Andy's Tribal Canoe Journey

Publisher's Description (Strong Nations): Andy has had a rough school year and is ready for summer vacation. But when Grandpa Rick tells him that he will be participating in a canoe journey instead of enjoying his usual summer activities, Andy feels he is being punished. Join Andy as he experiences a Tribal Canoe Journey for the first time and learns what it’s like to belong to a canoe family. Follow along as Andy navigates physical and emotional challenges and finds an answer to the important question: “Who am I?”

Author Biography (Strong Nations): Seabacola Beaton is Mohawk on his father’s side and Lílwat on his mother’s side. He received his traditional name, Seabacola, from the Newman family of the ‘Namgis First Nation. Seabacola is an aspiring writer and studies English and creative writing at Vancouver Island University (VIU). His work has been published in VIU’s literary magazine Portal. Andy’s Tribal Canoe Journey is his first published book.

Jorja Johnson is Hesquiaht on her mother’s side and Dzawada’enuxw on her father’s side. She paddled with the Spe’eth canoe on the 2019 Tribal Canoe Journey to Lummi. Her favourite part of the journey was spending time with her canoe family and dancing on the floor of the big house. Jorja hopes to participate in a future Tribal Journey.

Cadence Manson (Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation) paddled with the Spe’eth youth canoe on the 2019 Tribal Canoe Journey to Lummi. He enjoyed sharing his experiences to help create a book about the journey.

Natalie Laurin (she/her) is a Métis and settler illustrator and interdisciplinary designer, with family roots in the Georgian Bay Métis community. Natalie holds a Bachelor of Design from NSCAD University, where she majored in Interdisciplinary Design and minored in Illustration. A central goal of her work is to create with a respectful, informed, and collaborative approach – especially when designing for communities other than her own. By using her talents to illustrate books for Indigenous children, she hopes to inspire youth to engage in our collective revitalization journey through themes of community and relationship-building.

Resource type: Graphic novel

Age recommendation: Grades 4-6, 7-9

Keywords: Canoe, family, summer, journey, adventure, belonging, identity, emotions, challenges, graphic novel, Salish, Coast Salish

Year of publication: 2022

Publisher information: Strong Nations Publishing