Amanda Peters explores Mi’kmaq heritage in new novel

Amanda Peters, a novelist of Mi’kmaq and settler ancestry, released her second book, The Birthing Tree, which follows Aliet Paul as she investigates her family history in rural Nova Scotia.

Peters drew inspiration for the novel from a brief conversation with her grandmother about a tree near the water where women in her family once gave birth.

The story centers on Paul’s journey to understand and preserve the traditions of Mi’kmaq women, including the practice of midwifery and the use of natural remedies like willow bark for pain relief. Peters, who also teaches English at Acadia University, hopes her work will encourage readers to appreciate and learn more about Indigenous practices. Peters’s first novel, The Berry Pickers, received several awards including the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction.

She began writing The Birthing Tree during a residency in Banff after realizing she wanted to continue exploring generational stories in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley. Despite recent cuts to arts funding in the province, Peters encourages her students to continue writing and pursuing their creative passions.