“She was always really moved that children who were still going through hard times could use her story to realize that there was going to be a next chapter,” says Jordan-Fenton, who is the mother of three of Pokiak-Fenton’s grandchildren. “Fatty Legs” co-author Christy Jordan-Fenton says Pokiak-Fenton’s first-hand account of resisting mistreatment in residential school is as relevant as ever as parents look for age-appropriate ways to teach their children about the harms of the government-run system. She will be laid to rest in Fairview, Alta., this month. John, B.C., on April 21 after suffering from lung disease and diabetes. The 84-year-old died in her apartment in Fort St. More than six decades later, sharing that story with young readers in “Fatty Legs” helped Pokiak-Fenton heal from the trauma of her time there, says a relative and collaborator. Her desire to read a children’s classic sent her on the path to residential school. Inuvialuk knowledge keeper Margaret Olemaun Pokiak-Fenton knew that children’s books have the power to shape your life story.
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