This is What I've Been Told / Mii Yi Gaa-Bi-Wiindmaagooyaan

Written and illustrated by Juliana Armstrong

Medicine Wheel Education

978-1-989122693

40 pp.

All ages

May 2021

Juliana Armstrong, a member of Nipissing First Nation and a teacher of Anishnaabemowin Language and Culture, brings her heritage, both in her message and her art, to young readers in This is What I've Been Told / Mii Yi Gaa-Bi-Wiindmaagooyaan.

From This is What I've Been Told / Mii Yi Gaa-Bi-Wiindmaagooyaan by Juliana Armstrong

Reflecting the Woodland Art style in line and colour and symbolism, Juliana Armstrong's picture book takes young readers on a journey of learning by sharing with them the lessons she was taught.  

From This is What I've Been Told / Mii Yi Gaa-Bi-Wiindmaagooyaan by Juliana Armstrong

They will learn Anishnaabemowin words for Grandmother and Grandfather, and nouns like clan, drum, strawberry, and medicine and fire. Several double-spreads relate to the good-hearted way and how to tell someone to stop talking, and words for living a good life and giving knowledge. Finally, Juliana Armstrong discusses identify and heart. These are some of the words Juliana Armstrong learned and now shares.

Throughout my life, I will follow in the footsteps of my Gookmis, learning the ways of our people. I will pick the same berries she picked. I will gather the same medicines and flowers she gathered. Speak the same language she spoke to me, and I will carry the Seven Grandfather Teachings she taught me.

Juliana Armstrong's words are filled with family and tradition and they take us into her culture and her heritage. There is a solemnity of purpose that takes this learning from the entertainment of much education today to one of reverence. Her respect for those who have taught her and passed along life lessons is tangible. Whether in the emotional content of her words or the glorious lines and shapes of her illustrations, Juliana Armstrong celebrates that knowledge.

From This is What I've Been Told / Mii Yi Gaa-Bi-Wiindmaagooyaan by Juliana Armstrong

For learners of Anishnaabemowin or those who understand that awareness of Indigenous cultures and language is imperative to becoming a truly inclusive and diverse world, This is What I've Been Told / Mii Yi Gaa-Bi-Wiindmaagooyaan is a gentle introduction that welcomes and guides.