A Girl Called Echo, Vol. 1: Pemmican Wars

This compelling graphic novel opens with 13-year-old Echo overlooking the Qu’Appelle Valley in 1814, shocked at seeing tipis, historically dressed people, and a bison hunt, then abruptly is transported back to the modern world. Echo is new to her school and her foster home, feels isolated, and searches for her identity and belonging; her trips back in time, where she learns about her Metis ancestry and the Pemmican Wars, moderate these feelings. The novel uses storytelling with limited text and detailed images to relate historical and contemporary Metis experiences. Suitable for lit circles, as a reference about Metis history and culture, and as a model of storytelling through the visual arts.