Marika Schalla and Ruby Bruce are cousins from St. Laurent who wrote and illustrated Stella Welcome to Your Doodem, a picture book for youth.
“Stella Welcome to Your Doodem is a tale of empowerment and self-discovery,” said Schalla, author of the book.
The story follows a young Métis girl who recently received her Spirit name. She is now trying to find her “Doodem,” also known as her Clan animal. “She is determined to find which animal called out to her. Stella goes through the forest to try and find one of the seven animals.”
Schalla was inspired to write her debut children’s book based on her childhood experiences. She vividly remembers attending several Clan Mother ceremonies, and she wanted to create a book that reflected those moments in her past.
“Stella Welcome to Your Doodem is based off of my own Naming Ceremony. We heard a weird sound, and I had no idea what it was. The Elder with me said, ‘that is the deer calling you from the woods.’”
Schalla is part of the Deer Clan, so hearing the deer was surreal to her. The character Stella is also named after her Great-Grandmother.
Another motivator for publishing the book was the lack of educational resources about Clan animals.
When she wrote the book, she could not find any books to share with her Grade 1/2 Ojibwe class. So, she took matters into her own hands and created a resource for herself.
Since then, the book has expanded and has been available to purchase worldwide since July 2023.
Stella Welcome to Your Doodem teaches you about more than just Clan animals. It encompasses the themes of strength and resiliency, teaches you about nature and includes many words and phrases written in Ojibwe.
“My class now knows more than 80 animals in Ojibwe just from reading the book,” Schalla added.
One of the book’s most prominent features is the illustrations. Ruby Bruce is Schalla’s cousin, and she is a Métis artist from St. Laurent.
“I am a Woodland artist and I have a distinct style that is specifically my own. I take inspiration from the Anishinaabe or Ojibwe art style which uses black bold lines and vivid colours.”
A lot of her inspiration also stems from Indigenous artist Norval Morrisseau.
Bruce takes Stella on a colourful adventure as she journeys to find her Doodem.
She explained that she and her cousin worked closely on the book together, stating that it had always been their dream to have a children’s book published.
“When we were working on the story, I tweaked the illustrations to the story, and Marika tweaked the story to the illustrations until they matched. We inspired each other when creating the book.”
Since they were young, the St. Laurent cousins have collaborated, creating and working on stories. So, having a published story means the world to them both.
“It was a very meaningful project for both Merika and I because we are celebrating our Grandmother. There are so many parts in the book that points to our family, our culture, our history, and even to life in a small and rural town.”
Stella Welcome to Your Doodem is an eye-opening story for people of all ages. You can buy your own copy from Anishinaabe Girl in Winnipeg, through Amazon.ca or by connecting with either Bruce (@Southernwindikwe) or Schalla (@Heartberryeducation) on Instagram.
The local artists’ next steps are already in the works: The talented duo already has more Stella books in the works, so everyone can continue to follow Stella’s journey.
