleds, the caribou. My first diaper was rabbit skin. I had my parents . . . . Their love, dignity, and respect built me a house on solid rock. After that, anything could happen, but nothing could tear that house down.”

As a six year old he was sent to a Roman Catholic boarding school in The

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1046 words

Citation: Moss, Laura. "Tomson Highway". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 March 2001 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2133, accessed 19 April 2024.]

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