What is Truth, Betsy?

Publisher's Description (Portage & Main Press): 
Miskwaadesi is learning so much in school. She is learning about the world she lives in and what it means to be a part of it. However, when her class learns about the teaching Truth, Miskwaadesi doesn’t understand. Her teacher Betsy asks Miskwaadesi to think about what is in her life and what she knows to be true. Miskwaadesi knows she is a girl and that she is Anishinaabekwens. Together, they explore what the teaching Truth is about. 

In this thoughtful story, an Anishinaabe girl explores the meaning of Truth and what she knows is true about the world she lives in. A pronunciation guide for the Anishnaabemowin words can be found at the back of the book. 

Rich in culture and grounded in traditional knowledge, Katherena Vermette’s The Seven Teachings Stories series features themes of love, wisdom, humility, courage, respect, honesty, and truth. Contemporary Indigenous children explore the Seven Teachings of the Anishinaabe through stories of home and family that will look familiar to all young readers in these books for ages 3–5.

Author Biography (Portage and Main Press): 
Katherena Vermette (she/her/hers) is a Red River Métis (Michif) writer from Treaty 1 territory, the heart of the Métis Nation, Winnipeg, Manitoba. In 2013, her first book, North End Love Songs (The Muses’ Company) won the Governor General’s Literary Award for Poetry. Since then, her work has garnered awards and critical accolades across genres. Her novels The Break (House of Anansi) and The Strangers (Hamish Hamilton) were both national best sellers and won multiple literary awards. She is the author of numerous other bestselling titles, including the A Girl Called Echo series (HighWater Press) and the Seven Teachings Stories series (HighWater Press). 

Irene Kuziw graduated from the University of Manitoba School of Art. Over the years, she has worked in galleries, museums, and schools. As a freelance artist, she has been commissioned for countless portraits and illustrations, and her work has been exhibited in numerous art shows. After taking early retirement and moving to the Interlake region of Manitoba, Irene is now able to devote her time to doing what she loves – drawing. Always seen with a pencil in her hand, she explores the abstraction of reality, whether it be the human face or the animal spirit.

Resource type: Picturebook

Age recommendation: Grades K-3

Keywords: Residential schools, hope, reclamation, language, Anishnaabemowin, Anishinaabe, love, wisdom, humility, courage, respect, honesty, truth, Seven Teachings of the Anishinaabe, history, Seven Sacred Teachings, urban setting, Cultural Lessons, Indigenous Urban/Contemporary

Year of publication: 2015

Publisher information: HighWater Press