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Doug Wicken feels he owes the late Kryn Taconis a debt of gratitude. You wouldn‘t have convinced Wicken of that fact in October of 1971, though, when as a firstâ€"year photojourâ€" nalist student at Conestoga College,â€"~he drew as an assigned project a week‘s stay at the Manitoulin Island Unceded Indian Reserve at Wikwemikong. ‘"‘Where do you want me to drop you off?" asked Taconis, Wicken‘s teacher at Conestoga, who assured him he would be back to pick him up in a week‘s time. Chronicle Staff Wicken, like most of us, at that time knew very little about the Canadian Indian. And what he thought he knew was based on preâ€"conceived stereotypes built essentially on childhood images. Imagine his surprise when they arrived at Wikwemikong and the sign said *‘Welcome", rather than "Indian Reserve â€" Keep Off." "It was my first real assignment, and to me represented a major step," said Wicken. "I guess because I had always thought that way, 1 turned to Taconis and said ‘the chief‘s house‘." It was a good call on Wicken‘s part. A decision that would ultimately shape the direction of his career for the next 11 years, climaxing with the fruition of one of his major goals in life. Just a fortnight ago, Manitou Miniss (Island of the Manitou), a marvellouslyâ€"photographed, intenselyâ€"senâ€" sitive profile of the Ojibwe/Odawa people became a hardâ€"cover reality for the 40â€"yearâ€"old Waterloo freeâ€" lance photographer. A native of Hamilton, Wicken left high school early and hopped from trade to trade before enrolling in Conestoga‘s photojournalism program in 1971. After graduating in 1973, he became a staff photographer at University of Waterloo until this year, when his soonâ€"toâ€"be selfâ€"published work became his major occuâ€" pation. Not surprisingly, the book is dedicated to Taconis, who died in 1979 never to see his pupil‘s finished work, but who inspired him throughout the project. *"What started as an eightâ€"day visit to the Manitoulin Island Indian Reserve developed 11 years later into this," Wicken said last Thursday, proudly holding a copy of Manitou Miniss. It includes 50 photographs and varied text ranging from firstâ€"hand impressions to excerpts from the song/lyrics of Guyanese writer David Campbeli. Capturing the lifestyle of both young and old, the focal point of the book centres on the elders of Wikwemikong and their relationship to other members of the commuâ€" nity. **The book doesn‘t deal with the political or socioiogiâ€" cal issues of the North American Indian," said Wicken, *so it isn‘t restricted by time limitations. It‘s involved with a lot of the spiritual things and shows how very much alive the people there are. In fact, the photo on the front cover (children scaling a school yard fence) shows the initial response I got, and there are further quotations and references in the book to that fact. ‘"*Often nonâ€"Indian people are reluctant to go (into a reserve), their opinions are made from afar, but the response to me right from the beginning was ‘welâ€" come‘." Of course Wicken did his part to become ensconsed as a trusted friend on the reserve by immediately purging himself of the preâ€"conceived notions etched in his mind, born of "the privacy of the family car‘‘ as he revealed in his forward to Manitou Miniss. ‘*When I first got there they took me on a tour, then asked me my impressions of what I had seen," said Wicken. ‘"I told them I had seen two new schools, a new First impressions lasting for photojournalist Wicken Novelist Gibson eager to aid studentâ€"writers Stay at St. Jerome‘s Author of Manitou Miniss nursing home, many instances of social reform ... 1 saw that they are a people stilkin charge of their own land, very proud of that fact, that the reserve is something to be proud of rather than degrading." After his initial visit, in which he took many photographs, Wicken returned to show the chief his work the following February, and impressed the native people with the sensitive insight portrayed in his work. The return visit grew into an annual (sometimes three times a year) excursion for Wicken and often, his family, which has supplied both inspiration and constructive criticism since he made the decision five years ago to pursue the book angle. ‘"I made some attempt at contacting major publishers but what they basically said is that there wasn‘t enough of a market for a book of that type. _ _ ‘"*But I don‘t consider it a regional book ... it has a universal outlook." ® Perhaps the biggest motivating force behind Wicken‘s pursuit to make Manitou Miniss a reality was the encouragement of Wilfrid Laurier English professors Paul and Hildegard Tiessen, the principles behind the blossoming Sand Hills Books publishing firm. **You know Paul, how, how enthusiastic, so expressive he is," said Wicken. ‘"Well, he and Hilde insisted I selfâ€"publish, and that was the edge I really needed. We decided to treat the book more as a portfolio rather than design it in an editorial way â€" we wanted a way where you could look at each photograph “separately. yet still see the work as a complete enâ€" !y.!i Waterioo‘s Doug Wicken turned a college class assignment into a way of life over the past 11 years resulting in his publishing Manitou Miniss, a profile of the native peoples of Wikwemiâ€" kong. s Rick Campbell photo ursing home, many instances of social reform ... I saw Despite being a newcomer to the publishing game, hat they are a people stilkin charge of their own land, _ Wicken greeted the sundry tasks with enthusiasm, from ery proud of that fact, that the reserve is something to the design, the writing of the text, choosing the e proud of rather than degrading." typesetting,© to the printing at Beacon Herald Fine After his initial visit, in which he took many _ Printing Division in Stratford and binding at Lehmann hotographs, Wicken returned to show the chief his Bookbinding here in Waterloo. _ â€" Chronicle Special Getting students to realize he is on their campus available to scrutinize their work is a prime objective of Canadian novelist Graeme Gibson, writer in residence this year at University of St. Jerome‘s College at UW. _ The 48â€"yearâ€"oid Gibson, who has just pubâ€" lished his book Perpetual Motion to wide critical acclaim, plans to spend two days a week on campus serving as a resource person for students wishing to improve their creative writing skills. The writer in residence program at UW is funded by the four UW Church Colleges, the UW academic viceâ€"president and the Canada Counâ€" Gibson intends to visit classes on campus particularly courses in Canadian literature and So in love has Wicken and his family fallen with the area the peoples of the island, they have recently picked up a deed on some land there. And immediately they were instructed to ‘"mark the trees‘" by the native people who out of appreciation for the effort Doug Wicken has made on their behaif, plan to clear, pile and stack the wood targeted to build the family‘s log cabin. The final product emerged 10 days ago and 69 were sold within a day â€" without any promotion. Wicken, who says he is now learning the marketing end of the business, is confident the initial run of 1,000 books will sell no problem, especially in the highâ€"demand Christâ€" mas season. _ A goodly number have already sold on the reserve at the Shell station general store, ironically because there is no bookstore there. But the grass roots selling tactic Wicken feels will ultimately make the book a promising item. No wonder, after 11 years of cultivating friendship and respect, Doug Wicken feels right at home with the people of Wikwemikong, who, as Wicken himself says, ‘"*have shared their homes, their hearts and their gifts with this oneâ€"time stranger." He‘s come a long way from that first car ride. You‘ve got to believe that somewhere, Kryn Taconis is smiling. o on modern novels. But he also wants to speak to students in other disciplines such as science and **Working with students and developing writâ€" ers has long been a priority for me and I hope to carry on the work that Harold Horwood, my predecessor, began during the past two years," he said. While serving as writerâ€"inâ€"residence Gibson plans to be active in the Writer‘s workshop at UW, a group of writers who meet regularly to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each other‘s work. ‘"‘The acceptance of constructive criticism is essential to a writer‘s suecess," says Gibson. "I hope those on the campus of the University of Waterioo will obtain some useful and encouragâ€" ing help from me during the coming year."