The secret pocket / Peggy Janicki ; illustrated by Carrielynn Victor.
The true story of how Indigenous girls at a Canadian residential school sewed secret pockets into their dresses to hide food and survive. Mary was four years old when she was first taken away to the Lejac Indian Residential School. It was far away from her home and family. Always hungry and cold, there was little comfort for young Mary. Speaking Dakelh was forbidden and the nuns and priest were always watching, ready to punish. Mary and the other girls had a genius idea: drawing on the knowledge from their mothers, aunts and grandmothers who were all master sewers, the girls would sew hidden pockets in their clothes to hide food. They secretly gathered materials and sewed at nighttime, then used their pockets to hide apples, carrots and pieces of bread to share with the younger girls. Based on the author's mother's experience at residential school, The Secret Pocket is a story of survival and resilience in the face of genocide and cruelty. But it's also a celebration of quiet resistance to the injustice of residential schools and how the sewing skills passed down through generations of Indigenous women gave these girls a future, stitch by stitch.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781459833722
- ISBN: 1459833724
- Physical Description: 1 volume (unpaged) : colour illustrations ; 23 cm x 28 cm
- Publisher: [Victoria, British Columbia] : Orca Book Publishers, 2023.
- Copyright: ©2023
Content descriptions
Biographical or Historical Data: | Peggy Janicki is an award-winning Dakelh teacher from the Nak’azdli Whut’en First Nation. She holds a master of education in Indigenous knowledges/Indigenous pedagogies from the University of British Columbia. Peggy has worked for decades to reveal the hidden stories and histories of Indigenous Peoples, as featured in UBC’s Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) “Reconciliation through Indigenous Education.” When her mother shared a secret story that changed all their lives and highlighted the impacts of colonization, Peggy also became a storyteller. She lives in Chilliwack, British Columbia. Eastern Fraser Valley based artist Carrielynn is a descendant of Coast Salish ancestors that have been sustained by S’olh Temexw (their land) since time immemorial and Western European ancestors that settled around Northern Turtle Island beginning in the 1600’s. Carrielynn was born and raised in S’olh Temexw and nurtured by many parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. Along with owning and operating an art practice, Carrielynn maintains a communal role as a plant practitioner, and is the Manager of Cheam First Nation’s Environmental Consultancy. The philosophy and responsibilities of these land based communal roles are fundamental for informing the story, style and the details of Carrielynn’s artwork. With ancient and modern design principles combined, Carrielynn’s professional artistic practice takes the form of murals, canvas paintings, drums, paddles and in recent years, illustrations for scientific reports and children’s books. |
Search for related items by subject
Genre: | Illustrated works. |
Topic Heading: | Local History. Aboriginal. Indigenous collection |
Available copies
- 17 of 19 copies available at BC Interlibrary Connect.
- 1 of 1 copy available at Kitimat Public Library. (Show)
Holds
- 0 current holds with 19 total copies.
Other Formats and Editions
Show Only Available Copies
Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Holdable? | Status | Due Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kitimat Public Library | J 371.829 Jan (Text) | 32665002325456 | Juvenile Non-fiction | Volume hold | Available | - |
100 Mile House Branch | J 371.8299 JAN (Text) | 33923006631208 | Juvenile Non-fiction | Volume hold | Available | - |
Alexis Creek Branch | J 371,8299 JAN (Text) | 33923006631976 | Juvenile Non-fiction | Volume hold | Available | - |
Beaver Valley Public Library | E JAN (Text) | 35144000256938 | Non-Fiction | Volume hold | Available | - |
Castlegar Public Library | JIND 371.82997071 JAN (Text) | 35146002326569 | Junior Non-Fiction | Volume hold | Available | - |
Fort St. James Public Library | J 371.82 JAN (Text) | 35196001032965 | Juvenile Non-Fiction | Volume hold | Available | - |
Gibsons Public Library | JUV PIC J (Text) | 30886000854683 | Picture books | Volume hold | Available | - |
Granisle Public Library | J 371.82 JAN (Text) | 35190000245322 | Juvenile Non Fiction Hardcover | Volume hold | Available | - |
Mackenzie Public Library | E JAN (Text) | 35192000482699 | Aboriginal | Not holdable | Lost | 2023-07-04 |
McBride | E Green Jan (Text) | 35191000377776 | Easy read hard cover | Volume hold | Available | - |