The Pelican Lake Conversion

Mad Donald died on the Pelican Lake Reserve in 1937 at 2:10 in the morning. It was some kind of cancer - he never let the doctor near him. For the last month of his life he was on a hunger strike to save the Labrador duck, a bird that has been extinct since the 1870's. During those final days, his brother H.H. sat by the bed and told Mad Donald stories, mostly recollections from their childhood. He could tell Mad Donald was listening, because when he liked a story, his face was serene, and when he didn't, probably because H.H. had his facts wrong, he furrowed his brow slightly.

At 2:30 a.m. H.H. called Brenda Fiddler, who came over right away with some sage grass and two super cans. She said she'd seen a shooting star on the way over, which wasn't true, but she thought it would make H.H. feel better.

Brenda told him he ought to call Father Thibault right away to perform the last rites. Father Thibault complained that it was the middle of the night. H.H. said he couldn't argue with that and added that Mad Donald had never been on time. Father Thibault said the roads were impassable by truck and he would have to harness the horses, and that as compensation for the trouble, it would be appreciated if a calf could be slaughtered and portioned and the meat given to him.

H.H. told Father Thibault to fuck himself and hung up the phone.

Brenda said he should try calling James Mercer, the Anglican priest- said someone should see to Mad Donald quickly before his soul started wandering. H.H. agreed with that, figuring that the restless soul in life must be doubly impatient to escape the boredom of death.

Reverend Mercer was there by 4:30 a.m., stripped Mad Donald, cleaned and dressed his body, anointed him with holy oil and prayed. Brenda asked what the prayer was, and the Reverend Mercer said it was a prayer giving thanks to God for Mad Donald's life. Brenda and H.H. joined in the thanksgiving, and before James Mercer left, H.H, took his hand and said he appreciated how the Reverend had put a positive spin on the whole thing.

The next day Father Thibault got wind of what had happened, and called H.H. to tell him he was excommunicated and that Mad Donald was in Hell. H.H. said that the Reverend Mercer had assured him Mad Donald was in Heaven, and not to bother excommunicating him because he had already left the Catholic Church to join the Anglicans.

Thanks to Brenda, news traveled quick around Pelican Lake about Mad Donald's death and H.H.'s excommunication. H.H. was well liked in Pelican Lake for coaching peewee hockey, and tempers reached a pitch when folks heard about his double burden of losing Mad Donald and being excommunicated.

In solidarity, George Butterfly phoned Father Thibault to say he was quitting the Catholic church to join the Anglicans, which wasn't a huge stretch for George, as he'd never been an observer of any faith previously. Thanks again to Brenda, George Butterfly's gesture was soon common knowledge, and from that point on, Father Thibault's phone rang for two days straight, as Agnes Medinski and David Goodfeather followed suit, Then Tanya Sand, the Beauments, the Shikiniks, Ross Rump and Dolores Musqua.. People on the reserve who hadn't heard about the recent events were all informed at the hockey game two days later, and those who hadn't already converted, did so enmasse.

Father Thibault was reprimanded by the Bishop's office in Toronto and set to the territories.

To this day, the Pelican Lake reserve remains an Anglican enclave surrounded by Catholic reserves. Mad Donald's and H.H.'s gravestones are marked- "Thank God for giving him to us".


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