katherena vermette – författare

*LONGLISTED FOR THE 2024 GILLER PRIZE*"Brilliant.... healing and eye-opening." —Michelle PorterFrom the author of the nationally bestselling Strangers saga comes a heartrending story of two Michif sisters who must face their past trauma when their mother is called out for false claims to Indigenous identity.June and her sister, lyn, are NDNs—real ones.Lyn has her pottery artwork, her precocious kid, Willow, and the uncertain terrain of her midlife to keep her mind, heart and hands busy. June, a Métis Studies professor, yearns to uproot from Vancouver and move. With her loving partner, Sigh, June decides to buy a house in the last place on earth she imagined she’d end up: back home in Winnipeg with her family.But then into lyn and June’s busy lives a bomb drops: their estranged and very white mother, Renee, is called out as a “pretendian.” Under the name (get this) Raven Bearclaw, Renee had topped the charts in the Canadian art world for winning awards and recognition for her Indigenous-style work.The news is quickly picked up by the media and sparks an enraged online backlash. As the sisters are pulled into the painful tangle of lies their mother has told, searing memories from their unresolved childhood trauma come rippling to the surface.In prose so powerful it could strike a match, real ones is written with the same signature wit and heart on display in The Break, The Strangers and The Circle. An energetic, probing and ultimately hopeful story, real ones pays homage to the long-fought, hard-won battles of Michif (Métis) people to regain ownership of their identity and the right to say who is and isn’t Métis.

Mothership: Tales from Afrofuturism and Beyond is a groundbreaking speculative fiction anthology that showcases the work from some of the most talented writers inside and outside speculative fiction across the globe-including Junot Diaz, Victor LaValle, Lauren Beukes, N. K. Jemisin, Rabih Alameddine, S. P. Somtow, and more. These authors have earned such literary honors as the Pulitzer Prize, the American Book Award, the World Fantasy Award, and the Bram Stoker, among others.

procession: a line of people moving in the same direction; a formal ceremony or celebration, as in a wedding, a funeral, a religious parade. Bestselling novelist and Governor General’s Award–winning poet katherena vermette’s third collection presents a series of poems reaching into what it means to be (at once) a descendant and a future ancestor, exploring the connections we have with one another and ourselves, amongst friends, and within families and Nations.In frank, heartfelt poems that move through body sovereignty and ancestral dreams, and from ’80s childhood nostalgia to welcoming one’s own babies, vermette unreels the story of a child, a parent, and soon, an elder, living in a prairie place that has always existed, though it looks much different to her now. This book is about being one small part of a large genealogy. A lineage is a line, and the procession, whether in celebration or in mourning, is ongoing.

Miskwaadesi is learning so much in school. She is learning about the world she lives in and what it means to be a part of it. However, when her class learns about the teaching Truth, Miskwaadesi doesn’t understand. Her teacher Betsy asks Miskwaadesi to think about what is in her life and what she knows to be true. Miskwaadesi knows she is a girl and that she is Anishinaabekwens. Together, they explore what the teaching Truth is about.In this thoughtful story, an Anishinaabe girl explores the meaning of Truth and what she knows is true about the world she lives in. A pronunciation guide for the Anishnaabemowin words can be found at the back of the book.Rich in culture and grounded in traditional knowledge, Katherena Vermette’s The Seven Teachings Stories series features themes of love, wisdom, humility, courage, respect, honesty, and truth. Contemporary Indigenous children explore the Seven Teachings of the Anishinaabe through stories of home and family that will look familiar to all young readers in these books for ages 3–5.

Echo Desjardins, a 13-year-old Métis girl adjusting to a new home and school, is struggling with loneliness while separated from her mother. Then an ordinary day in Mr. Bee’s history class turns extraordinary, and Echo’s life will never be the same. During Mr. Bee’s lecture, Echo finds herself transported to another time and place—a bison hunt on the Saskatchewan prairie—and back again to the present. In the following weeks, Echo slips back and forth in time. She visits a Métis camp, travels the old fur-trade routes, and experiences the perilous and bygone era of the Pemmican Wars.Pemmican Wars is the first graphic novel in a new series, A Girl Called Echo, by Governor General Award–winning writer, and author of Highwater Press’ The Seven Teaching Stories, Katherena Vermette.

A great read and teaching tool for National Indigenous History Month!Echo Desjardins is adjusting to her new home, finding friends, and learning about Métis history. She just can’t stop slipping back and forth in time. One ordinary afternoon in class, Echo finds herself transported to the banks of the Red River in the summer of 1869. All is not well in the territory as Canadian surveyors have arrived to change the face of territory, and Métis families, who have lived there for generations, are losing access to their land. As the Resistance takes hold, Echo fears for her friends and the future of her people in the Red River Valley.

A great read and teaching tool for National Indigenous History Month!Explore the past 150 years through the eyes of Indigenous creators in this groundbreaking graphic novel anthology. Beautifully illustrated, these stories are an emotional and enlightening journey through Indigenous wonderworks, psychic battles, and time travel. See how Indigenous peoples have survived a post-apocalyptic world since Contact.Each story includes a timeline of related historical events and a personal note from the author. Find cited sources and a select bibliography for further reading in the back of the book. The accompanying teacher guide includes curriculum charts and 12 lesson plans to help educators use the book with their students.This is one of the 200 exceptional projects funded through the Canada Council for the Arts’ New Chapter initiative. With this $35M initiative, the Council supports the creation and sharing of the arts in communities across Canada.

A great read and teaching tool for National Indigenous History Month!Echo Desjardins just can't stop slipping back and forth in time.In Northwest Resistance, Echo travels to 1885, a period of turmoil. The bison are gone, settlers from the East are arriving daily, and the Métis and First Nations of the Northwest face hunger and uncertainty as their traditional way of life is threatened. The Canadian government has ignored their petitions, but hope rises when Louis Riel returns to help. However, battles between Canadian forces and the Métis and their allies lead to defeat at Batoche. Through it all, Echo gains new perspectives about where she came from and what the future may hold.

A great read and teaching tool for National Indigenous History Month!In Road Allowance Era, Echo’s story picks up again when she travels back in time to 1885.The government has not fulfilled its promise of land for the Métis, and many flee to the Northwest. As part of the fallout from the Northwest Resistance, their advocate and champion Louis Riel is executed. As new legislation corrodes Métis land rights, and unscrupulous land speculators and swindlers take advantage, many Métis settle on road allowances and railway land, often on the fringes of urban centres.For Echo, the plight of her family is apparent. Burnt out of their home in Ste. Madeleine, they make their way to Rooster Town, a shanty community on the southwest edges of Winnipeg. In this final instalment of her story, Echo is reminded of the strength and resilience of her people, forged through the loss and pain of the past, as she faces a triumphant future.

★ Among CCBC's Best Books for Kids & Teens list, a starred selection of exceptional caliber!Métis teenager Echo Desjardins is struggling to adjust to a new school and a new home. When an ordinary history class turns extraordinary, Echo is pulled into a time-travelling adventure. Follow Echo as she experiences pivotal events from Métis history and imagines what the future might hold. This omnibus edition includes all four volumes in the A Girl Called Echo series: In Pemmican Wars, Echo finds herself transported to the prairies of 1814. She witnesses a bison hunt, visits a Métis camp, and travels the fur-trade routes. Experience the perilous era of the Pemmican Wars and the events that lead to the Battle of Seven Oaks. In Red River Resistance, we join Echo on the banks of the Red River in the summer of 1869. Canadian surveyors have arrived and Métis families, who have lived there for generations, are losing their land. As the Resistance takes hold, Echo fears for the future of her people in Red River. In Northwest Resistance, Echo travels to 1885. The bison are gone and settlers from the East are arriving in droves. The Métis face starvation and uncertainty as both their survival and traditional way of life are threatened. The Canadian government has ignored their petitions, but hope rises with the return of Louis Riel. In Road Allowance Era, Echo returns to 1885. Louis Riel is standing trial, and the government has not fulfilled its promise of land for the Métis. Burnt out of their home in Ste. Madeleine, Echo’s people make their way to Rooster Town, a shanty community on the southwest edges of Winnipeg. In this final instalment, Echo is reminded of the strength and perseverance of the Métis. This special omnibus edition of Katherena Vermette’s best-selling series features an all-new foreword by Chantal Fiola (Returning to Ceremony: Spirituality in Manitoba Métis Communities), a historical timeline, and an essay about Métis being and belonging by Brenda Macdougall (Contours of a People: Métis Family, Mobility, and History).

A beautiful collection of seven Anishinaabe stories that gently weaves the timeless wisdom of Indigenous Teachings into the everyday lives, friendships, and communities of young children in this picture book for ages 3-5.The Seven Teachings Stories Collection brings together love, wisdom, humility, courage, respect, honesty, and truth into everyday childhood moments. Through these seven heartwarming tales, young readers will follow relatable characters as they navigate friendships, family life, and community connections, finding comfort and guidance along the way.Grounded in traditional knowledge and rich in cultural heritage, this special omnibus edition bridges early childhood development with authentic Indigenous perspectives, making it a foundational addition to any home library or preschool classroom.Special collected edition features:The Seven Sacred Teachings: Every story is dedicated to an individual foundational virtue, translating profound traditional philosophy into accessible concepts for early learners.Stunning new visuals: Features vibrant, newly refreshed illustrations by celebrated artist Irene Kuziw that bring the characters and landscapes to life.Exclusive insights: Includes a deeply moving, heartfelt note to readers from bestselling author katherena vermette.Language integration: Features a fully updated glossary of Anishinaabemowin words, complete with user-friendly pronunciation guides to support early language exposure.

A GOVERNOR GENERAL'S LITERARY AWARD FINALISTLonglisted for the Dublin Literary Award 2018Crime Book of the Month, Sunday Times, February 2018'I loved this... very tough and very real.' - Margaret AtwoodWhen Stella, a young mother in an Indigenous community, looks out her window one wintry evening and spots someone being attacked on the Break - a barren field on an isolated strip of land outside her house - she calls the police. By the time help arrives, all that is left of the struggle is blood on the snow. As the search for the victim intensifies, people who are connected, both directly and indirectly - police, family, and friends - tell their personal stories leading up to that fateful night, uncovering secrets and resentments long buried and giving blazing testimony to the lived reality of people pushed out to the coldest edges of modern Canada.

Governor General’s Award–winning Métis poet and acclaimed novelist Katherena Vermette’s second collection, river woman, explores her relationship to nature — its destructive power and beauty, its timelessness, and its place in human history.Award-winning Métis poet and novelist Katherena Vermette’s second book of poetry, river woman, examines and celebrates love as decolonial action. Here love is defined as a force of reclamation and repair in times of trauma, and trauma is understood to exist within all times. The poems are grounded in what feels like an eternal present, documenting moments of clarity that lift the speaker (and reader) out of the illusion of linear experience. This is what we mean when we describe a work of art as being timeless.Like the river they speak to, these poems return again and again to the same source in search of new ways to reconstruct what has been lost. Vermette suggests that it’s through language and the body ― particularly through language as it lives inside the body ― that a fragmented self might resurface as once again whole. This idea of breaking apart and coming back together is woven throughout the collection as the speaker contemplates the ongoing negotiation between the city, the land, and the water, and as she finds herself falling into trust with the ones she loves.Vermette honours the river as a woman ― her destructive power and beauty, her endurance, and her stories. These poems sing from a place where “words / transcend ceremony / into everyday” and “nothing / is inanimate.”

Written by early years educator and Indigenous author Katherena Vermette, this guide for teachers provides engaging activities and ideas for discussion based on each illustration in Powwow Counting in Cree.In this resource, you will find:background information that addresses specific topics related to Cree culture and languagedetailed, easy-to-follow lesson plans for social studies, language arts, mathematics, and other content areas in preschool, kindergarten, and upactivities that promote cross-curricular connections through explorations of Cree language and culture, powwow traditions, the significance of eagles, and the Seven Sacred Teachingsadditional sources of information about Cree language and cultureAnd much more!

Migizi loves Gookom so much. He wants to let her know by giving her the perfect gift to cheer her up while she is in the hospital. The gift should be as sweet as her kisses and as warm as her smiles. He asks his family and friends for help, but none of his ideas are quite right. Can he find her the perfect gift?In this touching story, a young boy tries to find the perfect gift to show his grandmother how much he cares about her. A pronunciation guide for the Anishnaabemowin words can be found at the back of the book.Rich in culture and grounded in traditional knowledge, Katherena Vermette’s The Seven Teachings Stories series features themes of love, wisdom, humility, courage, respect, honesty, and truth. Contemporary Indigenous children explore the Seven Teachings of the Anishinaabe through stories of home and family that will look familiar to all young readers in these books for ages 3–5.

Ma’iingan loves to sing and her family loves to hear her beautiful voice. Her little sister wants to sing just like Ma’iingan, but Ma’iingan doesn’t want her to. As rivalry erupts between the siblings, can Ma’iingan find the humility to share her talent with her sister?In this relatable story, a young Anishinaabe girl learns to put aside her pride and sibling rivalry to share her love of singing with her sister. A pronunciation guide for the Anishnaabemowin words can be found at the back of the book.Rich in culture and grounded in traditional knowledge, Katherena Vermette’s The Seven Teachings Stories series features themes of love, wisdom, humility, courage, respect, honesty, and truth. Contemporary Indigenous children explore the Seven Teachings of the Anishinaabe through stories of home and family that will look familiar to all young readers in these books for ages 3–5.

Makwa’s family just moved to the city, and it’s his first day at a new school. He doesn’t know anybody, he doesn’t have any friends, and everything is so new and scary. Can Makwa find the courage to overcome his fears and enjoy his first day?In this relatable story, a young Anishinaabe boy learns that things that seem scary at first are often not so bad after all. A pronunciation guide for the Anishnaabemowin words can be found at the back of the book.Rich in culture and grounded in traditional knowledge, Katherena Vermette’s The Seven Teachings Stories series features themes of love, wisdom, humility, courage, respect, honesty, and truth. Contemporary Indigenous children explore the Seven Teachings of the Anishinaabe through stories of home and family that will look familiar to all young readers in these books for ages 3–5.

Kode’s class is learning about the Seven Teachings, but she’s still confused about Respect. Kode asks the wisest people she knows for help—her parents, her older siblings, and her grandparents. As each person gives her a different answer, Kode learns about the many different ways we can show respect for other people, for the environment, and for ourselves.In this story for young readers, an Anishinaabe girl explores what respect means and how to be a respectful member of a community. A pronunciation guide for the Anishnaabemowin words can be found at the back of the book.Rich in culture and grounded in traditional knowledge, Katherena Vermette’s The Seven Teachings Stories series features themes of love, wisdom, humility, courage, respect, honesty, and truth. Contemporary Indigenous children explore the Seven Teachings of the Anishinaabe through stories of home and family that will look familiar to all young readers in these books for ages 3–5.

Amik loves going to school, but when he shares this with his grandfather, he finds out Moshoom attended residential school. At Moshoom’s school, students were forbidden from speaking their language. It sounds very different from Amik's school, so Amik has an idea…In this heartwarming story, an Anishinaabe child shows his grandfather how his school celebrates the culture that residential schools tried to erase. A pronunciation guide for the Anishnaabemowin words can be found at the back of the book.Rich in culture and grounded in traditional knowledge, Katherena Vermette’s The Seven Teachings Stories series features themes of love, wisdom, humility, courage, respect, honesty, and truth. Contemporary Indigenous children explore the Seven Teachings of the Anishinaabe through stories of home and family that will look familiar to all young readers in these books for ages 3–5.