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Come Walk in My Moccasins Newsletter
October 2016
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In this issue:
Children's Books: Kisses Kisses Baby-O, Granny's Giant Bannock, The Apple Tree
Medicine Wheel Storytelling: Experiential Stories
Children's Song: Hand Drum Lullaby
Filmmaker Change Maker: Zacharias Kunuk
Traditional Arts: Corn Husk Braiding
Recipes: Cornmeal Pudding
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Enter our draw for
free Indigenous children's books!
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Did you know these facts about wild edibles and traditional foods?
Plantain is considered an astringent. Chew on a leaf a bit and then apply to skin to draw out poisons from infections, stings and bites, as well as rashes.
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| Kisses, Kisses, Baby-O (English)
Weska'qelmut Apje'juanu (Mi'kmaq) For infants and toddlers
Kisses, Kisses Baby-O by Sheree Fitch is a simple 10 page board book that features multicultural parents and caregivers laughing and holding their babies. Baby wakes, plays, and sleeps as the loving parent speaks to baby in simple rhyme ending each with the phrase, Baby-O.
Kisses, Kisses Baby-O is also available in a Mi'kmaq edition, Weska'qelmut Apje'juanu, translated by Bernie Francis. (Paraphrased from Goodminds)
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Granny's Giant Bannock
For preschoolers
A little miscommunication between English-speaking Larf and his Cree-speaking grandmother leads to hilarious results when a giant, sprawling bannock threatens to take over the town. Beyond its antic humour, this is a tender story about the need to listen and understand. (from Strong Nations and mcnallyrobinson.com)
This story was written by Brenda Isabel Wastasecoot.
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The Apple Tree
For school-age children
This story, written by Sandy Tharp-Thee, is about a contemporary Cherokee boy who plants an apple seed and imagines what the mature apple tree it is meant to be. But, the little apple tree is not so sure and begins to doubt itself after apples fail to appear that first fall. Can the boy convince the tree that it takes many seasons for the tree to mature and produce apples? The story is told in English with Cherokee translation, and includes a Cherokee syllabary. (paraphrased from Goodminds)
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Storytelling through the Medicine Wheel
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Oral storytelling is integral to indigenous cultures. Often people associate legends with oral stories. Yet, as Mohawk knowledge keeper Sarah Dunkley explains, the types of storytelling and the purposes of stories are varied and incredibly significant to First Peoples' identity, sense of well-being, connection to others and to Creation.
Oral storytelling can be understood using the seven directions of the Medicine Wheel (Centre, Above, Below, East, South, West, and North). In this month's newsletter Sarah discusses how Medicine Wheel teachings of the south direction can be revealed through experiential stories.
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Hand Drum Lullaby
Drums and naptime? Timothy Armstrong shows how the hand drum creates the sound of a heartbeat and can be used with to lull children to sleep. (3 minute video)
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Zacharias Kunuk
As part of TIFF 2016 acclaimed
Inuit filmmaker Zacharias Kunuk debuted his third feature length film,
Maliglutit (Searchers) at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto. Kunuk weaves action scenes with shots of the vast arctic tundra and lengthy sequences
depicting the intricate details of the lives of Inuit people.
Much like his first film, Antanjurat
The Fast Runner, Maliglutit (Searchers) is spoken all in Inuktitut
and is set in the past, this time around 1913.
In this short article Kanuk describes how he is using filmmaking to re-frame history from an Inuit
perspective, strengthen the prominence of Inuit language, and to create employment through filmmaking for his
people in traditional and digital ways.
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| Corn Husk Braiding
Braiding corn is a traditional way of hanging and storing large numbers of ears of corn for the winter months. This video shows how to select white and braid white corn using dried corn husks. (7:45 minute video) |
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| Cornmeal Pudding
According to some, east coast First Peoples taught the early settlers how to make make Indian Cornmeal Pudding. Others claim that Indian Cornmeal Pudding recipes were modified to use the traditional ingredients of First Peoples. Either way, this reflects indigenous influence and ingredients. |
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Ohén:ton Karihwatéhkwen Teachings |
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| The Birds
In the Ohén:ton Karihwatéhkwen Teachings called The Words Before All Else or the Thanksgiving Address, the birds are acknowledged with gratitude.
We acknowledge with gratitude the birds. Some have beautiful songs that they sing to nourish our spirit and ease our minds. Others give themselves to us as food to nourish our bodies. They all continue to fulfill their responsibilities to Creation. The eagle is considered the leader of the birds as he is a symbol of strength. He flies the highest and can see over all of Creation. We give special gratitude and acknowledgement to the Eagle. We continue to be grateful for all the birds.
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Click to view a short lesson in Mohawk by Candace Maracle. (3:40 minute video)
This is the ninth lesson in speaking the "Words Before All Else". In this video Candace teaches us to give thanks to the birds.
Candace is a student in the Shatiwennakará:tats Adult Language Program.
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Indigenous Language Resources
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Tsi Tyónnheht Onkwawén:na provides Mohawk language and culture programming at the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory (the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte).
Programs include: Totáhne (At Grandma's House) for preschool children, Kawenna'ón:we Primary Immersion (K-4) and Shatiwennakará:tats, a program for Adults
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Sources for Aboriginal books:
- Good Reads Baby Books: Written in Navajo and English, this baby book series is perfect for pre-K through 1st grade.
Aboriginal Book Lending:
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Sisters in Spirit Vigil, Kingston
Tuesday, October 4
View Details |
| | | | Aboriginal Family Literacy Circle Partners:
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Copyright 2016 Aboriginal Family Literacy Circle
465 Advance Avenue, Napanee, Canada | |
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