Red River Resistance

Winston Churchill once said that ‘history is written by the victors’. In Canada, that is certainly true at least in relation to First Nations and the Metis. In elementary and high school, at least when I attended way back when, the so-called Red River Rebellion of 1869-70 was seen as an example of Indigenous peoples fighting the progress that the new Canadian government and, of course, European settlers would bring to the area. Negotiations were held between the Hudson’s Bay Company and Canada for the transfer of what was then known as Rupert’s Land and is now part of the province of Manitoba – the Metis and First Nations who lived there were not consulted. This led to what had been classified as a rebellion by these original inhabitants and to the establishment of a provisional government led by Metis leader, Louis Riel. They were not out to overthrow the government but wanted a guarantee that their rights and way of life would be respected. The government responded to this by sending in the army. The resistance was quickly quashed and Louie Riel would eventually be tried for murder and hanged.

The graphic novel, Red River Resistance (A Girl Called Echo #2), tells the story of what has, until recently been seen, as a rebellion from the perspective of the original peoples through this tale of a young 21st c. girl, Echo Desjardine who time travels back and forth between 1869 and the present, and who witnesses the events as they unfold. It is beautifully written by Metis poet and writer, Katherena Vermette and beautifully illustrated by Scott B. Henderson. Although this is clearly aimed at a young audience, this is a side of the story that is rarely told but deserves a much wider audience especially now as Canada is being forced to deal with our sorry history of treatment of First Nations. For anyone who wants to understand the real history of an event that is seen as one of the defining chapters in the country's history as opposed to that written by the victors, I cannot recommend this highly enough.

<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Portage & Main Press to the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review</i>

An enjoyable and powerful graphic novel experience that creates historical narrative in an appealing visual format.

This book is professionally done, well formed, and worthy of sharing with a wide range of readers.

In California, where I went to school, we were taught about the missions and missionaries that came in and enslaved the local native peoples. (Of course, when I went to school, that was not how it was taught). When I was growing up, we would then build little replicas of the missions, and visit them, and that was the part of California history we learned about.

And when we studied American history, we heard, a little, about native resistance, but mostly we focused on "westward expansion". If we heard about the Battle of Little Big Horn, or even about the take over of Alcatraz in more recent history, it was, again, only in passing.

In Canada, I expect it is the same. Stories of the First Nations peoples, until recently, were just footnotes in history, and the children learned about the founding of Canada, and settlers, and things like that.

Only now are schools teaching, I assume, about the colonization, and the treaties, and the resistance by the Metis.

So, while this book was written for everyone, it wasn't written for me. Or rather, this book was written for all the children who are now learning about the events that happened and how the First Nations and Metis were treated.

Note that Metis are separate from First Nations, in that they are decedents of the Europeans (mostly French trappers and such) and local First Nations. They are considered their own people.

So, this graphic novel, the second in the series, involves Echo who is both learning about events of the Indigenous peoples as well as living them, by traveling back in time. In this volume, we learn about the Red River Resistance put on by the Metis.

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I have done a little reading about Metis and First Nations, so I have a little background in what is happening, but not a lot, and the author assumes that we know a little bit.

For most non-Canadians, and probably for a lot of older Canadians, they may read this and scrach their heads, as so much is assumed that we know already.

Despite this, I think this is an excellent book to teach history, more easily than ready it from a standard text book. Echo is sympathetic, and the stories are sad.

Some reviewers have said their is not enough background on Echo. I don't think we need a lot of background. That is not the point. We need to learn about what it was like when these events happened, how unfair it was, and why things happened the way they did.

Highly recommended for schools and libraries in Canada, and perhaps in the States, as we need to learn about what happened in the past.

Thanks to Netgalley and Highwater Press for making this book available for an honest review.

Going in, I admit that I made the mistake of not paying attention to the details and seeing that this was the second work in the "A Girl Called Echo Series." On top of that, as an American and thus someone who is a product of my country's school system, saying that I don't have the greatest grasp on Canadian history would be quite the understatement.

But even with all that going against me, I found that I was able to easily get a handle on the setting and its focus on a Metis girl learning about her heritage while clearly settling into a new home, and I was able to learn a lot myself in the process about what was plainly a major point in the history of Metis. To say the least, I consider that quite the testament to Katherena Vermette's storytelling skills (backed by Scott Henderson's great artwork). Now my appetite for Metis history has been stirred, and not only will I be on the lookout for the next book in the series, but I will keep watch and hope that book one (Pemmican Wars) crosses my path.

A very brief (I need more!) historical fiction graphic novel about the Metis and settlements in Canada that focus on Echo, a girl who shifts back in time (a la Kindred) to what the deals were made. There was not a lot of prelude that helped place the story a little better and it would have been able to fill out the story a bit more.

These are the kinds of stories that need to be told more often and in the diversity of format that this one lends itself to. Indigenous stories are significant with the beauty of the graphic novel format it felt important in a way that a fictional narrative might not have. Can we have more of these, please?

Great artwork and colorwork throughout. Engaging story and characters. I really enjoyed this one. Looking forward to more in the series.

This is a very interesting graphic novel series. For starters, I love our main character, Echo. Her life is pretty much filled with struggle and pain, and you cant help but root for her. It's also very interesting seeing her live a split life and having to live in the modern day, doing normal things, and then seeing her go through things in the 19th century war torn Canada.

I really enjoyed the art style and I'd be interesting with continuing on with the series in the future.

Red River Resistance is a graphic novel that introduces the reader to some Métis history, specifically the events surrounding the Red River Resistance. We follow Echo, a girl in present time who seems to time travel through her dreams (both the night and day sort) to land in 1869.

Back in time, Echo sees the the Métis farming families, who have lived for generations along the Red River, struggle to be recognized after their land is sold out from under them. She witnesses the initial peaceful resistance against Canadian surveyors who are assessing that land, and the eventual more violent aspects of the resistance that happen through building tensions, miscommunications, and political shenanigans.

I haven't read the first book in the A Girl Called Echo series, and I think that led to me finding some parts of this book to be a bit confusing -- I wasn't always sure what the heck was going on in present times. Overall, though, this is a solid book that teaches the basics about what the Red River Resistance was and how it came to happen. The art is excellent, and I especially found the scenes in the past really pulled me into the story.

At the end of the story, there is an excellent timeline summarizing the key events, a map of the region, and a copy of the Métis List of Rights that was truly drafted in vain. This would be an excellent primer for anyone who would like to learn a bit about that part of Métis and Canadian history. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Thank you to NetGalley and Portage & Main Press for providing me with a DRC of this book.

I absolutely loved Pemmican Wars, the first book in the A Girl Called Echo series. I am thrilled to be saying that Red River Resistance has absolutely lived up to my expectations.

Katherena Vermette has woven a beautiful story that blends together the everyday life of a lonely teenage Metis girl in Manitoba with the history of the Metis in that area. Echo is an incredibly relatable character that I think many teens would see themselves in. I moved around a lot as a teen and dealt with a lot of depression, with music and reading serving as my primary comforts, so Echo reminds me a lot of my teenage self. The historical aspects are fascinating. It is painful and important seeing Echo come to terms with the history of the Metis, and too realistic to see her going into it without knowing very much. These stories highlight gaps in my own knowledge that make me feel eager to learn. The information in this volume is a little better known than the information in the first volume, but genuinely not by much. There is so much to learn still, so I look forward to seeing what events the next volume will focus on.

Scott B. Henderson is a talented artist, and I have enjoyed a number of other books featuring his work. This is no exception, his work in A Girl Called Echo continues to be impressive. I think part of why I connect this story mentally to 7 Generations is because he did the art for both (although both stories also have a contemporary and historical focus and were published by HighWater Press, so it makes sense either way). I always prefer Henderson's work when it's coloured, and Donovan Yaciuk's colouring works incredibly well here, and it helps to bring the story to life.

I appreciated the historical timeline and the Metis List of Rights included in the back. I personally always enjoy reading any additional real-world facts in the back of any of my historical fiction readings.

I am incredibly eager to see where else this story goes, and I look forward to seeing a third volume in the future. I hope to read more from all of the creators involved in this series. I definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys any kind of blend of contemporary and historical story.

I didn’t read the first volume so I looked up a little background. Based on that, I think this is a great text exploring Métis history and the life of a young indigenous girl fitting in at school. Beautiful artwork.

I thought this was an excellent continuation of the first book. The main character grows in her knowledge of indigenous history as well as her own self. It is a strong novel that shows the truth in what might be a skewed sense of history.

Holy cow! Ok Vermette, we need another 4 issues to make it a volume! Let’s do this, for the libraries, ASAP! We NEED more of Echo! It puts me in the mind of Kindred by Octavia Butler. The artwork is beautiful, I love the story. I love that it features an indigenous girl, in middle school, who seems like a bit of a rebel. I wasn’t able to read the 1st one so I’m sure I’m missing a bit, and yet the story is still complete enough for it to gain a new fan! As an American, im not as well versed as I could be in Canada’s history, so this was an amazing first look at the events that occurred. I look forward to more (Did I say ASAP? Can I make such a request? Please Vermette, more, soon!)! I can’t say I love this enough!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book! Like the first in the series, I found it extremely educational, albeit short with sometimes too many characters to keep track of. The timeline at the end, however, helped alleviate some of my confusion and really ties the story together.

I look forward to when more of these are published and hopefully bound into a complete 200+ page set for me to peruse and look back on as needed.

A solitary teenage girl travels into the past to witness a turbulent time on the prairies.

Echo Desjardins is adjusting to her new home, finding friends, and learning about Métis history. She just can’t stop slipping back and forth in time. One ordinary afternoon in class, Echo finds herself transported to the banks of the Red River in the summer of 1869. All is not well in the territory as Canadian surveyors have arrived to change the face of territory, and Métis families, who have lived there for generations, are losing access to their land. As the Resistance takes hold, Echo fears for her friends and the future of her people in the Red River Valley.

Once again I am left with wondering what happens next. This second volume in the series is definitely meatier than the first which introduces you to Echo and her special gift. This is my first foray into learning about Métis history. I do enjoy the additional information that each volume adds at the end. I was happy to see Echo break into a smile and become a bit more involved in school despite missing her mother and struggling with her sadness for her ancestors.

**This graphic novel was provided to me through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I would recommend this series.

Red River Resistance is a graphic novel taking place through the eyes of a 13-year-old girl, Echo who time travels between events in the Red River area of Canada in 1869-1870. Not being Canadian, I was not familiar with the history at ALL and so greatly appreciated the timeline in the back of the book!

The story portrays the injustice done to the indigenous people throughout North America during this time in history, but focusing on the Metis people of Canada. Despite the more than a 100 years since the events, Echo - a descendent of some of the original inhabitants - still struggles with her identity and place in the world, and the effects of a corrupt government that cared nothing for the people it displaced, only for the monetary value of their lands.

The illustrations in this book suit the story perfectly. They have an overall blue/gray cast that lends itself to the mood, and there are very few words even for a graphic novel. For the subject matter, it really works. I will definitely be going back and looking for the first of this series, and hope there will be more after!

This is a graphic novel where the art is telling more of the story than words. Which isn't a bad thing but sometimes I feel it necessary for the read to gather more information about the world. For instance, Red River Resistance. So immersive, so unique but I wanted more! This second installment is following Echo as she travels back in time to learn about the events of the Indigenous people who are living within the Rebellion. Some interesting historical facts come out, Canadian history we don't know about but should.

The illustrations are gorgeous, and I loved the way the graphic novel was laid out. The illustrator has done a fantastic job bringing to life the story written by Katherena Vermette by creating believable characters in fantastic settings but like I said before, I wanted more backstory on Echo. She very much felt like a bystander the whole time and I wanted her to be more of the main focus.

All in all, this graphic novel series is something I think more people should pick up. There's a lot to learn from here.

This is a well written, beautiful graphic novel, I enjoyed reading it. I am looking forward to the third volume! Thank you for the opportunity to review this book.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.