Feast: A Gitksan Story

One week to grieve. One week to make final preparations. One week to celebrate a life.

Angie grew up in the busy city of Vancouver unaware of the rich culture of her people. After the divorce of her parents she now finds herself adapting to the quiet village of Gitsegukla in northern British Columbia. Every day she learns a little more about her heritage, the Gitksan language spoken by her elders, and the traditions practiced since time immemorial. On a cold November morning life is put on hold by the blaring of the fire hall sirens signifying the death of a community member. Angie just learned the heartbreaking news one of her best friends passed away the night before.

For one week a small northern village in British Columbia give strength to a family in need. The people of Gitsegukla come together practicing ancient traditions passed down from generation to generation in this one of a kind story, written by a member of the Bisteh Clan.

Join Angie as she witnesses the Gitksan way of saying goodbye. You are invited to the Feast.

About the Author
Russell, Roy W.: - Roy Russell is a member of the Gitksan Nation, originally from the small community of Gitsegukla, in northern British Columbia. In 1995, he won the University of Toronto's Booker Prize for his submitted screenplay, "Born Indian," which explored life growing up in a small native reserve. He would then go on to study Computer Science and Film. In the year 2000, Roy left Canada to see what life had to offer in California. He soon met his wife, Lia, and they are happily married. Roy was soon hired by Visual Concepts and began working on the assorted sports titles published by Take Two Interactive. He worked on popular titles such as 2K Sports Hockey, Baseball, and Basketball games. Not long after, he then was picked up by 2K Marin, a new studio based out of Novato, and worked on BioShock and BioShock 2. In 2010, he started work on writing Feast: A Gitksan Story. An exploration of the feast culture he grew up observing as a member of the Grouse Clan. Written in a novel form, it covers the full week of the grieving process the Gitksan people experience from the death of a community member to the eventual laying to rest of the deceased. He hopes readers will find it enjoyable as a narrative experience, and an enlightening peek into Gitksan culture.