Rez Sisters- What Influences a Person's Values

A person’s values is a central topic in The Rez Sisters. Throughout the play, we see how the values of the women’s values change and grow as influenced by three main things: Wealth, family, and faith.

Firstly, the wealth of the sisters has a great influence on their values. The women live on an impoverished reserve on Manitoulin Island, and are very poor. Near the beginning of the book, Pelajia says to Philomena, “Everyone here’s crazy. No jobs. Nothing to do but drink and screw each other’s wives and husbands and forget about our Nanabush.” The men in the lives of the women have to leave the reserve to find work, leaving the women behind with no opportunities. As you can imagine, the poverty of the reserve had become too much for some to cope with. It caused many people to expel important values, such as health, culture, and faith, and replace them with shallow substitutes, like alcohol and sex. Further, the bingo became a value and a priority for everyone, as it was relied upon to bring them some kind of income. Overall, the lack of wealth of the people on the reserve had many negative influences on their values.

Even though the wealth of the rez sisters didn’t change much throughout the play, their sense of family did, and it helped change their values. Before they went to Toronto, the group got into a big fight, and their relationships seemed strained and tense. However, they went through a lot between then and the bingo. All the fundraising they did, the flat tire they had to overcome, and the deep conversations they had on the drive strengthened their relationship and changed some of their values. For example, Emily, who was always rough around the edges, appears to change as a character when she tells Zhaboonigan to stick with her in Toronto, and she won’t let anyone bother her. She displays new kindness as the group gets closer. Further, at the bingo, when the women throw the bingo machine into the lake, it is symbolic that they do not want to rely on the game to bring them happiness anymore. I believe that as they got closer throughout their journey, they realized that they needed and valued each other more than bingo, or alcohol, or Big Joey. Their sense of family had a big impact on what they valued most.

With Marie-Adele’s passing at the end of the bingo, the women were changed through faith. Earlier in the play, only Marie-Adele and Zhaboonigan can see Nanabush, as everyone else seems to have lost connection to their faith. This was another cause of their shallow values. With no connection to their faith or culture, they began to value lesser things. Now, at Marie-Adele’s grave, Pelajia says, “I figure we gotta make the most of it while we’re here. You certainly did. And I sure as hell am giving it one good try, for all of us. See you when that big bird finally comes for me.” At this point, Pelajia is rediscovering a sense of purpose, and a reconnection to her faith. Saying she’s going to make the most of the rest of her life shows how this new spiritual connection has changed her values.

The same influencing factors for the rez sisters exist in areas such as Attawapiskat. According to a 2015 Statistics Canada census, the percentage of people aged 15 and older who had employment income was only 57.8%. This level of unemployment had similar effects as in the play, as Attawapiskat became infamous for its suicide crisis in 2016. Further, another survey of the region found that 30.17% of residents have no religious affiliation, and only 0.61% are connected to Indigenous spirituality. Almost all of the remaining 70% are Christian. Also, the alcoholism in the area caused abuse and separation between family members. These are the exact same issues that influenced the values of the women in The Rez Sisters.


Works Cited

Attawapiskat Declares State of Emergency. National Observer, 10 Apr. 2016, www.nationalobserver.com/2016/04/10/news/attawapiskat-first-nation-declares-state-emergency-after-suicide-attempts. Accessed 10 June 2018.

“Attawapiskat Religion.” AreaScore, 2018, areascore.ca/area/attawapiskat_on/religion_religious-faith-statistics. Accessed 10 June 2018.

Bingo Balls. VideoBlocks, www.videoblocks.com/video/colourful-lottery-balls-in-a-rotating-bingo-machine-different-numbers-on-a-red-digital-monitor-rudb-v5ieiy00rqhq. Accessed 10 June 2018.

“Census Profile, 2016 Census.” Statistics Canada, Government of Canada, 2016, www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=POPC&Code1=1497&Geo2=PR&Code2=10&Data=Count&SearchText=Attawapiskat%2091A&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&GeoLevel=PR&GeoCode=1497&TABID=1. Accessed 10 June 2018.

Highway, Tomson. The Rz Sisters. Markham, Fifth House, 1988.

Nanabush and the Ducks. Cube Gallery, www.cubegallery.ca/artists/daphne_odjig. Accessed 10 June 2018.