Julie Flett is a
Cree-
Métis author and
illustrator, known for her work in
children's literature
Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. Modern children's literature is classified in two different ways: genre or the intended age of the reader.
Children's ...
centered around the life and cultures of
Indigenous Canadians. Flett is best known for her illustrations in books such as ''Little You,'' and ''When We were Alone,'' as well as for her written work in books such as ''
Birdsong
Bird vocalization includes both bird calls and bird songs. In non-technical use, bird songs are the bird sounds that are melodious to the human ear. In ornithology and birding, songs (relatively complex vocalizations) are distinguished by func ...
.'' Many of Flett's books are bilingual, and written in a combination of English,
Michif
Michif (also Mitchif, Mechif, Michif-Cree, Métif, Métchif, French Cree) is one of the languages of the Métis people of Canada and the United States, who are the descendants of First Nations (mainly Cree, Nakota, and Ojibwe) and fur trade work ...
, and
Cree, and serve as an introduction to Michif and Cree for English-speaking readers.
Flett's works are critically successful and have been awarded the Governor General's Literary Award and the
TD Canadian Children's Literature Award
The TD Canadian Children's Literature Award is an annual Canadian literary award, presented to the year's best work of children's literature. Sponsored by TD Bank Financial Group and the Canadian Children's Book Centre, the award carries a moneta ...
.
Flett is also known for her advocacy work in
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
's
Downtown Eastside
The Downtown Eastside (DTES) is a neighbourhood in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. One of the city's oldest neighbourhoods, the DTES is the site of a complex set of social issues including disproportionately high levels of drug use, homele ...
neighborhood with indigenous youth and other community members.
Flett is also involved in efforts to preserve and share indigenous languages among English-speaking populations.
Personal life
Flett was born in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
where she lived with her Swampy-Cree
Métis
The Métis ( ; Canadian ) are Indigenous peoples who inhabit Canada's three Prairie Provinces, as well as parts of British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and the Northern United States. They have a shared history and culture which derives ...
father and Scottish-Irish mother.
She studied for one year at
Alberta College of Art and Design
The Alberta University of the Arts (AUArts) is a public art university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The university is a co-educational institution that operates four academic schools.
The institution originated from the art departmen ...
, taking coursework in
textile
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...
s,
before transferring to
Emily Carr University of Art + Design in
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
,
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
, taking courses in film and studio arts.
She completed a degree in
Fine Arts
In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwork ...
at
Concordia University
Concordia University ( French: ''Université Concordia'') is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974 following the merger of Loyola College and Sir George Williams University, Concordia is one of the t ...
in
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
and afterwards relocated to Vancouver.
Upon returning to Vancouver, Flett became involved with advocacy work for women on
Vancouver's Downtown East Side.
Working for the Positive Women's Network as an outreach worker and arts educator.
Flett was also involved in print making classes where she worked with indigenous youth and community members.
Early encounters with Inuit printmaking and paintings initially drove Flett's interest in the arts. Cree and Inuit cultures, and artists including Meelia Kelly,
Pitseolak Ashoona
Pitseolak Ashoona ( – May 28, 1983;) was an Inuk Canadian artist admired for her prolific body of work. She was also a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.
Biography
Pitseolak was born to Timungiak and Oootochie on Nottingham Island ...
,
Annie Pootoogook
Annie Pootoogook (May 11, 1969 – September 19, 2016) was a Canadian Inuk artist known for her pen and coloured pencil drawings. In her art, Pootoogook often portrayed the experiences of those in her community of Kinngait (then known in English a ...
, and
Christi Belcourt
Christi Marlene Belcourt (born September 24, 1966) is a Métis visual artist and author living and working in Canada. She is best known for her acrylic paintings which depict floral patterns inspired by Métis and First Nations historical beadwo ...
are also notable influences on Flett's work, in addition to her mother who worked as a textile artist.
Additionally,
The Woman in the Dunes by the Japanese writer
Kōbō Abe
, pen name of , was a Japanese writer, playwright, musician, photographer, and inventor. He is best known for his 1962 novel '' The Woman in the Dunes'' that was made into an award-winning film by Hiroshi Teshigahara in 1964. Abe has often bee ...
is stated as having a profound effect on Flett.
Works
Flett's writing and illustrations primarily centre Indigenous people, particularly Cree and Métis children, and their family relationships.
Flett's picture books and illustration work as seen in ''Wild Berries/Pakwa Che Menisu'', ''Lii Yuboo Nayaapiwak Swer (L'Alfabet De Michif)/Owls See Clearly at Night (A Michif Alphabet''), and ''We All Count'' utilize bilingual texts and themes of indigenous culture, and aim to promote voices of indigenous characters within her body of work.
Her work also focuses heavily on language, and the importance of representation of indigenous languages and narratives within contemporary literature. Flett's books, such as ''Wild Berries'', have been praised for their cultural relevance and accessibility, and for their utility as resources for Cree and Michif language education.
Early examples of Flett's work in children's books include her digital collages created for ''The Moccasins'' written by Earl Einarson.
This style of digital collage work would go on to form the basis for Flett's future work, which eventually grew to include watercolor paintings, and handmade textile patterns inspired by the work of her mother, as well as visual motifs linked to Cree mythology and visual culture.
Flett has described her process as largely based on the tone of a given piece, where the basis of the image such as a landscape or interior background, is used to establish the themes and
color scheme
In color theory, a color scheme is the choice of colors used in various artistic and design contexts. For example, the "Achromatic" use of a white background with black text is an example of a basic and commonly default color scheme in web de ...
of the illustrations.
Reception
Flett's work quickly garnered critical attention and favor upon the publishing of ''The Moccasins'' in 2004, and gained further attention as her career continued in ''Zoe and the Fawn''.
Flett's 2019 book ''
Birdsong
Bird vocalization includes both bird calls and bird songs. In non-technical use, bird songs are the bird sounds that are melodious to the human ear. In ornithology and birding, songs (relatively complex vocalizations) are distinguished by func ...
'' was awarded the 2020
TD Canadian Children's Literature Award
The TD Canadian Children's Literature Award is an annual Canadian literary award, presented to the year's best work of children's literature. Sponsored by TD Bank Financial Group and the Canadian Children's Book Centre, the award carries a moneta ...
, and was named a finalist for the
Governor General's Literary Award
The Governor General's Awards are a collection of annual awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, recognizing distinction in numerous academic, artistic, and social fields.
The first award was conceived and inaugurated in 1937 by the ...
for young people's literature, selected as a best picture book of 2019 by
Kirkus Reviews
''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...
,
School Library Journal
''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with ...
,
Publishers Weekly
''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...
, and
The Horn Book Magazine
''The Horn Book Magazine'', founded in Boston in 1924, is the oldest bimonthly magazine dedicated to reviewing children's literature. It began as a "suggestive purchase list" prepared by Bertha Mahony Miller and Elinor Whitney Field, proprietres ...
., as well as an honor title for the 2020 American Indian Youth Literature Award.
References
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Flett, Julie
Artists from Toronto
Artists from Vancouver
20th-century Canadian non-fiction writers
Canadian Métis people
Canadian women painters
First Nations women writers
Living people
Métis painters
Writers from Toronto
Writers from Vancouver
Canadian children's writers
Canadian illustrators
Governor General's Award-winning children's illustrators
Métis artists
Métis writers
20th-century Canadian women writers
21st-century Canadian non-fiction writers
21st-century Canadian women writers
20th-century First Nations writers
21st-century First Nations writers
Canadian women non-fiction writers
21st-century Canadian women artists
Year of birth missing (living people)
Canadian Métis women