43 pages 1 hour read

Joseph Bruchac

Rez Dogs

Fiction | Novel/Book in Verse | Middle Grade | Published in 2021

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Background

Authorial Context: Joseph Bruchac

Joseph Bruchac is a proud citizen and member of the Elders Council of the Nulhegan Abenaki Nation, whose population is primarily located in New England and Southeast Canada. His deep connections to his Abenaki heritage heavily influence his writing, illustrated in his contemporary novel in verse, Rez Dogs.

In 2022, Bruchac gave a talk at his alma mater, Cornell University, where he shared his experiences of growing up in an era where being Inigenous was not something to be proud of: “People wouldn’t call attention to their Native ancestry; they kept a low profile and tried to blend in […] My grandfather used to visit his relatives in Vermont, but never talked about being Native. He’d tell everyone he was French Canadian” (“Joseph Bruchac ’64, BA ’65, Explores the Native American Experience.” The College of Arts & Sciences, 6 Jan. 2022). Bruchac is passionate about Indigenous topics. He adds that as recently as the 1980s, when he identified as Indigenous or drew attention to Indigenous issues, he “was very much out of the mainstream” (“Joseph Bruchac ’64, BA ’65, Explores the Native American Experience.” The College of Arts & Sciences, 6 Jan.

Related Titles

By Joseph Bruchac

Study Guide

logo

Birdfoot’s Grampa

Joseph Bruchac

Birdfoot’s Grampa

Joseph Bruchac

Study Guide

logo

Ellis Island

Joseph Bruchac

Ellis Island

Joseph Bruchac

Plot Summary

logo

Killer of Enemies

Joseph Bruchac

Killer of Enemies

Joseph Bruchac

Study Guide

logo

Skeleton Man

Joseph Bruchac

Skeleton Man

Joseph Bruchac

Plot Summary

logo

The Heart of a Chief

Joseph Bruchac

The Heart of a Chief

Joseph Bruchac

Study Guide

logo

Two Roads

Joseph Bruchac

Two Roads

Joseph Bruchac