The trickster figure in native mythology has many different roles and characteristics, which Tomson Highway demonstrates in his play The Rez Sisters. Being so ambiguous, the trickster is made up of various qualities, which are often contradicting. One of Nanabush’s roles Highway uses in the play is preparing Marie-Adele for death. Nanabush, being a trickster, makes fun of the women and plays tricks on them. Highway also uses Nanabush to mimic the audience’s feelings when Zhaboonigan describes her rape. Nanabush is used to carry out several tasks in both Native Mythology and in Highway’s play.

Native Mythology centers on a spiritual figure known as the ‘trickster’. This figure is known as Nanabush in Ojibway, Weesageechjak in Cree and Coyote in English. A literary study on American passages declares that, “Trickster figures in native mythology are characterized by paradox, duality, cleverness, shape-shifting duplicity and a knack for survival” (Annenberg). The trickster is completely ambiguous but completely fun loving as well. Tomson Highway describes Nanabush as being able to “assume any guise he chooses. Essentially a comic, clownish sort of character,

Tomson Highway assigns Nanabush the job of “prepar(ing) cancer-stricken Marie-Adele for her death” (Rabillard, 13). During Nanabush’s first appearance in the play, in the guise of seagull, he beckons Marie-Adele to “come” (Rez, 19). As Marie-Adele is close to death she “can sort of (though not quite) recognize him for who he is” (Rez, 18). Marie-Adele tells him “Neee. I can’t fly away. I have no wings. Yet.” (Rez, 19) Nanabush meets Marie-Adele again on the side of the road on the way to the biggest bingo in the world. This time, in the form of a nighthawk, he attacks her. The other women “ease (her) back into the van” and go on with their journey (Rez, 94). The final time Marie-Adele meets Nanabush is when “The Bingo Master says “Bingo” into her ear. And the Bingo Master changes, with sudden bird-like movements, into the nighthawk, Nanabush in dark feathers” (Rez, 103) and he “escorts Marie-Adele into the spirit world” (Rez, 104).

Aside from Marie-Adele, Zhaboonigan is the only other woman in the play, who can see Nanabush. Zhaboonigan is able to see him because she is ‘different’ from the others. She is mentally disabled, and therefore beholds this gift. Zhaboonigan recaps a traumatic experience, at which time “Nanabush goes through agoniz

Some topics in this essay:
Tomson Highway, Annie Zhaboonigan, Sisters Nanabush, Bingo Master, Rez Sisters, Coyote English, Nanabush Zhaboonigan, Yet” Rez, Marie-Adele Nanabush, Sheila Rabillard, native mythology, tomson highway, confusion nanabush, rez sisters, trickster figure native, audience’s reaction, play rez, highway play, bingo master, dry lips, death nanabush, native mythology roles, play rez sisters, figure native mythology, audience’s reaction zhaboonigan’s,