By Emily R. Zarevich, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Delia has something that the other girls at her school don’t. They’re all decked out in brand new clothes and sneakers all the time, but she has something extra special to show off: a pair of beautiful, handcrafted beaded earrings in blue, white, and green that cascade like a waterfall when they hang from the wearer’s ears. In the girls’ bathroom at her school, her classmates “ooh” and “aah” at Delia’s brilliant and unique jewellery, and the treasures get passed around for admiration. But oh no! One girl’s hands are too soapy, and an earring slips out and falls down the sink drain. A disaster!
The janitor makes a genuine effort to retrieve the earring, but it has vanished down the pipe to who-knows-where. Delia is in despair. One of the two beaded earrings is gone forever, and it wasn’t even hers to begin with. It was her mother’s. What makes matters even worse is that she never even got her mother’s permission to bring the earrings to school in the first place. She filched them from her mother’s jewellery box in secret.
At home after school, a distraught Delia confides in her beloved Grandma Jo, her mother’s mother. Grandma Jo, like Delia and Delia’s mother, enjoys having gorgeous handmade things and takes pride in her colourful collection of shawls. She’s a self-assured woman, and content in her busy family life and personhood. Understanding that her young granddaughter struggles to find her own identity by constantly comparing herself to other girls, Grandma Jo takes Delia to the lakeside and begins to tell her the story of her Métis heritage, in the hopes that it will allow her to grow in confidence and learn something about herself.
“I’m Métis? But that doesn’t make sense, Grandma Jo,” Delia says. “We can’t just suddenly be Métis. We talked about Indigenous Peoples at school. And the voyageurs. Our ancestors would have to be Indigenous too.”
“They were,” Grandma Jo answers.
This is the true beginning of a family’s story. This is also the beginning of Métis author Pat Lamondin Skene’s newly published children’s book for readers ages six to eight. Brought out by Orca Book Publishers on October 14, 2025, One Beaded Earring is a heartfelt tale about learning to embrace one’s own culture in a world that routinely pressures you to conform to the standards of the majority. Skene, a Métis Nation of Ontario citizen based in Oakville, wove Delia’s storyline from her own happy relationship with her granddaughter, who, like Delia, wears mismatched socks and is receptive to her grandmother’s stories about the Métis people.
One Beaded Earring, which can be classified as a morality tale about making things right after a mistake, has a strong, relatable, and all-around likeable protagonist. Delia, as an elementary school-age girl, is wonderfully written and realistically flawed. She behaves exactly as a normal girl her age would behave. Her objective is to simultaneously fit in and stand out among her peers. She finds it challenging to admit to her blunders. She has to take time to process new information that she finds alarming or confusing. She is willing to learn and problem-solve, but she needs guidance to do so. Her loving and close-knit family comes together to support her on her journey to connect with her Métis ancestry through readings and activities. Delia is all enthusiasm as she learns and records her discoveries in her journal.
Delia is a good role model for her readers because her story will teach them that cooperation with one’s own family is what will lead to positive results whenever there is an issue. Delia shows by example that bonding with one’s own family is one of the most surefire ways to grow as a person. The solution to the problem of the missing earring comes to the family as a whole after much communal research and contemplation, especially about the Métis peoples’ status as the Flower Beadwork People.
“Can you do beadwork, Grandma Jo?”
“No, DeeDee. I never learned any of the Métis arts because my family would never allow it.”
“Well, we could all learn now!” says Delia, getting excited.
This book will also teach its young readers that there is space for people who are not Métis to be educated about Indigenous Peoples’ cultures and languages. There is a Michif glossary at the back of the book for those who do not already know the language. Non-Indigenous readers are encouraged to learn, provided they do so with respect and an open mind. An example of good allyship in One Beaded Earring is presented in the form of Delia’s best friend, Jeffrey. Jeffrey is a good-natured jokester who likes playing around with words. He’s the first person Delia turns to when she begins to become acquainted with the Michif language, and without hesitation, he gives her his unconditional support without being insensitive.
“I already know bonjou means ‘hello’ and marsi means ‘thank you,’” she says.
“Cool! Marsi for teaching me,” he says.
One Beaded Earring is illustrated by Natalie Laurin, who is also Métis and is from Georgian Bay. Laurin’s accompanying illustrations to Skene’s story are expressive and lively. The characters are infused with personality, especially Grandma Jo, whose crinkled eyes are sparkling with hard-earned wisdom. Special mention must also be made for the way Laurin draws beadwork. The detail put into the designs on the page look as though they took as much effort as real, physical beaded jewellery takes to make.
One Beaded Earring can be ordered directly from Orca Book Publishers directly on their website. Sweet and informational, the book is a vital stepping stone for introducing young readers to Indigenous cultures that are finally finding more space on Canadian bookshelves. Readers will join Delia on her path to find her sparkle.
