Alys D. Avalos-Rivera and Mary Bertucci
Becoming a published writer might not be one of the chief goals that busy EAL instructors have in mind when considering their next step in professional development. Our colleague and fellow-BCTEAL member, Mary Bertucci, was not necessarily planning on that goal either. Yet, when the 2020 pandemic hit, Mary began to wonder if the lockdown was an opportunity to make an old dream come true:
“I guess it probably started 15 years ago. I had been teaching a lot of beginner and low-intermediate level students and would always like to recommend readers as a fun way to study at home, but also in class. However, I often found that the choices available were neither the best for my students’ level nor representative of our local communities in Vancouver. Students would be reading about London or Thailand, and that is great, but there was nothing about our [local] setting”.
Developing a reader that was positive, local, and diverse took a more defined shape in Mary’s mind when she found inspiration in her own family. Mary’s husband, Jeremy, and their children are Nak’azdli Whut’en First Nations. So, the idea to compose a story representing First Nations’ culture and family life in a positive and inclusive manner was very important to her. Jeremy was the first one to encourage Mary to choose one narrative from the multiple options she was considering: A story about a family going to Kamloopa for the Powwow.
Once the concept was clear, Mary started on a journey of consultation and collaboration. Mary’s background is mostly European (Ukrainian, Polish, German, and Dutch). Therefore, working collaboratively on the project was a must for her. She consulted with her husband, his family members, and her own Aunty who is Woodland Cree, a many other people among First Nations. In this process, she found two amazing collaborators: Chloe Bluebird Mustooch, who made the illustrations for the book, and Bernice Jensen, a Traditional Knowledge Sharer and cultural educator who was key to help Mary create an accurate representation of Kamloopa. In addition, Bernice also facilitated the connection with the Kamloops Powwow Society and the Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc Chief and Council to seek the necessary permissions, as the story is set in their territory. Finally, after the Powwow Society allowed her to reference Kamloopa, Mary also worked with the Tk̓emlúps Language and Culture Department before approaching Chief and Council. After almost two years of work, she was given permission to publish A Powwow Story on September 27, 2022.
All this effort truly paid off as “A Powwow Story” reads as a charming and authentic story written from the perspective of a teenager who is seeking to connect with his First Nations roots. This is achieved without losing the pedagogical intent to address the needs of beginner and low-intermediate EAL learners. The story can also be adapted to other teaching contexts such as elementary school or as a resource for Community and Friendship Centres. More importantly, the reader provides additional teaching resources. For those who are interested in finding ways to incorporate the book into their classroom, BCTEAL has organized a 90-minute webinar with Mary Bertucci as we kick off the Fall semester. Interested? Follow this link: https://members.bcteal.org/members/evr/reg_event.php?orgcode=BCTE&evid=40163153
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