Testimonial
Professional Review of Growing Memories:
A Musical Audio Circle Story of Love, Loss, and Resilience.
Reviewed by:
Ami Armagost, MSW, RSW
Grief Therapist
AWC Grief Support
She/her
ami@awcgrief.com
www.awcgrief.com
It was a pleasure experiencing the first chapter of Growing Memories. The story and language is simple yet thoughtful. The illustrations, music and sounds add a gentle tone while activating the imagination and enhancing engagement. The story is touching and beautifully put together.
This digital storybook provides adults with a practical framework for supporting children in understanding death and emotional responses to loss. The use of story, illustration, and music, connected to the world around them, creates a meaningful and engaging learning experience. There is an overall sense of calmness consistent throughout the chapter. The child-appropriate and thoughtful prompts encourage emotional expression, reflection, and learning. This is a gentle, compassionate, and valuable resource for adults supporting children.
Thank you for sharing your work, and for all the effort you put into creating a resource for children and the adults supporting them.
Land Acknowledgement
For more than 14 years, my life and work have been shaped by opportunities to listen and learn alongside Indigenous Elders and knowledge holders. Six of those years were spent in the backcountry through Ghost River Rediscovery Camp in Alberta, followed by eight years of learning and working on the land with Elders in Lanark County, Ontario. Through these experiences, and through time spent with the Grand River Water Walkers, I was gifted opportunities to listen to teachings about land, water, story, community, and the responsibilities of being a respectful listener. This land acknowledgement is offered with gratitude for those teachings, the relationships that made them possible, and the lands and waters that continue to teach me.
My Story
Land Acknowledgement | Growing Memories
Land Acknowledgement I would like to begin by acknowledging the Indigenous peoples whose lands have shaped my life, my work, and my understanding of what it means to listen, learn, and honour the land. I acknowledge the Îyârhe Nakoda Nations, the Bearspaw, Chiniki, and Goodstoney First Nations, and the Kainai, Piikani, and Siksika Nations of the Blackfoot Confederacy, as well as the Tsuut’ina Nation and Ktunaxa peoples, whose traditional territories and cultural landscapes include the Rocky Mountains and Kananaskis Country in Alberta. These are lands that have been cared for, travelled, lived upon, and held sacred by Indigenous peoples since time immemorial. For 17 years, I had the honour of working as a helper with Elders in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta and in Lanark County. I was given the privilege of sitting with Elders, listening to their personal stories, their family histories, their cultural teachings, and the words and knowledge carried through their languages and generations. I learned that listening is itself a responsibility. Some of the stories I was entrusted to hear spoke of tremendous strength, resilience, family, culture, language, and connection to the land. Others spoke of the devastating effects of colonization and the cultural genocide experienced by Indigenous peoples, the separation of children from families, the suppression of languages and cultures, and the many wounds carried from one generation to another. I carry deep gratitude for having been welcomed into those conversations and for the trust that was placed in me. I also acknowledge the lands of North Frontenac and Sharbot Lake, where the Algonquin presence and history are deeply connected to the land and waterways. I recognize Shabot Obaadjiwan, the Algonquin community associated with Sharbot Lake, and the broader Algonquin peoples whose ancestral relationships with these lands continue today. Sharbot Lake has a particular meaning for me. It is a place where people have gathered for generations, a place of water, forest, travel, family, and community. I acknowledge the Indigenous peoples who have cared for these lands long before the communities and boundaries we know today. And I acknowledge Guelph, Ontario, my homeland. Guelph is situated on lands with a deep Indigenous history. I acknowledge the Attawandaron, also known as the Neutral peoples, who lived, farmed, hunted, and travelled throughout this region. I acknowledge the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, whose treaty lands and territory include Guelph, and the Haudenosaunee, including the Six Nations of the Grand River, whose longstanding relationship with this region continues today.