“Monique was wonderful: personable, passionate, well-organized and truly engaging.” — Ursinus College, 2022

Monique Gray Smith is an award-winning, best-selling author. Her books cover a broad spectrum of ages, topics and emotions. Woven into all of Monique’s writing, speaking engagements and online courses is the teaching that Love is Medicine. In September 2022, she released her 4th children’s picture book, I Hope with Orca Book Publishers. Monique’s most recent book is Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults, which received the Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award for 2022. Originally written by Robin Wall Kimmerer and the adaptation includes illustrations by Nicole Neidhardt. Monique’s novel, Tilly and the Crazy Eights was longlisted for Canada Reads 2021. Her newest children’s book, Circle of Love, came out in 2024.

Monique is trained as a Psychiatric Nurse and has worked in various capacities in community and as a consultant since 1990. Her focus has been weaving history, resilience and trauma informed training for educators, social workers, librarians and early childhood teams. She is an appointed member of the Board of Directors of Royal Roads University and the Minister’s Advisory Council for Indigenous Women for the Government of BC and is the elected President of the Board of Directors for the Victoria Native Friendship Centre. In 2019 Monique received the City of Victoria Leadership Award for Reconciliation. Monique is Cree and Scottish and has been sober and involved in her healing journey for over 32 years. She is well known for her storytelling, spirit of generosity and focus on resilience.

Monique's Featured Titles

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Keynote Address: Weaving Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults Into your Class and Around Your Dinner Table.

Join Monique on the journey of adapting Robin Wall Kimmerer’s New York Time Bestselling book, Braiding Sweetgrass. Monique will share her process in writing the adaptation for Young Adults and young at heart, including how she chose what to include in the adaptation and how she and Nicole Neidhardt worked together to decide on the illustrations for each chapter. This session will weave the 3 teachings of Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults together: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and Teachings of the Plants. As well as areas that have more focus, like history, social and emotional learning and action steps.

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Keynote Address: Leading with a Light Heart

An inspirational keynote focusing on hope, possibilities and lighting a way forward. Monique will share her personal journey and how it was a stranger who said to her, “I look forward to reading your book one day,” that changed her life. Monique will introduce her Cultural Resilience model: 4 Blankets of Resilience and how these blankets have supported her in her own resilience and sense of self-determination. Throughout our time together, Monique will offer readings from her various books, including her most recent release, Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults. She will share what it means to lead with a light heart, reminding us of the importance of bringing forth the gifts we’ve been blessed with and using them in a good way. Together, we will explore the integral role love and joy have in educating hearts, minds and spirits.

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Weaving Love and Joy into the Journey of Truth and Reconciliation

In this dynamic and inspiring keynote, Monique will share her personal journey of truth and reconciliation and how that journey has transformed her and her family. She will share stories and offer readings from her various books. We will delve into both the truth and reconciliation. We will briefly explore critical aspects of Canada’s history and the continued impacts on Indigenous families. Monique will share her Cultural Resilience model and strategies for weaving aspects of it into your work. Through our time together, we will explore the importance of story and the integral role love and joy have in the education of the hearts and minds of our young citizens.

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Keynote Address: What's love got to do with it? Books, brains, hearts and spirits.

In this dynamic and inspiring session, Monique will share her personal journey, offer readings from her various books and provide stories of love, hope and joy. She will begin with an overview on how stress & trauma may be impacting us and those we work with; including what happens in our bodies when trauma is experienced. We will explore the integral role books have in fostering love and joy and the impact of those emotions in our ability to be resilient.

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Keynote Address: The Power of One

In this keynote address Monique will share her personal journey as an author and how it was the words of a stranger, “I look forward to reading your book one day,” that changed the trajectory of her life. Monique will share stories and offer readings from her various books and will share the importance one person can make in the life of a child or young person. Monique will introduce the idea of ‘cookie people’ and encourages us to reflect on the people who have been instrumental in our lives. Through our time together, we will explore how our words and actions can be medicine for the children and youth we work with. This is an inspiring and hope centred keynote.

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Watch and Listen to Monique’s Work

Monique’s Upcoming Events

Discussion Guide for Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults Link

Honors, Awards & Recognition

Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award 2022 – Braiding Sweetgrass
PMC Indigenous Literature Award
Finalist for the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award
Victoria Book Prizes Bolen Books Children’s Book Award
National Picture Book Award
Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award
2014 Burt Award for First Nations, Metis and Inuit Literature
BC Book Prize Finalist, 2017

Media Kit

By clicking the link below you will be directed to a Google Docs Folder
where you can download author photos and cover images.

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