About This Resource
When We Were Alone by David A. Robertson, with illustrations by Julie Flett, tells the story of a young girl who is curious about the life experiences of her Nókom, or grandmother. As the girl helps her grandmother in the garden, she observes special things about her Nókom, like her long-braided hair, colorful traditional clothing, and her use of the Cree language. These observations make the girl eager to learn more about her grandmother’s past.
When asked, the young girl’s Nókom shares her experiences of being forced to go to a residential school. Her Nókom explains that during her time in the residential school, there were many intentional attempts to strip all the Indigenous students of their cultural and community identity, like languages, hairstyles, and practicing important traditions.
Despite these hardships, her Nókom shares that children found strength and resistance when they were out of sight from the residential school staff and could be “alone,” braiding leaves into their hair, or rolling in the leaves to be colorful again. The story emphasizes the remarkable strength and determination that those forced to attend residential schools shared and used as a tool to survive and remember.
