Research Paper on:
Community in Medicine River by Thomas King

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
A great deal of the novel, which relates an intricately woven story about belonging and it means to come home, deals with what it means to be part of a  community. Rose Horse Capture, Wills mother, married a white man, which means that under Canadian law, she gave up her status as  a Native American. The Anglo law is specifically designed to enforce a patriarchal lineage system. Had Wills father been Blackfoot and his mother white, his status as a Native American  would have been untouched. As it is, Will, his brother and mother are prevented from living on the reserve. However, Will moves back to Medicine River when his mother dies.  Will identifies himself as Native American. Nevertheless, even though his heritage is as strong as anyones on the reserve, he suffers because of the orientation of the law. This illustrates  when Wills friend Harlen Bigbear takes him around to local banks to apply for a loan to open a photography studio.  This turns out to be a difficult enterprise because of Wills mixed blood status, and that the fact that he is only Native American on his mothers side. The first  place that Will checks out in regards to a loan is the Department of Indian Affairs. Whitney Oldcrow shakes his head and explains to Harlen that his office cannot make  loans to non-status Indians. He was apologetic, but that was the way it was (King 99). Despite his problems as a non-status  Native American, and as his move back to Medicine River suggests, Will abandons his white heritage to pursue his Blackfoot roots. However, despite this resolution that is much that