We grateful that your daughter-in-law Christy wrote the book “Fatty Legs” to share your story. Elizabeth School in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Highlighted by archival photos and striking artwork, this first-person account of a young girl's struggle to find her place will inspire young readers to ask what it means to belong.Ģ Synopsis from Strong Nations Publishing Inc., are a class of grade 5 and 6 students attend St. Along the way, she discovers how important it is to remain true to the ways of her people - and to herself. However, Margaret gradually relearns her language and her family's way of living. And Margaret is an outsider: she has forgotten the language and stories of her people, and she can't even stomach the food her mother prepares. Coming ashore, Margaret spots her family, but her mother barely recognizes her, screaming, 'Not my girl.' Margaret realizes she is now marked as an outsider. It's been two years since her parents delivered her to the school run by the dark-cloaked nuns and brothers.

Travelling to be reunited with her family in the Arctic, 10-year-old Margaret Pokiak can hardly contain her excitement. The powerful memoir of an Inuvialuit girl searching for her true self when she returns from residential school. Although a sympathetic nun stands up for Margaret, in the end it is this brave young girl who gives the Raven a lesson in the power of human dignity.Ĭomplemented by archival photos from Margaret Pokiak-Fenton's collection and striking artworks from Liz Amini-Holmes, this inspiring first-person account of a plucky girl's determination to confront her tormentor will linger with young readers.ġ Synopsis from Strong Nations Publishing Inc., Fatty Legs Webinar Series & ResourcesĪ Stranger at Home (A sequel to Fatty Legs)Īuthors: Christy Jordan-Fenton & Margaret Pokiak-Fenton In the face of such cruelty, Margaret refuses to be intimidated and bravely gets rid of the stockings. In an instant Margaret is the laughingstock of the entire school. Intending to humiliate her, the heartless Raven gives gray stockings to all the girls, all except Margaret, who gets red ones. She immediately dislikes the strong-willed young Margaret. Faced with unceasing pressure, her father finally agrees to let her make the five-day journey to attend school, but he warns Margaret of the terrors of residential schools.Īt school Margaret soon encounters the Raven, a black-cloaked nun with a hooked nose and bony fingers that resemble claws. The moving memoir of an Inuit girl who emerges from a residential school with her spirit intact.Įight-year-old Margaret Pokiak has set her sights on learning to read, even though it means leaving her village in the high Arctic. Author(s): Christy Jordan-Fenton & Margaret Pokiak-Fenton

The raven fatty legs