7 Generations
4 primary works • 5 total works
Book 1
Stone introduces Edwin, a young man who must discover his family’s past if he is to have any future. Edwin learns of his ancestor Stone, a young Plains Cree man, who came of age in the early 19th century. Following a vision quest, Stone aspires to be like his older brother, Bear, a member of the Warrior Society. But when Bear is tragically killed during a Blackfoot raid, Stone, the best shot and rider in his encampment, must overcome his grief and avenge his brother’s death. Only then can he begin a new life with his bride, Nahoway.
Book 2
Scars introduce White Cloud, a young Plains Cree boy, in the year 1870, when the last great smallpox epidemic swept through the prairies. After witnessing, one by one, the death of his entire family from the illness, he summons the strength to journey on to find a new home and deliver himself from the terrible disease. But will he make it?
Scars follows White Cloud and the people he encounters, as he struggles to survive against impossible odds. By learning about the bravery and perseverance of his ancestor White Cloud, Edwin summons his own courage and travels to confront the main source of his despair: the father he barely knows.
Book 3
In 1964, two brothers are torn from the warm and loving care of their grandparents, and taken to a residential school far from home. James, assigned to manual work on the grounds, sees less and less of his younger brother, Thomas. When James discovers the anguish Thomas is living under, it leads to unspeakable tragedy. The pain and guilt that haunts James continues to affect his troubled son, Edwin. But a new understanding is dawning between them…
Book 4
The guilt and loss of James’s residential school experiences follow him into adulthood, and his life spirals out of control. Lauren makes a pact with him that will lead to either death or redemption: confront the demons that haunt him or be prepared to forego a life with her and their son, Edwin.
Edwin, mired in the desolation of his fatherless childhood, struggles to heal. As James navigates his own healing, he realizes, somehow, he must save his son’s life—as well as his own. When father and son finally meet, can they rebuild their shattered relationship, and themselves, or will it be too late?
Illustrated in vivid colour, 7 Generations: A Plains Cree Saga is an epic story that follows one Indigenous family over three centuries and seven generations. This compiled edition was originally published as a series of four graphic novels: Stone, Scars, Ends/Begins, and The Pact.
Stone introduces Edwin, a young man who must discover his family’s past if he is to have any future. Edwin learns of his ancestor, Stone, a Plains Cree warrior who came of age in the early 19th century. When Stone’s older brother is tragically killed during a Blackfoot raid, he must overcome his grief to avenge his brother’s death.
In Scars, the story of White Cloud, Edwin’s ancestor, is set against the smallpox epidemic of 1870–1871. After witnessing the death of his family one by one, White Cloud must summon the strength to find a new home and deliver himself from the terrible disease.
In Ends/Begins, readers learn about Edwin’s father James and his experiences in a residential school. In 1964, two brothers are taken from the warm and loving care of their grandparents, and spirited away to a residential school. When James discovers the anguish that his little brother is living under, it leads to unspeakable tragedy.
In The Pact, the guilt and loss of James’s residential school experiences follow him into adulthood, and his life spirals out of control. Edwin, mired in the desolation of his fatherless childhood, struggles to heal. As James navigates his own healing, he realizes, somehow, he must save his son’s life—as well as his own.
Find ideas for using this book in your classroom in the Teacher’s Guide for 7 Generations.