The sharing of one鈥檚 life experiences can be difficult for those who have suffered hardships and difficulties. For M茅tis author Bonita Nowell, when her mother Angie Mercredi - Crerar eventually revealed her history about attending residential school and the loss of her own mother, it was therefore received as a precious gift.

It also became a gift that Nowell wanted to honour by sharing it with others, and with the recent publishing of that story in her book My Mother鈥檚 Legacy, Nowell says she hopes anyone who reads about her mother becomes inspired about the resiliency of the human spirit.

鈥淪he had the most wonderful childhood. She was loved and she lived off the land with her family and it was a peaceful, gentle way of life,鈥� Nowell said of her mother鈥檚 early childhood.

That changed, however, when her mother fell ill and her and her siblings were forced to attend St. Joseph鈥檚 residential school in Fort Resolution, a part of her life she did not feel comfortable sharing until 2015, Nowell said.

鈥淚t was like 鈥� 鈥淚 was at a convent鈥� and then (she) quickly changed the subject,鈥� she said of her mother鈥檚 hesitancy to discuss her experiences.

Discovering her heritage

Having developed an interest in genealogy after reading the Alex Haley book Roots in the 1970s, Nowell began the journey of tracing her family tree and her lineage, which eventually led back to Francois Beaulieu 鈥� 鈥淟e Patriarche鈥� 鈥� her direct descendent and a founding father of the M茅tis of the Northwest Territories. After moving from Alberta back to her birthplace of Yellowknife in the 1980s, Nowell then went on to research her close family to fill in the gaps of information she was seeking.

For most of her life, Nowell said she did not know about her mother鈥檚 experience at St. Joseph鈥檚 鈥� a school where 75 young students did not return to their homes.

鈥淚t was not acceptable discussion material and so that part was heartbreaking. As I did further research and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission did further research, I learned more and understood more and I think I became a better person,鈥� she said of the process of research and discovery.

In writing her mother鈥檚 story, Nowell said she decided to intertwine the facts of her mother鈥檚 life at times with a fictional narrative to help readers gain a deep understanding of her experiences. She also used her Indigenous voice to help achieve that and also interspersed the story with words from the Michif language 鈥� her mother鈥檚 M茅tis language that she was forbidden to speak in residential school.

鈥淥ne thing I recognized was that the context was missing, so I am providing greater context about my mother鈥檚 early childhood in the North and things my mother was involved with, and all the wonderful humans that I鈥檝e met along the way who have contributed to me being able to share this story more creatively, and more humanely, and more comforting,鈥� Nowell said.

鈥淭here are chapters in my book that I literally cried my way through.鈥�

鈥淚 hope the words that I have selected very, very carefully, touch my readers. It allows me to talk from my heart 鈥� more colourfully, more holistically.鈥�

Leading by example

In the introduction of her book, Nowell describes her mother, a renowned M茅tis elder, as one who has spent her lifetime helping M茅tis women reclaim their traditional matriarchal and matrilineal roles in Grande Prairie, Alberta, the place she calls home.

鈥淪he has used her gifts of quiet strength and speaking from her heart to guide others on a path of reconciliation in order to achieve this vision with many, many other Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada.鈥�

For Nowell, authoring the book provided her not only with knowledge about her M茅tis heritage, but the discovery of a 鈥渟trong emotional legacy鈥� that served as a protective shield for her mother as a child.

She hopes there is something for everyone who reads her story and 鈥淎nyone who wants greater understanding and who wants to be embraced by it 鈥� perhaps a different approach to presenting a residential school story.鈥�

Nowell said she had both her mother鈥檚 blessing and support while writing the book.

鈥淚 wanted to give her something back I felt she lost.鈥�

Her mother told her she had succeeded in doing so.

鈥淚 use the word gift throughout my book. I use the word for a reason. We all have gifts. And the more we use them and share them, what a much better world we would be in.鈥�