Everson Publishing and Keeping Yourself Humble

By Laura Mushumanski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Doing what you love, doesn’t have anything to do with perfection. It’s about trying your best, coming from a heart space and keeping at it. This can be a tough lesson to learn – and yet when we have an aunt figure present, with nurturing life-giving spirit, anything can be possible. One auntie in particular, Judy Everson, founder of Everson Publishing, and Momma Moon Journeys truly finds joys in helping others walk back to culture.

“I want to gather all Indigenous folks, the youth, the people from Treaty 7, – and even if they are not – I want to walk them back to culture. Even if they don’t mind me as a Treaty 1 lady,” said Everson about the joy she gets from sharing knowledge in a good way with others.

The love Everson shares through stories with youth, started with her own curiosity about original traditional stories that involved protocol and going about obtaining these stories in a good way. “I wanted to know the behind,” she explained, “to sit with Elders and know what our traditional stories are.” Everson’s books bring stories alive and help Indigenous learners  connect to their culture. The books are also based on understandings that are embedded in teachings of humility.

“When I write my books, I sit with Elders, and each book is blessed. I don’t want [these characters] to be perfect. I want them to have a little mistake or however you want to say it. Whether it is our Western roots or Indigenous, they concentrate more on perfect rather than a mistake. It happens – it’s okay, as long as you keep trying.”

The books that Everson has self-published, contain illustrations created by her daughter, Elle Everson. That makes them extra special for Judy, because her heartwork is centred in family and community. And as much as possible, Everson tries to involve her family with the work that she is doing so they can all learn together. So far, Everson Publishing has published five books: Sparkle: A Kidney Journey, Chippy’s Adventures, Little One Discovers His Calling One Feather at a Time, Northern Lights Starry Night Dancer, and Brave Little Princess.

As Everson’s passion grew for walking people back to culture, the doors kept opening for her, leading Judy to share knowledge within a learning space. Her offerings include medicine pouch teachings, along with book readings, and rattle making workshops for adults and youth through Momma Moon Journeys. She is also a tourism operator with Indigenous Tourism Alberta and Tourism Calgary, and shares teachings with curious learners in the Calgary area.

For anyone wanting to explore what inspires them, Everson offers this advice, pulling from her own experience, especially when she’s looking for a new story to write about. She says, “Find a place that bring you inspiration and go sit there…[Remember] you are full of knowledge, [sometimes] you have to slow down to notice.”