Becoming Metis

In Becoming Metis, Tiah and her family head off to celebrate Metis Culture Days, and Tiah discovers that learning about her heritage can be fun. Deborah Delaronde-Falk is a prolific writer about being Metis (A Name for a Metis, Little Metis and the Metis Sash and others). Working in a school library, she noticed the glaring lack of materials that reflected the Canadian indigenous and, especially, the Metis reality. She began writing to fill the void.

Tiah’s adventures take her on a journey around the school yard where she makes bannock, races in snowshoes, leg wrestles and, to everyone’s surprise, attracts a moose out of the woods in her first-ever moose-calling contest. She’s new to these experiences and makes mistakes (spilling sugar into the bannock, tripping another boy in her first time on snowshoes) that add a touch of humour and innocence to the story.

Manitoba illustrator Sheldon Dawson is known for his accurate representation of the contemporary human figure and animals. Bright colours make the drawings pleasant to look at. Tiah’s expressions are realistic and believable. The look of surprise on her face when she trips on her snowshoes is genuine. His interpretation of the Metis sash makes it immediately recognizable, without it being unnecessarily precise.

If there’s a critique to offer, it’s that the reader would want more character development in these stories. Why is the title Becoming Metis? Has Tiah’s family not told her about her heritage before, does she struggle with it, or is it a part of their daily life? Readers would appreciate more attention to explanation of details mentioned, such as the “Natural Metis Moose-Calling Competition” or what “long ago” means. Several pages are left white or washed with a pale tint. More illustrations would help advance the storyline, for example, by depicting an image of a “Made Beaver” coin. A drawing on a poster or in a thought bubble of what Metis looked like when they guided the trappers would be educative. These objectives can easily be carried out within the context of a picture book through the careful balance between the narrative and the illustration.

In all, Tiah’s life is enriched because her family and the community keep their history and culture alive by involving young children in hands-on, engaging activities. Becoming Metis is a useful book to inspire pride in Metis heritage and educate all children about one of Canada’s founding groups. Delaronde-Falk includes a glossary of terms at the end of the book that defines words and explains them in a historical context.