Together We Drum, Our Hearts Beat As One

We make this resource available on the understanding that Indigenous knowledge and perspectives need to be foundational to Outdoor Learning. And in order for this to happen, we must first undertake meaningful steps on our personal journey towards Truth and Reconciliation. 

In this beautifully illustrated book, a determined young Anishnaabe girl in search of adventure goes on a transformative journey into a forest on her traditional territory. She is joined by a chorus of her ancestors in red dresses, who tell her they remember what it was like to be carefree and wild, too. Soon, though, the girl is challenged by a monster named Hate, who envelops her in a cloud of darkness. She climbs a mountain to evade the monster, and, with the help of her matriarchs and the power of Thunderbird, the monster is held at bay. Together the young girl and her ancestors beat their drums in song and support, giving the girl the confidence she needs to become a changemaker in the future, capable of fending off any monster in her way.

Together We Drum, Our Hearts Beat as One is a moving and powerful book about Indigenous resistance and ancestral connection.

Author Willie Poll is a proud Metis from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, who who has spent the last ten years working in Indigenous education. She is very passionate about supporting Indigenous youth to reach their dreams and reclaim their power. Together We Drum, Our Hearts Beat as One is her first book. Willie is presenting as part of our Every Child Matters – 4 Seasons of Reconciliation learning initiative.

Illustrator Chief Lady Bird is an Anishinaabe artist/illustrator from Rama First Nation. She graduated from OCADU in 2015 with a BFA in Drawing and Painting and a minor in Indigenous Visual Culture. She is the illustrator of Nibi’s Water Song by Sunshine Tenesco and has illustrated for Audible, Vice, and Twitter, among others.