A Secret Lost In The Water Analysis

The memoirs, Keeper’n Me and A Secret Lost in the Water are reflections of an Indigenous childhood. However, each memoir focuses on a different example. For example, Keeper’n Me focuses on discrimination and the loss and gain of cultural identity. Whereas, A Secret lost in the Water focuses on a personal conflict.

The characters in both memoirs are Indigenous men, reflecting back to their childhood experiences and observing the consequences of their choices and fate. Both men, however, have a different perspective on life. George Littlechild, who is the person based on the character in Keeper’n Me is surrounded by discrimination at an early age and feels forced to lose his cultural identity. He states, “I endured much racism for being First
In the Keeper’n Me we are introduced to Garnet Raven’s description of the overview of his life. “When I was three I disappeared. Disappeared into foster homes and never made it back until I was twenty-five.” Garnet endured traumatic situations, for example; Garnet’s family is violently removed from their reserve with no income and a bad reputation based on their ethnicity. Consequently, the children are forced into foster homes. However, in A Secret Lost in the Water the reader is introduced to the protagonist’s inner conflict. He wants to pursue an intellectual career and believes his father’s job as a dowser is inconsequential. His father teaches him the skill but as he gets older he forgets. The father dies shortly, and soon an opportunity presents itself to the son to film a documentary of his childhood community. While the son works, a farmer sheds light on his father’s extraordinary gift of the water. Soon after, the son feels remorse for refusing the gift. Each story moves forward compellingly. However, the Keeper’n Me travels in a larger space of shameful history but A Secret Lost in the Water travels in the inner space of personal