Reviewed by Debbie Reese
Review Source: American Indians in Children’s Literature
Book Author: Rebecca Thomas
A reader wrote to ask me about I’m Finding My Talk. I did not know about the book prior to being asked about it. I was able to get a copy and was deeply touched by it. The author’s father was in a residential school in Canada. Because of his experience at the school, he was not able to teach Thomas about their language or culture. In the U.S., those schools — designed to “kill the Indian and save the man” — are called boarding schools.
When I started reading it, I saw that Nimbus (the publisher) dedicated it to Gregory Younging. He was a leading figure in publishing of Native people in Canada. He was Cree. I saw that Thomas dedicated it to her father. So did Young. Her “I will do my best, Dad” embody so much of the emotion and tenacity Native people in the U.S. and Canada carry as we move forward on our homelands. We work to preserve what we have and we work to recover what was taken from us. Continue reading on American Indians in Children’s Literature.
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I'm Finding My Talk by Rebecca Thomas
Published by Limited on February 28, 2021
Genres: American Indians First Nations Metis Inuit
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Grade K, Grades 1-2
ISBN: 9781774710067
Review Source: American Indians in Children's Literature
Former Halifax Poet Laureate and second-generation residential school survivor Rebecca Thomas writes honestly and powerfully in this companion piece to Rita Joe's I Lost My Talk. Includes vibrant illustrations from Mi'kmaw artist Pauline Young.
A response to Rita Joe's iconic poem I Lost My Talk, and published simultaneously with the new children's book edition illustrated by Pauline Young, comes a companion picture book by award-winning, spoken-word artist and Mi'kmaw activist Rebecca Thomas. A second-generation residential school survivor, Thomas writes this response poem openly and honestly, reflecting on the process of working through the destructive effects of colonialism.
From sewing regalia to dancing at powwow to learning traditional language, I'm Finding My Talk is about rediscovering her community, and finding culture. Features stunning, vibrant illustrations by Mi'kmaw artist Pauline Young.
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