Pemmican Wars

A great read and a perfect teaching tool for National Indigenous History Month!

Explore Métis history from the fur trade era in this time-travelling adventure for young adults. 

Pemmican Wars is the first volume in the acclaimed A Girl Called Echo graphic novel series by Governor General's Award–winning author katherena vermette. Blending time travel, historical fiction, and coming-of-age, this Indigenous graphic novel introduces readers to Métis history through the eyes of thirteen-year-old Echo Desjardins.

Separated from her mother and adjusting to life in a new home and a new school, Echo struggles to find where she belongs. An ordinary history class turns extraordinary when Echo is transported to the prairies of 1814. There, readers will discover:

• A time-travelling adventure that connects a contemporary Métis teen with the history of her people
• Important events in Métis and Canadian history, including the Pemmican Wars, the fur trade, traditional bison hunting practices, and the events leading to the Battle of Seven Oaks
• A historically grounded portrayal of the prairies in the 19th-century and the experiences of Métis communities

As Echo moves between the present and the past, she experiences Métis history firsthand, gaining a deeper understanding of her identity, her community, and the connections that reach across generations.

Pemmican Wars brings to life the people, places, and events that shaped Métis history and Canadian history. It's an engaging introduction to Indigenous graphic novels, historical fiction, and stories of identity and belonging, Pemmican Wars is an excellent resource for classrooms, libraries, and readers interested in Métis history, Indigenous perspectives, Canadian history, and graphic novels for teens.