Kisēwātisi: Be Kind

Kisēwātisi: Be Kind
by Elizabeth Merasty, Illustrations by Brie Phillips, Woodland Cree Translations by Edie Venne
Published by Your Nickle’s Worth Publishing (YNWP)
Review by Michelle Shaw
$19.95 ISBN 9781778690624

The simplest stories and actions sometimes have the deepest effect.

Elizabeth Merasty’s new, beautifully illustrated children’s book, about simple acts of kindness, belie the deeper narrative of her mother’s stay at a residential school. As a child Merasty’s late mother, Catherine Conner (née Merasty), made the long journey, with her siblings, by boat from Pelican Narrows to the Sturgeon Landing Residential School in northern Saskatchewan.

The book opens with an encounter told through the eyes of a child – Elizabeth – who is at the grocery store with her mother. Suddenly a woman appears, recognises her mother and hugs her with tears in her eyes. They begin to laugh and talk in Cree. Later, Elizabeth’s mother explains that they went to boarding school together and shared many experiences. She says it’s been almost 40 years since they went to school, but the woman was happy to see her because she remembers the kindness she experienced. “Be kind,” she tells her daughter. “You will never be sorry you were kind.”

The soft-cover book is illustrated by Brie Phillips, a Métis artist and educator. The illustrations are bright, full colour and gently explore some of the day-to-day memories the children encountered at the school.

The narrative itself is told in Cree and English, and the book is clearly meant to engage discussion among its young readers. At the back of the book there are questions (also in Cree and English) about the story, suggestions for extended activities and even two colouring-in pages.

Merasty has included photos of her mother and her mother’s family in the book, including some taken at the residential school. She says her hope in sharing this story “is that it will encourage each of us to act with kindness, knowing that each act of kindness ripples out to transform our homes, our schools and our world.” And more kindness is definitely something our world needs at the present moment in time!

Incidentally, if you think the author’s name sounds familiar, you’d be right. The Education of Augie Merasty: A Residential School Memoir was written by her late uncle August Merasty (with David Carpenter).

THE BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE OR FROM WWW.SKBOOKS,COM