Not My Girl
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Margaret can't wait to see her family, but her homecoming is not what she expected. This beautifully illustrated story makes the difficult topic of residential schools accessible to young readers. An accessible way to begin discussions about Canada's dark history with Indigenous peoples.
Show full descriptionTwo years ago, Margaret left her Arctic home for the outsiders' school. Now she has returned and can barely contain her excitement as she rushes towards her waiting family, but her mother stands still as a stone. This strange, skinny child, with her hair cropped short, can't be her daughter. 'Not my girl!' she says angrily. Margaret's years at school have changed her. Now ten years old, she has forgotten her language and the skills to hunt and fish. She can't even stomach her mother's food. Her only comfort is in the books she learned to read at school. Gradually, Margaret relearns the words and ways of her people. With time, she earns her father's trust enough to be given a dogsled of her own. As her family watches with pride, Margaret knows she has found her place once more.
Margaret-Olemaun Pokiak-Fenton is an Inuvialuk elder and artisan who spent her early years on Banks Island in the high Arctic. She now lives in Fort St. John, British Columbia. Christy Jordan-Fenton lives in Fort St. John, British Columbia. Margaret Pokiak-Fenton is her children's grandmother. Jordan-Fenton practices traditional ceremonies with the Kainai Blackfoot.