Drew Hayden Taylor is one of Canada’s leading playwrights. But he’s also much more than that. An Ojibway from Ontario's Curve Lake First Nations, he’s a humorist, filmmaker, screenwriter and perhaps most of all, an astute commentator on what it is to be a 21st Century Native North American. With awards, 70 productions of his plays throughout the world and 18 books to his credit, his essay, “Running in Good Company” tackles the issue of what it is to be a “half-breed.”  Not something usually discussed in polite company, to be sure, and not something usually handled with directness and humor simultaneously. It’s dead-on and it’s classic Drew.

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Running in Good Company

by Drew Hayden Taylor

I find it interesting that the whole concept of being "mixed blood" or  a "half-breed" can still, in this day and age, evolve into a volatile discussion, just over the usage of the terms. There are people out there that  firmly and confidently believe, rightly or wrongly, that  there is no such thing as a "half-breed," because either you are or aren't something. You can't be "half" something. Same principal I  suppose as being half pregnant. However, I must disagree on principle (not the half pregnant part though). There have been way too many times  that I've been half broke, half-cut or half in the bag.  I've had ideas that were half-baked. I've been called a half-wit. Occasionally I've gone off half-cocked, but that's between me and my girlfriends. Many times I've had half-a-mind to order just a half-dozen donuts. And given half-a-chance, I've probably been half way there many times. And that ain't the half-of-it.

Same with being "mixed blood."  Unless I'm mistaken, it's still all red and white corpuscles. Same selection of blood types.  So the logical question is… what do you mix it with? I have heard of people having ice in their veins but that seems a little farfetched. And in my profession, you always meet people who claim to have theatre in their blood, the poor fools. But what does all this really mean in the end?

Over the years I've pondered the wonders and issues of being a member of such a controversial delegation. Much has been written about this particular debate over the years and no doubt, much more will be written about it in the coming decades. But what has caught my interest is the fact that, using a legal term, there has been precedence for notable and famous people in literature and history that have set the bar high for those of us of dual culture. And it's been a strong and established precedence. These are people who, merely by being born, have seen fit to make the world a better place through no action of their own except via the relationships of their prior generation.

Where would the world be without us? It would be a very dull place for sure. Look at all the famous half breeds that permeate the world's culture, literature and belief systems. I could be here all week writing examples but I will limit myself to two specific categories.

Confessing my geek heritage, I'd like to introduce Star Trek's Spock into the discussion - undoubtedly one of the most famous pop icons that immediately come to mind. The product of a human mother and Vulcan father has made him into one of the more interesting characters in Science Fiction and television - an individual of split cultural drives. Same with Star Trek - Voyager's Belanna Torres, human father and Klingon mother. The constant battle between her two competing sides directly influences her character and makes her fun to watch. By comparison, the other mono-heritaged members of the crews seem almost boring. This "mixed-blood" aspect adds spice to the show and inter-relations. Except of course for The Next Generations Deanna Troi whose mother was Betazoid and father was human which made her 100% boring… but the show was rather fond of displaying her cleavage. So as a halfbreed, I guess one boob was human and the other was Betazoid. And if that particular breast was true to her Betazoid heritage (which meant she was empathic - she could feel what other people around her could feel), her boob could feel what other boobs around her could feel. Now that could be a good or bad thing, depending on the social context around her.

On a more mythological and religious level, theology is ripe with interesting "mixed-bloods". In Greek lore, Hercules was the product of an illicit liaison between Alcmene, his mortal mother, and Zeus, Grand Chief of the Greek Gods. What did this double heritage do for him? Give him biceps that could crack walnuts and a life full of adventure. You find that with many of us "half-breeds".

Closer to my Ojibway home, there's our own beloved Nanabush (or Nanaboozoo) himself. His father was the West Wind (hard to get child support there), and a human mother who was swept (or blown) off her feet. Evidently the West Wind brought more than just a Chinook. Again, it provided a life of adventure and fame for Mr. Nanabush, one I am trying to emulate.

And of course, there's the granddaddy "half-breed' of them all. His mother was Jewish, and his father was the big guy himself, God. I am talking of course about a fellow named Jesus Christ, you may have heard of him - he was in all the papers. He had a biography out some time ago and his birthday is a national holiday. As a "half-breed" mentor/hero, he did pretty good for himself over the years. However noble his gesture was, I would still prefer to die in my sleep.

So I guess us "half-breeds" walk in illustrious company. We make life interesting for sure. There is a noble brotherhood. The next time anybody gives us any flak about it, we'll just walk away… across the water.

Copyright 2007 Drew Hayden Taylor
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