Terese Marie Mailhot facts for kids

Terese Marie Mailhot (born 15 June 1983) is a First Nation Canadian writer, journalist, and teacher. She is known for writing memoirs, which are true stories about her own life.

Growing Up and Learning

Terese Mailhot grew up in Seabird Island, British Columbia. This is a special place for the Seabird Island First Nation people. Her mother, Wahzinak, was a healer, social worker, and poet. Her father, Ken Mailhot, was an artist. Terese is one of four children.

As a child, Terese faced some health challenges. She also spent time in foster care. This means she lived with other families for a while. She eventually grew up and left the foster care system.

Her Family's Background

Terese's family is part of the Nlaka'pamux people. They are an indigenous First Nations group. They speak a language from the Interior Salish group. Her grandmother was very important to Terese. Her grandmother grew up in the Canadian Indian residential school system. This system caused many difficulties for indigenous children.

Terese's Education

Terese worked hard to get her GED. This is like a high school diploma. She then went to community college. Later, she earned a bachelor's degree in English. She studied at New Mexico State University. In 2016, Terese earned a special degree called an MFA. She got this degree in fiction writing from the Institute of American Indian Arts.

Her Writing Journey

Terese Mailhot started her career as a writer. She wrote for Indian Country Today. She also worked as an editor for The Rumpus. She taught English to students at Dona Ana Community College. This college is in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

In 2017, Terese became a special researcher at Purdue University. She works with the Native American Educational and Cultural Center there. She also teaches at the Institute of American Indian Arts.

Heart Berries Book

In 2018, Terese Mailhot released her first book. It is called Heart Berries: A Memoir. In this book, she shares her life story. She talks about the challenges her family and community have faced for many years. These challenges are sometimes called "intergenerational trauma." This means difficulties that pass down through families.

Terese uses the term "Indian sick" in her book. This term describes a spiritual way of healing. It is about clearing the heart and mind. This is how her community often deals with tough experiences. The book's title, Heart Berries, comes from a story. It is about a healer named O'dimin, the Heart Berry Boy. An Ojibwe friend, who teaches languages, told her this story.

Heart Berries was very popular. Many people and experts gave it great reviews. In March 2018, actress Emma Watson chose it for her book club. Heart Berries also became a New York Times bestseller.

Terese began writing her memoir during a difficult time. She was staying in a place where she could get help. The book is made up of many essays. She wrote these essays while she was studying for her MFA degree. Some parts of the book are written like letters. They are from Terese to her partner at the time, Casey Gray. She uses these letters to think about her past memories.

Her Life and Family

Terese Mailhot has shared that she has faced personal health challenges. She has four sons. She was married when she was a teenager. Later, she married writer Casey Gray.

Special Awards

Terese has received several special awards and fellowships for her writing:

• 2015: Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA), Discovery Fellowship
• 2016: Vermont Studio Center, VSC/Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) Creative Writing Fellowship
• Writing by Writers, Fellowship
• Elk Writer's Workshop, Fellowship
• 2017: Purdue University, Tecumseh Postdoctoral Fellow