Journal of a Travelling Girl

by Nadine Neema, Archie Beaverho (Illustrator), Joseph Judas (Foreword by)

Overview

FINALIST FOR TWO 2021 CANADIAN CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARDS

This fictional coming-of-age story traces a young girl’s reluctant journey by canoe through the ancestral lands of the Tłı̨chǫ People, as she gradually comes to understand and appreciate their culture and the significance of their fight for self-government.

"Journal of a Travelling Girl deserves to be in every northern classroom. There is so much to learn here, and there is so much to celebrate." —Richard Van Camp, Tłįchǫ author of The Lesser Blessed and Moccasin Square Gardens

Eleven-year-old Julia has lived in Wekweètì, NWT, since she was five. Although the people of Wekweètì have always treated her as one of their own, Julia sometimes feels like an outsider, disconnected from the traditions and ancestral roots that are so central to the local culture.

When Julia sets off on the canoe trip she is happy her best friends, Layla and Alice, will also be there. However, the trip is nothing like she expected. She is afraid of falling off the boat, of bears, and of storms. Layla’s grandparents (who Julia calls Grandma and Grandpa) put her to work but won’t let her paddle the canoe. While on land Julia would rather goof around with her friends than do chores. Gradually, Grandma and Grandpa show her how to survive on the land and pull her own weight, and share their traditional stories with her. Julia learns to gather wood, cook, clean, and paddle the canoe, becoming more mature and responsible each day. The journey ends at Behchoko, where the historic Tłı̨chǫ Agreement of 2005 is signed, and the Tłı̨chǫ People celebrate their hard-won right to self-government. Julia is there to witness history.

Inspired by true events, this story was written at the request of John B. Zoe, Chief Negotiator of the Tłı̨chǫ Agreement, as a way of teaching the Tłı̨chǫ youth about that landmark achievement. Journal of a Travelling Girl has been read and endorsed by several Wekweètì community members and Elders. The book will appeal to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous children for its relatable themes of family, loss, coming-of-age, and the struggle to connect with tradition and culture.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781772033182
Publisher:	Heritage House
Publication date:	10/13/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	144
File size:	12 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Born in Montreal of Egyptian and Lebanese descent, Nadine Neema is a multi-disciplinary artist and workshop facilitator. As a recording artist she has released four albums; was mentored by Leonard Cohen; and has opened for artists such as Elton John, Joe Cocker, and Cyndi Lauper. Neema began working with the Tłı̨chǫ in 1999, first as a community manager of Wekweètì, a small isolated Tłı̨chǫ community in the Northwest Territories, then assisting with their land claims and self-government negotiations under Chief Negotiator John B. Zoe. Since the landmark Tłı̨chǫ Agreement in 2005, Neema has maintained a strong bond with the community of Wekweètì and has returned periodically to conduct creativity workshops for the youth and photograph many of their events.
Archie Beaverho is an accomplished painter and illustrator, whose Tłı̨chǫ Dene culture is reflected in his work. He creates paintings of spiritual activities of his people, like drum dancing, hand games, and hunting. He lives in Behchokò, Northwest Territories.
Joseph Judas is a respected Elder and leader of the Tłı̨chǫ People of the Northwest Territories, Canada. A former Chief of the Wekweèti community, he serves as chair of the Wek’èezhìı Renewable Resources Board. He is active in traditional knowledge research related to caribou monitoring with the Ekwǫ̀ Naxoehdee K’è (Boots on the Ground program). He spends much of his time on the land.

Editorial Reviews

"Journal of a Travelling Girl is an absolutely wonderful and timely book that will appeal to girls and boys of any race, colour, or creed. During this time of reconciliation it is necessary for all young people to learn and embrace the ways of our Indigenous ancestors. This book will do that!" —Verna J. Kirkness, author of Creating Space: My Life and Work in Indigenous Education

"As a person born and raised right on the land, Nadine Neema's Journal of a Travelling Girl rings as true to me as the blue skies and open land she so lovingly recounts." —Antoine Mountain, Dene writer and artist

"Journal of a Travelling Girl is not only about people who generously welcome a young girl to share in a special journey, but it introduces readers to an important moment of history." —Kathy Lowinger, co-author (with Eldon Yellowhorn) of What the Eagle Sees: Indigenous Stories of Rebellion and Renewal and Turtle Island: The Story of North America's First People

"Nadine Neema presents a unique and enlightening glimpse into the customs and culture of the Wekweèti community while exploring themes of acceptance, tolerance, equality, and reparation. . . This is a crucial and timely story. A must read for young readers!" —Tina Athaide, author of Orange for the Sunsets

"A wonderful account, through the eyes of a young girl, of our people’s ways of doing things today, guided by our strong history of storytelling." —Tammy Steinwand, Director, Department of Culture and Lands Protection, Tlicho Government

"What an absolute treasure for the Tlicho Nation and for the world. . . Journal of a Travelling Girl deserves to be in every northern classroom. There is so much to learn here, and there is so much to celebrate." —Richard Van Camp, Tlicho author of The Lesser Blessed and Moccasin Square Gardens

“Journal of a Travelling Girl gives young readers the chance to imagine themselves on a journey as they read about it through the main character… Neema clearly conveys the modes of teaching afforded by the journey and the community’s Elders, as well as the historic moment the Tlicho Agreement for self-government and land ownership came into effect… The author shares from a place of knowledge, in deep collaboration with the First Nation concerned… This is an important story, not just for those whose lives it touches directly, but for all in Canada.”
—Jury for the 2021 CCBC Jean Little First-Novel Award

From the Publisher

09/25/2020

Gr 3–6—This book, by Canadian author Neema about the Tłıcho people in Northwest Territory, Canada, begins with a foreword by a Tłıcho elder saying, "We welcome this story." The story follows the journey of Julia as she travels with a group via canoe from where she lives in Wekweeti to where the Tłıcho Agreement of 2005 is signed and celebrated. Eleven-year-old Julia, who is white, has lived in Wekweeti for several years since her mother works for the community. She and her mother have gotten close to many of the Tłıcho in the time they have lived there, and Julia struggles with feeling like an outsider among people she has come to view as family. Initially, Julia doesn't want to go on the trip, but as the 10-day journey progresses, she grows in her ability to contribute to the work of the canoe trip and her connection to the historic significance of the event. Going from not wanting to go on the trip at all to expressing gratitude to being able to witness history might not be a typical 11-year-old experience, but the earnest, if occasionally silted, narration makes an impression of the significance of the moment in time. Black-and-white illustrations by Tłıcho Dene artist Beaverho add to the book's sense of place. VERDICT Readers interested in Tłıcho culture or Canadian history will find much to appreciate.—Mindy Rhiger, Hennepin County Lib., MN

School Library Journal

2020-09-01
A girl in mourning goes on a healing canoe trip with members of the local Tłı̨chǫ tribe.

When Jules’ mother moves them to Wekweètì in far northern Canada for a job as the community administrator, she is only 5. Six years later, they are still living among the Tłı̨chǫ people, and while Jules, who is White, still occasionally feels like a cultural outsider, she has started to think of them as family. When her friend Layla’s grandparents invite her on a long and politically significant canoe trip, she is frightened. But her mother, knowing how sad she is about the death of the beloved Tłı̨chǫ elder Jules called Uncle Joe, insists that she go. Along the way she will witness her tribal friends in their Christian-Indigenous practices, their pride in their history, and their knowledge of the outdoors. She will gather wood, camp, portage, and paddle her way to deeper maturity and an understanding of the land, feeling the spirit of the ancestors draw her closer to nature and the meaning of the trip. Based on the 2005 signing of the Tłı̨chǫ Agreement, an event that was witnessed by the author, the book was written with tribal approval. (Like Jules’ mom, the author is not Tłı̨chǫ but worked for and lived with the band for some years.) It reads like a sincere effort to record their victory for the right to self-govern. The black-and-white illustrations by Beaverho (Tłı̨chǫ Dene) capture the river and forest well, but the human faces feel a bit cartoonish.

Of greatest interest to kids who love stories set in the outdoors and Indigenous histories. (Fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews