Cover Image: Red River Resistance

Red River Resistance

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Member Reviews

I'm not the biggest fan of graphic novels in general, but this sure seems a good way to teach youth about Canadian history. There is a lot of rich information in here from the narrative and illustrations to a timeline and other facts at the end.

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A visual aid during the time of the Red River Resistance. Again the story is intertwined with Echo in modern time which is unnecessary in my opinion. Present the history in a linear story without jumping irrelevant timelines.

The last few pages are worthwhile for educators and students with a essential information in wonderful formats for studying and review: a detailed timeline, the Metis List of Rights from May 9, 1870 and a map of the Red River Settlement.

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I have never heard of the Red River Resistance and this was a very charming way to learn about it. The artwork was almost realistic which suits the story-it shifts visibly when Echo slips into the past which keeps the narrative tight. I will have to read the Pemmican Wars to learn more.

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There is just not enough meat to this story. I went back and read the first one and there is so little story in each volume. I don't know why the author didn't wait to combine all of the story in one volume. I have to say that I would be disappointed with the $18.95 cover price (small press, I get it) because there's not much there. I'm not Canadian but I'm curious if Canadian readers would review this title more positively.

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I got a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I didn’t realize when I first got this comic that it’s actually the second issue in the series, still I was able to get the basic gist of the story. And I’d really like to find the first issue and read it now.

A Girl Called Echo is a short comic. At 48 pages the story follows a girl named Echo as she travels back in time. I really liked the art style, and I also learned a lot about Canadian history. I think that Echo wasn’t the strongest character, I didn’t feel like I knew very much about her. Maybe I just need to read the first issue. But still I was glad to have a chance to read this, and maybe you all will give it a chance too.

In the end I gave it 3 stars.

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This is the second in the Girl Called Echo graphic novel series. Again, Echo is a high school girl who slips back in time and sees some interesting moments in Canadian history from the perspective of Indigenous peoples, in this case the Metis of the Red River Resistance during the time of Louis Riel.

In the current timeline, Echo still misses her Mom (I wanted more of that plotline here than I got), but is fitting in better at school. This part of the story could be its own graphic novel, but I wonder if the writers are showing us the history as well to show how Indigenous peoples are living in two worlds, and how things that happened in the past are still impacting people generations later.

The history is handled well. I wonder if readers with little to no background on the conflict will understand what is happening. There is some information in the backmatter that helps, but readers might not be aware of that while reading.

If readers have done some learning already on this conflict, I think this book will be a great addition with the perspective of the Indigenous people to the Red River area well represented in this ownvoices book. The art worked really well for me.

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This review was first posted on my blog at https://dickenslibrary.blogspot.com/2019/01/red-river-resistance-by-katherena.html.

This graphic novel continues the story of Echo, a young Métis girl living in a foster home. In this sequel, Echo has made some connections to other students at school and gotten involved in the indigenous leadership program. While still missing her mother, she is in a positive, supportive, foster family.

I appreciate how Canadian history is taught through Echo’s eyes. She travels back in time to 1869 and 1870 in the Red River when the Métis were trying to keep their land. The Canadian government wanted it for white settlers. To avoid this, the Métis, under the leadership of Louis Riel, set up their own government in hopes of negotiating with Canada. In spite of their best efforts, they lost. The reality is that the Canadian government has never dealt fairly with indigenous peoples and reading this novel makes it all very clear.

The story of Métis resistance is one of many dark chapters in our history. Even though I know this story, it seems more profound in a graphic novel format. Perhaps it’s because I am invested in Echo and these are her ancestors.

The back matter includes a timeline full of important dates. A map shows where the Red River settlement is. There is also a list of rights that was a foundational document for the Métis government.

The realistic art has a gritty feel to it. There is one page that filled me with dread. It’s a joyful picture of Echo with Benjamin, her friend from the past, celebrating what they think will be a successful negotiation between the Métis and the government of Canada.

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Echo Desjardins is getting used to a new home and school after losing her mother. During history class one day, she finds herself transported back in time to 1860-70s Riel where Canadian immigrants are settling Red River Colony. This is the second graphic novel in a series and apparently follows straight on so I may have missed something!

However it was a quick, light read introducing a period of history I knew nothing about. I imagine it'll be even more engrossing for its target aduience which admittedly I not. Great artwork too.

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Unfortunately I really didn't get on with this one. The premise seems to be a kind of "kindred (by Octavia E Butler) but in Canada with indigenous people" and that's a really great premise and it's a really interesting way of looking at events in history but the way that was done here just didn't work for me.

This is the 2nd book in the series (the first book is also under 50 pages so calling it a book is a stretch, it's more like a long issue) so maybe I would have understood what was going on better if I'd read that first. The main things I was confused about were:

1. Who the main character is. Obviously it's this girl called Echo but that's still all I really know about her. Her personality is never really shown and I got to learn more about her from reading the back cover than actually reading the book. I don't understand if she's confused about the fact that she seems to randomly be taken back in time or whether she got over that confusion in the first book and is now fine with it all. It's hard to really see the emotion in the art apart from when she's crying, and even then I couldn't really work out why she was crying because I didn't really get what was happening.
2. The actual events that the comic covers. There's a timeline at the back but I read this twice and it was just quite unclear as to what was going on. I couldn't tell who were the Metis people and who were the immigrants, and there was no backstory as to what was going on. If the main goal of the comic is to educate people about the history of indigenous people in Canada, I don't think this was the best form for that, it would just be easier to read about it, and if it was to show an important story in a way that would interest young people and make them want to learn more, I don't know if it would do that either.
3. The time jumps. It jumped between present day and the 1800's without showing that it had jumped in time so that was a little confusing. I don't know if there was any major change in the colours in the time shifts, but it would have worked well if the past was a different colour scheme to the present to show the shifts in time.

Generally, the art was ok and I did learn a bit, and I looked it up after so it did teach me something but unfortunately I don't think this will appeal to a wide audience. I think part of my issue with it is maybe the length- there really isn't time to go into details. It's a shame because I love the idea of a young interesting indigenous character being transported back in time to witness key events in Canadian history, and if it was done well it could be great.

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I think this volume is stronger than the first one, and it starts to get more deeply into some history of Canada's indigenous peoples.

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The first book in this series, Pemmican Wars, left me wanting more. My biggest complaint about it is that it's too short. This book is also short, but it is jam-packed with information.

Echo travels to a pivotal time in Canadian aboriginal history when she is sleep. Most of the plot occurs in the historical setting and there's a lot of plot to follow. It reads like a historical cram session. Being unfamiliar with this subject, I found it hard to keep up. Having knowledge of the subject may have made it easier to keep up with the plot, but it would not have made it a more enjoyable read. There's no character development in the historical or current setting. It seems like the author is trying to provide the reader with a historical context for the next volume.

While this book didn't wow me like the first one, I still appreciate the own voices and inclusion. Also, we need more stories like this that tell history from different perspectives.

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Honestly, I'm a bit of a graphic novel amateur, but I want this year to be all about trying new things and broadening my life prospects, so here we are.

Red River Resistance is the second installation in the A Girl Called Echo series. It follows the 1869 Red River Rebellion that resulted in the establishment of a provisional government by the Métis leader, Louis Riel.

Echo Desjardins, who would otherwise be an ordinary school girl, can't stop herself from slipping back in forth in time through her dreams back to the Resistance.

I think that people with a basic knowledge of historical Canada and the surrounding government will have a much better understanding than I had with this. But, with that being said, I also haven't read the first book in the series, so it's no wonder that at some parts I was a little confused as to what was happening.

Although, now I have read this, my knowledge of Métis history has grown from 0%, I thought that Red River Resistance was very entertaining as well as educational. Being from the UK, I didn't realise how interesting the political movements of Canada at the end of the 1860s could be.

The illustration was also a compelling masterpiece. It was easy to savour the images and forget what was going on. Echo's dream states were depicted clearly and had a beautiful rustic depth to it.

Echo, with strong Métis heritage is a great character for school kids to relate to and root for. Unfortunately for me, I didn't really identify strongly with her.

Thank you to NetGalley, Portage & Main Press and HighWater Press for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Red River Resistance is the second volume in the graphic novel series called A Girl Called Echo. In it, Echo, a Métis middle schooler living in Winnipeg travels back in time (via dreaming???) to “experience” significant Métis history. I. This second volume, she lives the Red River Resistance, when Métis peoples worked for their equality as their land became a part of Canada in the 1860’s-1870’s. The last pages of the book contain a more streamlined timeline, maps, and other historically relevant information. As such, this graphic novel is best utilized by history teachers who want to reach reluctant learners.

The art and coloring is well done.

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I would like to start this review by saying that I wasn't aware that this work was volume 2 in a series. Because of that, I was very lost as to who the main character, Echo, is and her backstory. For example, I'm not sure if Echo is able to magically go back in time to witness history unfold or if she just has a very active imagination. I'm also assuming her song choices have a deeper meaning but as I couldn't even squint to see the titles, this too was lost on me.

Setting that aside as I understand readers of the first volume would be able to keep up with these details, this work was still confusing, lacked important contextual details, and seemed to rush ahead at breakneck speed giving the reader little to no time to catch up. I feel the novel would work best as a supplemental read for classrooms studying Canadian/Manitoba/Metis history because as a stand alone, there's far too much head scratching going on for it to be truly impactful. Perhaps it would work better if the historical timeline that appears at the back is moved to the front to bring readers who are not currently studying Louis Riel up to speed.

This work is an important one and I am always all for works that make learning fun and accessible. I just think there needs to be a little re-organization to make the message clear.

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I received a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I was excited to read the story Red River resistance because there's a part of history that I didn't know anything about however having read some of the other reviews I realize this is the second volume in a series and that there is to be another volume. Perhaps it would be better if I had read the first one in order for me to understand this one however having no idea about the history and the people involved in the story I can't rate the story very highly because as a person with no previous knowledge the story is confusing at best. I think this would be a great story as part of curriculum after the history is already been taught but as it stands I don't think it's a great introduction to a historical event that not everyone is aware of.

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Red River Resistance tells an important history that occurred just North of the US border and my home state of Minnesota. In book two of this phenomenal series, we find Echo continuing to miss her mother and finding herself transported back in time to the late 1800s to Métis land that the Canadian government is trying to take away. I can't wait to read book three.

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This is the 2nd volume of a historical narrative of two group of settlers, the English and the French, fighting over the territory of the Metis, the Native Americans who live on that land in Canada during the 19th Century. Echo, the protagonist, is learning about the events in her history class during the 21st Century, and reliving the events of the past in person in tandem. This is an interesting narrative decision by author, Katherena Vermette, because there is a difference between living through an event and reading about it.

While I have not had the chance to read the first volume, it is not difficult to get into the story. Given Echo's predicament, readers will wonder whether or not Echo is experiencing history just so she doesn't have to deal with the present. At the same time, Echo gets to experience history with all of the cruelty that goes with it.

For those who are not familiar with Canadian or Native American history, this graphic novel provides an interesting insight to a group of Native Americans from Canada. Katherena Vermette presents her readers with the familiar narrative the Native Americans, throughout the Americas, suffered through from the Settlers who stole their land and livelihoods from them through unjust means. Readers have an idea of what happened to the Metis, but Echo's story remains a mystery. We'll just have to wait until the next volume to find out.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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A graphic novel series that is a good addition to any classroom. Picking up where Volume One left off, Echo finds herself transported to the past in the time of Louis Riel, when the Canadian government send the HBC out and forced the Metis from their land. In the present day, Echo continues to adjust to life without her mother and finding how she fits in at school.

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This title is an absolute must for any school library or public library in Canada. With the 150th anniversary of the Red River resistance occurring in 2019, and the major focus of the Canadian government on reconciliation, this comic couldn't have come at a better time. I am so pleased to be finding so many new comics and graphic novels by indigenous creators, and the fact that is title focuses on Métis history is fantastic!

This title is the second in a series about a young Métis girl, Echo, who finds herself in some sort of foster care. While there she is attending high school and "experiencing" the history of the past, most notably the events surrounding the controversial and tumultuous Red River resistance.

I did read the first volume of this series, and I was very excited about this next installment. Unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to my expectations. I think my main problem is that this seems to be focusing on telling the story of the Red River resistance very quickly, but in doing so, it has forgotten to develop the characters. It also takes it for granted that you have some background in this history.

Sadly, this means that the characters are little more than shells. Even the main character, Echo has less than a personality. I feel like she was beginning to be explored in the first volume, but her personality just fell flat in this one. There is so much more that could be done with this story without exaggerating or undermining the important history that is being explored. I wanted so much more!

Because of this, I feel like it'll lose some of its audience. This comes off more as an educational work, and less as a something to pick up for pleasure. However, as an educational work it is invaluable, and would do very well to be included as supplemental material in Canadian elementary and high school classrooms.

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Kindred meets Canadian Aboriginal history as Echo slips back and forth between time from present day Winnipeg to the Red River Valley, where she observes the annexation of the Red River Colony into Canada and the fight of the Métis to ensure their say in their government.

Knowing absolutely nothing about Canadian history and less than that about Aboriginal Canadian history, this was fairly confusing—but it was laid out clearly.

So, having not read the first book in the series, Pemmican Wars, all I can say is that I do wish that Echo's timeline had been skipped completely, as she seemed fairly bland and closed off (which makes sense, as she was emotionally distant because of being separated from her mother), in favor of following the Métis and their struggles to keep a say on their land and their culture. Again, this was because I hadn't read the first book and didn't have the background, so this is entirely an issue to do with me jumping in mid-series.

The timeline at the very end of the graphic novel is the most illuminating, as it has a clear chain of events that lead to the Red River Resistance, the groups involved, the different motivations, the Métis List of Rights, and the creation of Manitoba as Canada's fifth province—and who wins, who loses, and who lived to tell their stories (and finally learning the the stories of the marginalized).

I enjoyed the LGBTQIA+ rep, and especially the #ownvoices Aboriginal rep.

Definitely a good read to get a basic understanding of Manitoban history, and the history of Aboriginal Canadians.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

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