Rez Dogs

One morning, Malian looks out of her bedroom window at her grandparents’ house on the Penacook reservation and sees a dog lying on the driveway looking back at her—just like the one from her dream. Malian calls the dog Malsum and greets him from the doorway: “‘Kwai, Kwai, nidoba.’ Hello, hello, my friend” (2). Malsum is the “old name” for a wolf, and the dog looks like a wolf except for the two white spots above his eyes.

Grandma Frances silently appears beside Malian and whispers “Four-eyed dog” before chucking and commenting that the dog seems to have chosen them. Malian wants to approach the dog, but Grampa Roy tells her to be careful. He says that he will be right behind her, and Malian reminds him that he must stay inside. There is an order to shelter because of the spreading virus, COVID-19, and elderly people have been advised to stay inside. Malian is still at her grandparents’ house weeks after her “weekend” visit because of the countrywide lock down, unable to return home.

Malian softly calls Malsum. The big dog comes over, looks straight into Malian’s eyes, and licks her hand.