Ruby Slipperjack facts for kids

Ruby Slipperjack, also known as Ruby Slipperjack-Farrell, was born in 1952. She is an Ojibwe writer and artist. Her stories and paintings share the traditional ways of the Ojibwe people in northern Ontario. She also explores how modern life affects their culture. Ruby Slipperjack is a member of the Eabametoong First Nation.

About Ruby Slipperjack

Ruby Slipperjack-Farrell is a Professor at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario. She leads the Department of Indigenous Learning. When she was young, Ruby lived with her family on her father's trap line near Whitewater Lake.

Early Life and Traditions

Ruby learned many traditional stories and crafts from her family. She kept alive much of her people's traditional religion and heritage. These early experiences greatly influence her writing and art. Her family later moved to a community along the railway. She attended residential school for some years. She then finished high school in Thunder Bay.

Education and Career

After high school, Ruby Slipperjack-Farrell continued her education. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History in 1988. She then completed a Bachelor of Education in 1989. In 1993, she received a Master of Education degree. Later, in 2005, she finished her doctoral studies at the University of Western Ontario.

Her Books and Art

Ruby Slipperjack has written several novels. These include Honour the Sun, Silent Words, Weesquachak and the Lost Ones, Little Voice, and Weesquachak and Dog Tracks. She also wrote stories for the Dear Canada book series. These stories appeared in Hoping for Home: Stories of Arrival and A Time for Giving: Ten Tales of Christmas.

Her first novel, Honour the Sun, tells the story of a young girl. The girl grows up in a small Ojibwe community in northern Ontario. This book was very popular and is used in many schools. Besides writing, Ruby Slipperjack-Farrell is also a talented artist. She is also a certified First Nations hunter. Her work often talks about the traditional customs of the Ojibwe. It also shows how modern changes affect their culture.

Awards and Recognition

Ruby Slipperjack has received important awards for her writing.

• Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People