Crazy Dave

Through the story of his Uncle David and grandmother Rosa, renowned native writer and storyteller Basil Johnston offers a funny, affectionate, and unforgettable portrait of reservation life. David, the last of Rosa's five sons, was born with Down syndrome. Unable to care for himself, he and the indomitable Rosa were to be forever bound together, joined by love and necessity in a life already defined by harsh, sometimes tragic circumstances. And yet, David was remarkable. Strong, stubborn, and utterly determined, he aspired to learn, to be a part of a world in which he would never entirely belong. In that regard, he was and remains a poignant and unsettling reflection of his people, who had fled Wisconsin in the 1830s to seek sanctuary with the Ojibway farther north in what became Canada. With great resourcefulness and integrity, they struggled to sustain and preserve families, a language, and a way of life, while accommodating the increasingly intrusive demands of white society. Woven of story and recollection -- the author's own, his family's, and those of others who were there -- this memoir remembers and pays loving tribute to a family, a community, and a culture.