Learning My Rights with Mousewoman

Written and illustrated by Morgan Asoyuf, Ts'msyen

Native Northwest

978-1-55476-6260

22 pp.

Ages 3-6

September 2021

Learning lessons from elders is an important part of many cultures. Elders have the wisdom of the ages and the heart of the people, having seen and heard much. When an elder is not available, important figures like Mousewoman, a grandmother figure in Northwest Coast Indigenous cultures, can share their wisdom. Here, in author-illustrator Morgan Asoyuf's second board book for young children, Mousewoman imparts her knowledge of children's rights and those of Indigenous Peoples to little mice.

From Learning My Rights with Mousewoman by Morgan Asoyuf, Ts'msyen

Rich in the Northwest Coast art style, Morgan Asoyuf depicts Mousewoman instructing little ones of their rights to be loved, to safe touch, to food and clean water, a safe environment, and shelter. They have the rights to education, to play and to rest, and to arts and culture. They have the right to express themselves and to learn the dances and stories and traditions of their cultures too.

From Learning My Rights with Mousewoman by Morgan Asoyuf, Ts'msyen

The lessons of children's and Indigenous Peoples' rights in Learning My Rights with Mousewoman may be paramount but sadly they need to be reiterated globally to parents, to governments, to communities. By giving young children a basic understanding of their rights, Morgan Asoyuf will have given them voices to demand those rights for themselves. Moreover, by wrapping those messages about rights in the traditions of Indigenous cultures–she herself is Ts'msyen (Tsimshian)–Morgan Asoyuf reminds us all of the dereliction of many in helping to meet the rights of Indigenous children, here in Canada and elsewhere. Do they all feel safe and secure? Do they have clean drinking water? We want the answers to always be yes, but are they?

From Learning My Rights with Mousewoman by Morgan Asoyuf, Ts'msyen

But Morgan Asoyuf's message in Learning My Rights with Mousewoman elevates the story from an information book about important conventions that were ratified in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child as well as those of the UN Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples to an extraordinary concept book. The message is clear but the artwork and Indigenous theme make it incomparable. By connecting the rights of children and Indigenous people with her distinct art style, Morgan Asoyuf, an artist whose work also includes jewelry and carving, ensures that Indigenous children are more than acknowledged; they are seen and heard. All children will benefit from an understanding of their rights but Indigenous children will be given words and meaningful illustrations to connect those messages in Learning My Rights with Mousewoman.

From Learning My Rights with Mousewoman by Morgan Asoyuf, Ts'msyen