At last count, the population of the tiny community of Dog River that sits about twenty miles outside of Fort Smith in the Northwest Territories, was about fifty-nine. That's seventeen two-legged people, one stubby-eared cat by the name of Fat Jack, and about forty-nine four-legged dogs.
Jim Green, a former local broadcaster on CBC North Radio, draws upon the storytelling traditions of the Caribou Eater Chipewyan, Woodland Cree, Metis, and transplanted outport Labradorians to share a delightful collection of short tales that humorously showcase the people of Dog River. His Northern Bush stories offer an entertaining glimpse into such diverse characters as Charlie Peter Desjarlais as he ropes a buffalo in the middle of the river, six-year-old Marshall Jody McNeil confronting the moose called Brian Mulroney, Dora Beaulieu and her explosive recipe for Whole Low Bush Cranberry muffins, Grampa McNeil as he blows his chickens away with his ten-gauge goose gun, and Alphonse Desjarlais who somehow manages to drive his dogs for sixteen hours with his finger stuck up his nose.
The Owl and the Teacup is a volume of campfire tales that describe Northern living at its very best, when life was a simpler, more gentle experience.
