Amanda Strong

From Amazon description:
On a journey to uncover her family’s story, Spotted Fawn travels through time and space to reclaim connection to ancestors, language, and the land—creating a path forward in this essential graphic novel.


In the dreamworld she bears witness to a mountain of buffalo skulls. They stand as a ghostly monument to the slaughter of the Plains bison to near extinction-- a key tactic to starve and contain the Indigenous People onto reservations. On this path, Spotted Fawn knows she must travel through her own family history to confront the harsh realities of the past and reignite her connection to her people and the land. Her darkroom becomes a portal, and her photographs allow her glimpses into the lives of her relatives over the course of four chapters of this book, which follow the phases of the moon. Time and space become unlocked and unfurl in front of her eyes. Guided by her ancestors, Spotted Fawn’s travels through the past allow her to come into full face—like the moon itself.


Adapted from the acclaimed stop-motion animated film of the same name, written and directed by Amanda Strong, Four Faces of the Moon brings the oral and written history of the Michif, Cree, Nakoda and Anishinaabe Peoples and their cultural link to the buffalo alive on the page. Deeply resonant and beautifully rendered, this graphic novel retelling is essential reading.


Backmatter by Dr. Sherry Farrell-Racette (Michif), an associate professor of Native Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of Manitoba, provides information on Michif culture and history and the injustices of colonialism.… (meer)

Deeply toned graphics move the sparsely worded story forward. Strong tells of her connections with her forbears, and how that connection has gifted her with the inner strength to hold on to her heritage. Five languages are used, reflecting the historic role of Metis as interpreters and linguists, but English is used as the overall text to help those of us handicapped by limited knowledge of other languages.
As impactful as the message was, I was also impressed by the message encrypted in the long list of those who had worked on the original animated filmstrip. It shows a community working together can create a path to the future. I am so grateful that indigenous people still have the strength to come out of their protective coloring and defend this Earth we live on from the actions of the greedy ones.… (meer)