Running head: RESOURCE EVALUATION

Indigenous Resource Evaluation: Stolen Words

Breanna Fisher, Hannah Raju, Jenna Berild,

& Kaitlyn Meador

Group 7

Red Deer College – University of Alberta

EDU 211

Teresa Fowler
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Stolen Words is a heartfelt children’s story that portrays the intergenerational impacts of

the residential school system and the subsequent enduring consequences on Indigenous peoples

lives, culture and relationships. Beautifully illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard, the book tells the

story of a young girl approaching her grandfather in search of a deeper understanding of the

traditional language of their ancestors. More specifically, she inquires about the proper way to

say “grandfather” in Cree. To her dismay, the father explains that he was robbed of his words

when he was a child as he was forced to leave his family and attend residential school.

Understanding how disheartened her grandfather is, the young girl decides to find the lost words.

After school one day, she delights her grandfather by bringing home a Cree dictionary. The

special bond between the young girl and her grandfather is strengthened with her efforts to

restore the lost Cree words of their Indigenous ancestors.

The Author, Melanie Florence, wrote this story about a residential school survivor

suffering the loss of his traditional language and further inability to pass his cultural practices on

to continuing generations, from the perspective of her own childhood experiences. Growing up

Florence was very close with her grandfather, but she never got the opportunity to speak with

him about his past, as his previous experiences were too agonizing to communicate. As a result,

Stolen Words is a reflection of the healing relationship she wishes she could have shared with her

grandfather, given the opportunity to learn about her Cree culture through his first-hand

knowledge. Furthermore, Florence encompasses the essence of the traditional oral stories of her

culture, and the ones she wishes her grandfather divulged, by removing quotation marks and

italics from the book.

Through our evaluative efforts, we have concluded that the children’s book Stolen Words

is a valuable resource to have in any classroom. Appropriately following First Nations culture
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and history from the experiences of the Indigenous author, the story is effectively connected to

the narratives of current society. More specifically, the special intergenerational bond depicted

between the granddaughter and her grandfather is currently relevant, as younger generations are

now teaching the elder generations more about the traditional languages and cultures that were

once lost. Due to experiences within residential schools, individuals lost their cultural identity,

language and practices as a result of the enforced assimilation, further restricting new

generations from learning and being immersed in the culture.

Visual features are also incorporated into the book to enhance the meaning of the text in

an expressive way. Illustrator Gabrielle Grimard crafted bright colours to portray the life of the

young girl and the healing relationship she shares with her grandfather. Dull, dark, sepia tones

portray the grandfather’s life and the lives of those that attended residential school. Grimard also

uses the image of a caged black crow to represent the words that the First Nations peoples were

prohibited to use. When the granddaughter brings home a Cree dictionary to share with her

grandfather, the imagery shows the blackbirds being released. In addition, the book incorporates

Cree language words that are used in an appropriate and way to enhance authenticity.

Although the imagery and language commendably enhances the text, Florence has been

criticized for portraying a simplistic solution to a multifaceted problem. Reconciliation is much

more complicated than finding lost words. However, written by an Indigenous Canadian author,

Stolen Words is culturally authentic and recognized as an artifact produced by a member of the

Aboriginal community. Only presenting one narrative, the story is emotionally charged as it is

partially based around personal experiences, therefore lacking balance and objectivity.

Nonetheless, Stolen Words has been recognized in the literature community, winning numerous

honors and awards, including the Second Story Press Aboriginal Writing Contest. In conclusion,
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this storybook could be effectively used in any classroom to introduce Indigenous culture,

histories, and perspectives and be expanded upon to deepen student understandings of the topic.