★ “Colorful illustrations in classic comic-book style help readers explore the challenging landscape. An excellent choice for a book report and good addition to a children’s nonfiction collection.”
—School Library Journal, starred review
In 1944, thirteen-year-old Ilse Schweder got lost in a snowstorm while checking her family’s trapline in northern Canada. With no food or supplies, she endured nine days alone in the unforgiving barrens. Now, 80 years later, Ilse’s granddaughter Trina Rathgeber is telling her story.
In this Q&A, hear from Trina on what it was like to write Lost at Windy River: A True Story of Survival and what she hopes readers will take away from her grandmother’s story.
When did you first hear your grandmother’s story?
I was really young, maybe 7 or 8 years old. My parents would encourage me to ask her questions. I also met Ragnar when I was very young. I remember his husky dogs and the blue knit sweater I was wearing, and I’m sure he and my parents must have talked about her story then.
Once in a while she would share a tidbit when we were at her house or on a camping trip, but always just small pieces of the tale here and there before saying, “Oh, you just never mind,” and she’d wave her hand and move on. As far back as I can remember there was always a constant conversation across the family that began with “Someone needs to write this down.”
What was the process like to turn her story into a graphic novel? What kinds of research did you have to do?
At first, I was skeptical about a graphic novel as I had originally written it as a novel. No pictures! Since it was such a personal story, I had a hard time picturing my grandma as a comic! Editor Kirstie Hudson gave me a couple of titles to look up and read, This Place: 150 Years Retold and When Stars Are Scattered. She wanted me to see some beautiful drawings of Indigenous people and show me how a serious topic could be told through a graphic novel. When I looked at my son’s stack of books—he was about eight years old at the time—I noticed that most of them were graphic novels too. It showed me that kids really enjoy reading this style of book, and so I agreed this could be a wonderful and engaging way to share the story.
The research process was really cool. The first thing I did was interview my grandma for a full day and a half. She pulled out all of her information, past articles, photos, and even the blanket she had with her during those nine days, with the small hole in it that she used to help with snow blindness. I tried to ask her questions about not only the story but also her senses, such as “What did you hear?” and “What were you seeing?” About her feelings, I asked, “Were you scared? What were you thinking about? How did you know this and that?”
Not long after that interview my grandma passed away of pancreatic cancer, so I looked further for information. Wanting this book to be a highly educational experience through her story I researched this area of Canada, reading books by Francis Harper and P.G. Downes, who explored the area heavily in the ’30s and ’40s with such curiosity and detail that was reflected in their writing. Robert Lowry was a journalist with a fascination for northern stories as well, and he wrote many articles about the people of the North.
I searched the Hudson Bay Archives for any mention of the Schweder name and made friends with a northern historian named Les Oystryk. He has quite a catalog of information, and he generously sent me every possible piece of paper that made mention of my family and the Windy River Trading Post. I talked to my mom, and she shared some important details that she had heard too. My great-aunt Mary who lived in the southern USA did a speaker-phone interview as well with the help of her daughters. Although she was in her late 80s when we spoke, she remembered incredibly vivid details of her time at Windy River and what the family did to try to find Ilse when she was lost. She told me about the inside of the cabin and even described some of the things that were on the walls.
One very cool piece I stumbled upon was a letter written by the doctor who treated my grandma. He was writing to someone else and he mentioned “the Schweder girl” who came into the hospital after her ordeal. He commented on her condition and how tough all of the girls at the Windy Post were.
Others have told Ilse’s survival story before without her permission. What does it mean to you to be able to reclaim your grandmother’s story and tell it in her own words?
Helping her write her story was an incredible honor that I did not take lightly. I tried very hard to make her proud by trying to show her character and making her story true to her words. Stories about Indigenous people are underrepresented in literature and history. So, sharing this one is significant as it adds a respected elder’s story to the library of books that anyone can read!
There have been a few attempts to write her story in the past; one mentions her eating dog meat, and another author, who we asked to change the names of his characters, had Ragnar getting killed by a polar bear in sacrifice to save her. She was always annoyed by such silliness.
I know that she enjoyed sharing the story with elementary schools when she was invited by them, so I think she would be happy to know that they were reading a true account and learning some lessons that she always tried to teach us grandkids in general: Think for yourself, learn to solve problems, respect animals and the earth, know how to catch a fish!
What were some of the most memorable or emotionally impactful moments for you while working on this project?
Continuing to work on the story after she passed away was difficult. I would have loved for her to give feedback the whole way through, but I did my best to be true to her. It was emotional to step into her shoes and think about how she lost her mother, attended residential school, watched her sister die at the school, and experienced being lost in a span of a just a few years—all of which was an immense amount of trauma for a young person. I felt the enormity of it and have so much respect for her.
Can you share some examples of Traditional Indigenous Knowledge that Ilse used during the time she was lost that are included in the novel?
Wet caribou fur can be dried by pressing it into the snow. When Ilse’s feet got wet she was able to help them dry by using this method. She was wearing two layers of fur, one facing inward and one facing outward, which kept her from freezing to death on the journey.
Spruce gum has long been something that Indigenous people would eat. Ilse found some small bits here and there. It contains vitamin C that can help the body.
Animal patterns and signs. Ilse knew that the Caribou were headed north to have their young, so whenever a herd appeared it gave her a sense of direction.
What advice would you give to other authors who are passionate about preserving and sharing stories from their own families’ histories and cultural heritage?
A pot of tea and a kitchen table is all you need for these invaluable exchanges to take place.
Storytelling is so important (not to mention fun and interesting), and our elders are knowledge keepers. Specific to Indigenous elders, it’s important for traditions and knowledge to be preserved, shared and practiced, to help support the resurgence of a culture that was suppressed.
You should ask questions and listen closely to the answers when a person speaks. You can learn from pictures and books about the historical context of a time, but only a person can give you insight into what they were thinking or the actual experience of something. For example, if there’s an old photo, you could ask a relative, Who else is in this picture? Where were you? What were you doing there? Did anything interesting happen that day? That house in the background—what did it look like inside?
You can roughly write down these stories, and when you find an interesting thread, follow it! You don’t need to have a goal of publishing a story; it can be as simple as a family scrapbook or a shared family Facebook page with a collection of notes and pictures.
What do you hope young readers take away from Lost at Windy River?
Three things:
One: I would like young readers to leave with a sense of who Ilse was, and to feel the strength of a young girl that might let them know that they too are likely stronger than they think.
Two: I would like a reader to learn about the North and develop curiosity and care for the land and the animals, understanding the connection that we have to them and that there is strength and intelligence in that relationship. I’d like them to see and respect the knowledge that Indigenous people have. Three: I would like young people to think about where they came from, ask questions of their parents and elders to learn about their family history, and identify someone in their family tree who might have fought through a challenge that allowed their family tree to continue to grow.
Trina Rathgeber is a member of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation and grew up in the northern community of Thompson, Manitoba, where she did all the things that northern kids do, from playing hockey and fishing to building forts in the woods. She enjoys writing for children and is the author of French Fries Are Potatoes: A Food Poem and Little Cookbook and The Bunnies Talk Money. Trina lives in Calgary with her family.