Green Grass, Running Water is a 1993 novel by Thomas King, a writer of Cherokee and Greek/German-American descent, and United States and Canadian dual citizenship.

It gained attention due to its unique use of structure, narrative, and the fusion of oral and written literary traditions.

Green Grass, Running Water was a finalist for the 1993 Governor General's Award in Fiction.

At this, the unknown narrator begins to explain the escape of four Native American elders from a mental institution who are named Lone Ranger, Ishmael, Robinson Crusoe, and Hawkeye.

In addition to these four explaining the "ordinary" events, they each tell a creation story that accounts for why there is so much water.

Dr. Hovaugh keeps track of every time the elders have gone missing; he attributes major events, such as the volcanic eruption of Mount St Helens, to their disappearances.

The third plot line follows Eli Stands Alone, Lionel's uncle, who lives in his mother's house in the spillway of the Balene Dam.

The fourth plot line involves characters from Christian and Native American creation myths and traditions, as well as literary and historical figures including Ahdamn, First Woman, the Young Man Who Walks on Water, Robinson Crusoe, Nasty Bumppo and so on.

The climax of the novel approaches at the time of the traditional Blackfoot annual ceremony of the Sun Dance.

Charlie Looking Bear – A lover of the character Alberta Frank, he is Lionel's cousin and a slick lawyer; he represents the company that is building the dam opposed by Eli.

He does not directly speak to the "ordinary" denizens of Blossom, although he does appear as an odd-looking dog that Lionel sees dancing.

The Old Indians – These four escaped Aboriginal people of indeterminate gender break out from a mental institution in Florida and make their way to Blossom.

[5] These timeless women become the four "Indian Men" who escape the asylum, thus echoing the Trickster's ability to change genders.

Green Grass, Running Water has been hailed as a merger between oral and written tradition, as well as between Aboriginal and European-American cultures.

The book was championed as a novel for all Canadians by Glen Murray, former mayor of Winnipeg, in the Canada Reads 2004 contest.

Some elements of the book were incorporated into King's later CBC Radio comedy series The Dead Dog Café.