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Comic and Graphic Books. Historical Fiction. Young Adult Fiction. Young Adult Literature. HTML: Illustrated in vivid colour, 7 Generations: A Plains Cree Saga is an epic story that follows one Indigenous family over three centuries and seven generations. This compiled edition was originally published as a series of four graphic novels: Stone, Scars, Ends/Begins, and The Pact. Stone introduces Edwin, a young man who must discover his family's past if he is to have any future. Edwin learns of his ancestor, Stone, a Plains Cree warrior who came of age in the early 19th century. When Stone's older brother is tragically killed during a Blackfoot raid, he must overcome his grief to avenge his brother's death. In Scars, the story of White Cloud, Edwin's ancestor, is set against the smallpox epidemic of 1870â??1871. After witnessing the death of his family one by one, White Cloud must summon the strength to find a new home and deliver himself from the terrible disease. In Ends/Begins, readers learn about Edwin's father James and his experiences in a residential school. In 1964, two brothers are taken from the warm and loving care of their grandparents, and spirited away to a residential school. When James discovers the anguish that his little brother is living under, it leads to unspeakable tragedy. In The Pact, the guilt and loss of James's residential school experiences follow him into adulthood, and his life spirals out of control. Edwin, mired in the desolation of his fatherless childhood, struggles to heal. As James navigates his own healing, he realizes, somehow, he must save his son's lifeâ??as well as his own. Find ideas for using this book in your classroom in the FREE Teacher's Guide for 7 Generations… (more)
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In this graphic novel, Edwin learns from his mother the history, going back seven generations, of their family and his people, the First Nations Cree. We learn about fighting between the Cree and Blackfoot, then when smallpox hit, then the residential schools in the 1960s, where Edwin’s
Wow, this started off with a very powerful chapter, as Edwin tries to kill himself as his mother rushes to him in the hospital. Particularly powerful, again, with Edwin’s father and uncle at the residential school. It was a story of Edwin not only learning about the past, but having to come to terms with all of it and to forgive his father. It is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel, in colour.
A strong, dark, history of a Cree family which is common for many First Nations and Native American peoples. It opens with a suicide attempt. Edwin's mother tells him the family history in an
The ending is somewhat ambiguous; we are left to interpret meaning of the final picture and what Edwin's future choices will be.
I think this would be a good book for male teens either because they are experinecing their own traumas and need a model for healing, or because their lives have been smoother and they need to gain some understanding of others.
One phrase stuck with me: when Edwin says "I thought we used to be savages" I felt it shows how our children pick up the dominant culture's beliefs if we don't deliberately counteract them.
This book is told from the point of view of the various males. It leaves me wondering where is mother found the strength to build a good life for herself. One of her sentences points the way (tho without the strong graphics to drive home the point): "Back then family was important. Community."
Since I had first read one of Robertson's stories for primary age children, I had expected it to be similar, but this is definitely beyond what they should be confronted with.
This was read in a print edition, not e-book.