Told from the first-person perspective of a young boy, On the Trapline revolves around the boy and his Moshom (grandfather) returning to the old childhood trapline. This is a delightful and important autobiographical picture book by Cree author David. A. Robertson and beautifully illustrated by Julie Flett and winner of the 2021 Canadian Governor General's Literary Award for young people's literature — illustrated books.

Readers board the flight to the north with Moshum and grandson and follow their journey as they reconnect with Moshum’s childhood memories and create new memories together. This intergenerational tale emphasizes the importance of story and family history and language. Swampy Cree and Red River Metis artist Julie Flett fills the pages with watercolour images reflective of the nature of the north and populates the pages with memories made visual of this man and his return home with his grandchild. 

LANGUAGE

The book also uses many Cree words and provides a Swampy Cree vocabulary list in its back pages that can be used to explore meaning making and provide an entry point to the use of mother tongue in performance. 

 Have students: 

• Learn some Cree words

• Create a parallel vocabulary list related to their home/homeland in their own mother tongue, and create tableaux to communicate the meaning of the words

• Use the vocabulary list to create a spoken word piece about home and homecoming

HOME

This text will connect with anyone who has left home and comes back. They have changed, the place has changed, but the connection is still there, nevertheless. This book can be used to explore: What is home? and What is a homecoming?

Have students:   

•  Create a spoken word piece about home and homecoming

•  Improvise in groups: create places that are meaningful to them using their bodies and objects in the room

MEMORY

This book also provides an important message about reconciliation through memory and reconnection. 

Have students: 

• Share a happy memory from their childhood. Have them describe the memory to their peers in small groups.

• Have each group recreate the memory in a tableau of that memory to “playback” to the person.

RECONCILIATION

In his author’s statement, Robertson defines reconciliation as “ More than just healing from trauma. it's connecting, or reconnecting, with people, culture, language, community. Being on the trapline with my father was the most significant moment in our relationship - A Homecoming for me as a Cree man and truly a journey home for him.”

Journal Prompts:

• Have students reflect on the definition of reconciliation provided. 

• What does it mean to them?

• How is sharing this author’s story part of the process of reconciliation?

• How can they be a part of the reconciliation process?