Naval history meets Indigenous voices in new novel

Kate Bandura, 
Lookout Contributor 

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In a groundbreaking novel, former naval officer Ron Thompson bridges the gap between Canada’s maritime history and Indigenous perspectives, offering readers a fresh look at a pivotal moment in the nation’s past.

The Wind From All Directions (TWFAD), published by military-focused Double Dagger Books, delves into the 1792 Nootka Crisis, a territorial dispute between Britain and Spain that played out on the traditional lands of the Mowachaht people on Vancouver Island’s west coast.

 

Thompson, who trained as a naval officer in Esquimalt, brings his military experience to bear in crafting a narrative that resonates with both history buffs and naval enthusiasts.

 

“I wanted to understand the day-to-day challenges facing George Vancouver, leading a multi-year voyage of exploration while tasked with a piece of highly sensitive diplomacy; or Quadra, pursuing Spain’s ambitions; or Chief Maquinna, defending his people’s interests against all the competing newcomers,” Thompson said.

 

The novel centers on British naval officer George Vancouver’s diplomatic mission to meet Spanish commodore Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra. However, what sets TWFAD apart is its commitment to presenting the Indigenous perspective alongside the European narratives.

 

Thompson’s portrayal of Maquinna, chief of the Mowachaht, offers a nuanced view of Indigenous leadership in the face of colonial expansion.

 

“He recognized all the newcomers to his territory as both a threat and an opportunity, and he tried to strike a middle path,” Thompson explains.

 

Aware of the sensitivities surrounding non-Indigenous authors writing Indigenous stories, Thompson undertook extensive research, including consultations with Mowachaht elders and a visit to Yuquot, the traditional home of the Mowachaht.

 

“The Indigenous perspective was by far the most difficult to portray,” Thompson says. “I drew on the available ethnographies and commentaries to create characters and imagined their concerns at an individual, personal level. I wanted to portray these characters as rounded, real people, with human strengths and frailties, not cardboard cutouts or stereotypes.”

 

Thompson’s commitment to authenticity led him to share the manuscript with a Mowachaht elder before publication.

 

“The Mowachaht elder made one suggestion — to change a name, which I did,” he said. “I was pleased that they commended my efforts and didn’t find anything disrespectful or objectionable in my work.”

 

The author’s unique approach to historical fiction extends to his portrayal of George Vancouver, reimagining the explorer as a complex individual grappling with what we might now recognize as PTSD. This psychological insight adds depth to the naval narrative and highlights the personal toll of military service.

 

TWFAD has struck a chord with military readers, earning praise from retired Royal Canadian Navy Rear Admirals. Thompson sees his work as filling a significant gap in Canadian literature.

 

“Novels with military subject matter aren’t fashionable in Canada,” he says. “I think that’s because few contemporary novelists have had much to do with the military. And yet, our military history is rich. There are plenty of great Canadian military stories just waiting to be told.”

 

One of the most intriguing aspects of Thompson’s research was his discovery of the true meaning of a historical figure’s dying words, spoken in Nuu-chah-nulth.

 

“When I visited Nootka Sound, I spoke to a Mowachaht elder who gave me the correct translation of the man’s last words. I wove them into the novel,” Thompson revealed.

 

The novel’s title itself reflects its Indigenous roots. ‘The Wind From All Directions’ is the English translation of Yuquot, which means ‘wind comes from all directions’ in Nuu-chah-nulth, Thompson explains.

 

“Given the conflict at the heart of the book, and the lengthy efforts to defuse it, that definition served a double purpose,” he concludes.

 

With hints of a potential trilogy based on Vancouver’s voyage, readers can look forward to more meticulously researched and engagingly told tales from this period of Canadian history. As Thompson puts it, Canadian history is full of unknown stories that deserve to be told.

The Wind From All Directions is available now through major online retailers and CANEX stores nationwide.