Helen Betty Osborne dreamed of becoming a teacher. Sadly, her dream never came true. Helen left her home in Norway House, Manitoba, to attend Guy Hill Residential School in 1969. In September 1971, she entered Margaret Barbour Collegiate in The Pas, Manitoba. Two months later, on November 13, 1971, she was brutally murdered by four young, white men. Years later, the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry concluded that her murder was the result of racism, sexism, and indifference. The Life of Helen Betty Osborne is a graphic novel about Betty’s life up to that tragic November day. Her story is told by a young boy named Daniel. The events in Betty’s story are true. The events in Daniel’s story represent our ability to change, learn, and grow.

The Life of Helen Betty Osborne: A Graphic Novel

Teen & Young Adult

Robertson, David Alexander

Literature & Fiction

HighWater Press

Two young sisters are taken from their home and family. Powerless to change their fortunes, they are separated, and each put into different foster homes. Yet over the years, the bond between them grows. As they each make their way in a society that is, at times, indifferent, hostile, and violent, one embraces her Métis identity, while the other tries to leave it behind. In the end, out of tragedy, comes an unexpected legacy of triumph and reclamation. Portage &amp; Main Press and the Manitoba Writer?s Guild Inc. are pleased to announce the selection of In Search of April Raintree for the On The Same Page: Manitoba Reads! project. On The Same Page: Manitoba Reads! is a mass reading project that invites readers of all ages to read a Manitoba authored book. The project is about encouraging a life long love of reading; celebrating books by Manitoba authors and encouraging Manitobans (and others) to participate in fun and interactive ways to celebrate a Manitoba book. Please visit www.mbwriter.mb.ca (before Oct. 1, 2008) and www.onthesamepage.ca (after Oct. 1, 2008) for information about events and activities that may take place in your community.

In Search of April Raintree, 25th Anniversary Edition

Mosionier, Beatrice

United States

In 1983, the book In Search of April Raintree was published to great acclaim, heralding the voice of an important new writer, Beatrice Mosionier (then Culleton). With honesty and clarity, Mosionier explored the story of two Métis sisters as they struggle with loss, identity, and racism. Yet readers have long asked: how much of April’s story comes from the author’s own life? Come Walk With Me, Beatrice’s answer to that question, is a moving memoir that follows a bewildered three-year-old through a dramatic journey to adulthood. Recounting a life that, at times, parallels that of her most memorable fictional character, and at others, diverges from it, Mosionier searches to make sense of her losses―her sundered family, her innocence, and her dignity―only to triumph as a woman and writer, fulfilled artistically, politically, and personally.

Come Walk with Me: A Memoir

Biographies & Memoirs

Community & Culture

Stone introduces Edwin, a young man who must discover his family?s past if he is to have any future. Edwin learns of his ancestor Stone, a young Plains Cree man, who came of age in the early 19th century. Following a vision quest, Stone aspires to be like his older brother, Bear, a member of the Warrior Society. But when Bear is tragically killed during a Blackfoot raid, Stone, the best shot and rider in his encampment, must overcome his grief and avenge his brother?s death. Only then can he begin a new life with his bride, Nahoway. It is Stone?s story that drives Edwin to embark on his own quest. Stone is the first book in the graphic novel series, 7 Generations. Forthcoming books in this series are Book 2: Scars, the story of the orphan White Cloud, set against the smallpox epidemic of 1870-1871. Book 3: Ends/Begins, the story of Edwin?s father, and the residential school saga. Book 4: The Pact, a story of redemption, as father and his son reconcile their past and begin a new journey.

Stone (7 Generations) (Volume 1)

Robertson, David A.

Children's Books

Scars introduce White Cloud, a young Plains Cree boy, in the year 1870, when the last great smallpox epidemic swept through the prairies. After witnessing, one by one, the death of his entire family from the illness, he summons the strength to journey on to find a new home and deliver himself from the terrible disease. But will he make it? Scars follows White Cloud and the people he encounters, as he struggles to survive against impossible odds. The book also reconnects readers to Edwin, a lost young man on his own quest who was introduced in book 1, Stone. By learning about the bravery and perseverance of his ancestor White Cloud, Edwin summons his own courage and travels to confront the main source of his despair: the father he barely knows. Scars is the second book in the graphic novel series, 7 Generations. Books in the series: Book 1: Stone (published) introduces Edwin, a young man who must discover his family s past if he is to have any future. Book 3: Ends/Begins (forthcoming) features the story of Edwin s father and his residential-school experience. Book 4: The Pact (forthcoming) is a story of redemption, as father and son reconcile their past and begin a new journey.

Scars (7 Generations) (Volume 2)

Comics & Graphic Novels

Graphic Novels

As the pain and loss of James?s residential school experiences follow him into adulthood, his life spirals out of control. Haunted by guilt, he is unable to maintain a relationship with Lauren and their son Edwin. Edwin, mired in his own pain, tries to navigate past the desolation of his fatherless childhood. As James tries to heal himself he begins to realize that, somehow, he may save his son?s life ? as well as his own. When father and son finally meet, can they heal their shattered relationship, and themselves, or will it be too late?

The Pact (7 Generations) (Volume 4)

In 1964, two brothers are taken from the warm and loving care of their grandparents, and spirited away to a residential school, miles from home. James, assigned to manual work on the grounds, sees less and less of his younger brother, Thomas. James soon discovers the anguish that Thomas is living under, which leads to unspeakable tragedy. The pain and guilt that dogs James continues to affect his troubled son, Edwin (introduced in book 1). But a new understanding is dawning between them? Ends/Begins is book 3 in the graphic novel series 7 Generations. Other books in this series: Book 1: Stone tells the story of a young Plains Cree man in the early 19th century, who fulfills his destiny as a warrior as he avenges his brother?s death. Book 2: Scars, the story of the orphan White Cloud, set against the smallpox epidemic of 1870-1871. Book 4: The Pact (forthcoming), a story of redemption, as James and his son, Edwin, reconcile their past and begin a new journey.

Ends/Begins (7 Generations) (Volume 3)

This anthology of Aboriginal writings from Manitoba takes readers back through the millennia and forward to the present day, painting a dynamic picture of a territory interconnected through words, ideas, and experiences. A rich collection of stories, poetry, nonfiction, and speeches, it features: Historical writings, from important figures. Vibrant literary writing by eminent Aboriginal writers. Nonfiction and political writing from contemporary Aboriginal leaders. Local storytellers and keepers of knowledge from far-reaching Manitoba communities. New, vibrant voices that express the modern Aboriginal experiences. Anishinaabe, Cree, Dene, Inuit, Métis, and Sioux writers from Manitoba. Created in the spirit of the Anishinaabe concept debwe (to speak the truth), The Debwe Series is a collection of exceptional Aboriginal writing from across Canada. Manitowapow, a one-of-a-kind anthology, is the first book in The Debwe Series. Manitowapow is the traditional name that became Manitoba, a word that describes the sounds of beauty and power that created the province.

Manitowapow: Aboriginal Writings from the Land of Water (Debwe)

BASED ON A TRUE STORY* A school assignment to interview a residential school survivor leads Daniel to Betsy, his friend's grandmother, who tells him her story. Abandoned as a young child, Betsy was soon adopted into a loving family. A few short years later, at the age of 8, everything changed. Betsy was taken away to a residential school. There she was forced to endure abuse and indignity, but Betsy recalled the words her father spoke to her at Sugar Falls ? words that gave her the resilience, strength, and determination to survive. Sugar Falls is based on the true story of Betty Ross, Elder from Cross Lake First Nation. We wish to achnowledge, with the utmost gratitude, Betty's generosity in sharing her story. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Sugar Falls goes to support the bursary program for The Helen Betty Osborne Memorial Foundation.

Sugar Falls: A Residential School Story

Edwin is facing an uncertain future. Only by learning about his family's past - as warriors, survivors of a smallpox epidemic, casualties of a residential school - will he be able to face the present and embrace the future. 7 Generations: A Plains Cree Saga follows one Indigenous family over three centuries and seven generations. This epic, four-part story is told in graphic-novel format with illustrations in vivid colour. Originally published as a four-part graphic novel series; Stone, Scars, Ends/Begins, and The Pact.

7 Generations: A Plains Cree Saga

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