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Come Walk in My Moccasins Newsletter
May 2021
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In this Issue:
Books: Learn the Colours with Northwest Coast Native Art, If You Went to Visit a Sea Garden, Makwa Plants a Garden, The Seed Keeper: A Novel Our Music: Commitment String Song in Ojibwe Our Arts: Métis Flower Beadwork Our Words: Colours in Anishinaabemowin and Mohawk Our Stories: How Colours Came to the World Our Traditions: Picking Sweetgrass Recipe: Wilted Dandelion Greens with Onions & Sweet Peppers Cultural Safety: The Origin of Dream Catchers |
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| Did you know…
that a large portion of the foods we eat contain seeds? You may not realize just how many of your daily meals contain seeds! To learn more about seeds and the importance of seed saving, visit Kenhteke Seed Sanctuary.
Personal Reflection Question…
What are your favourite seeds to eat?
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Learn the Colours with Northwest Coast Native Art
Infant and Toddler
Learn the Colours with Northwest Coast Art is a 10-page board book made with recycled paper with soy-based ink and water-based coating and is published by Native Northwest publishing. The book introduces young children to the colour red, blue, yellow, green, purple, grey, brown, pink, orange, and white through the original art of artists from British Columbia. Each artist is identified by name and Nation. Their designs are simple and show a salmon, raven, bear, ladybug, bee, frog, the sun, owl, salmon, whale, and hummingbird in Northwest Coast art style. Highly recommended. (excerpt from Goodminds.com)
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If You Want to Visit a Sea Garden
Preschool and Kindergarten
Discover the wonder of ancient sea gardens on the Northwest Coast
Sea gardens have been created by First Peoples on the Northwest coast for more than three thousand years. These gardens consist of stone reefs that are constructed at the lowest tide line, encouraging the growth of clams and other marine life on the gently sloped beach.
This lyrical story follows a young child and an older family member who set out to visit a sea garden early one morning, as the lowest tides often occur at dawn. After anchoring their boat, they explore the beach, discover the many sea creatures that live there, hear the sputtering of clams and look closely at the reef. They reflect on the people who built the wall long ago, as well as those who have maintained it over the years. After digging for clams, they tidy up the beach, then return home.
An author’s note provides further information about sea gardens (also known as clam gardens), which yield a reliable food source and have been traditional places of learning. They have been found along the Pacific coast, from Alaska to British Columbia to Washington State, and some of these gardens are being restored today.
The manuscript has been vetted and approved by the scientists of the Clam Garden Network and Kwaxsistalla Wathl’thla Clan Chief Adam Dick. Roy Henry Vickers, whose ancestry includes the Tsimshian, Haida and Heiltsuk First Nations, has created hauntingly beautiful images to accompany the text. (excerpt from Strongnations.com)
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Makwa Gitigaadaan Gitigaan (Bear Plants a Garden)
Primary
Makwa Gitigaadaan Gitigaan / Bear Plants a Garden is a colorful storybook in Ojibwe and English. The artwork is by Arthur McBain. The story is by Brita Vija Brookes, and translated by Isadore Toulouse from Wikwemikong Unceded Reserve, and Shirley Ida Williams, Migizi ow-kwe, That Eagle Woman, who is a member of the Bird Clan of the Ojibway and Odawa First Nations of Canada. Makwa Gitigaadaan Gitigaan / Bear Plants a Garden follows the adventures of Bear in the Northwoods. In this story it’s Spring in North Ontario and Bear decides to plant a garden. Follow Bear on his adventure. All the animals pitch in with seeds, planting in the soil, and harvest. Deer shows him a meadow to plant a garden. Crow gathers seeds and clever Mole plants the seeds. Even the weather helps out with some rain, sunshine and a beautiful rainbow. (excerpt from Goodminds.com)
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Adult
A haunting novel spanning several generations, The Seed Keeper follows a Dakota family’s struggle to preserve their way of life, and their sacrifices to protect what matters most.
Rosalie Iron Wing has grown up in the woods with her father, Ray, a former science teacher who tells her stories of plants, of the stars, of the origins of the Dakota people. Until, one morning, Ray doesn’t return from checking his traps. Told she has no family, Rosalie is sent to live with a foster family in nearby Mankato—where the reserved, bookish teenager meets rebellious Gaby Makespeace, in a friendship that transcends the damaged legacies they’ve inherited.
On a winter’s day many years later, Rosalie returns to her childhood home. A widow and mother, she has spent the previous two decades on her white husband’s farm, finding solace in her garden even as the farm is threatened first by drought and then by a predatory chemical company. Now, grieving, Rosalie begins to confront the past, on a search for family, identity, and a community where she can finally belong. In the process, she learns what it means to be descended from women with souls of iron—women who have protected their families, their traditions, and a precious cache of seeds through generations of hardship and loss, through war and the insidious trauma of boarding schools.
Weaving together the voices of four indelible women, The Seed Keeper is a beautifully told story of reawakening, of remembering our original relationship to the seeds and, through them, to our ancestors. (excerpt from Strongnations.com)
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| Commitment String Song
Lindsay Morcom sings a song she wrote for a Kingston Indigenous Languages Nest event. Video features members of KILN at various past events. (1:19 minute video) |
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The Flower Beadwork People
Métis people are artists in beadwork, creating distinguishing flowered patterns that share a rich history from their past and today. Learn about Métis culture through its unique and exquisite beadwork. (4:41 minute video)
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| Colours
Learn colours in Mohawk with Mj's granddaughter, Reyna. (1:03 minute video)
Practice colours in Anishinaabemowin with Diane from North Hastings Children's Services. (1:11 minute video) |
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| How Colours Came to the World
Join Grandmother Judi in Kokum's Corner as she shares the story of How Colours Came to the World. (4:11 minute video) |
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| Picking Sweetgrass
Deb from Kingston Indigenous Languages Nest shares Wiingashk (sweetgrass) teachings. (5:27 minute video) |
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| Wilted Dandelion Greens
Try this delicious recipe for wilted dandelion greens with onions and sweet peppers by Tibrata Gillies from Loving Spoonful. Tibrata made this dish for a Kingston Indigenous Languages Nest event - watch the behind the scenes video here. (11:19 minute video) |
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| Ask an Elder or Knowledge Keeper
Grandmother Judi shares a story about the origin of the dream catcher based on the book, "The Dream Catcher Pool" by Jane Chartrand. (1:59 minute video) |
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Indigenous Language Resources |
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First Voices Kids
Interactive online resource for helping children learn words and phrases in 50 different Indigenous languages on Turtle Island!
Anishnaabemowin - Our Language Our Culture
Ojibwa language booklet
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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). They run several programs, including Totáhne (At Grandma's House) for preschool children, Kawenna'ón:we Primary Immersion (K-4) and Shatiwennakará:tats, a year long program for Adults. |
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| Kingston Indigenous Language Nest invites you to engage in language revitalization with Dibajimowin: Urban Indigenous Languages Revitalization Project. The centerpiece of this website is a collection of thirty digital stories about culture and language made by community members. Each personal story shares insights into the barriers to language learning and cultural connection as well as the many ways we are resilient and relentless. For each story, we pulled out key themes to create new language learning resources such as vocabulary lessons, creative activities and cultural teachings. We have sorted the stories in different ways: by digital story, by language and by cultural teachings. Explore and Enjoy! |
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Free Anishinaabemowin printable resources, lesson plans, and videos to help learn the language |
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| Toronto Zoo- Turtle Island Conservation Toronto Zoo's Turtle Island Conservation programme (TIC) respectfully shares the hopes and goals of First Nation partners in our committment to the preservation of biodiversity. TIC partners with First Nation communities to preserve community knowledge and significant natural and cultural landscapes.
Resources available in Ojibwe and Mohawk. |
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Aanii.org Resource website for Anishinaabe culture, history and language |
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| Beauty in Movement: An Indigenous Guide to Physical Activity Pamphlet about the importance of physical activity and ideas to get children moving
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| Gathering Communities Making Connections A list of resources and services for people of Indigenous
Ancestry, and for those who work with them |
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Sources for Indigenous books:
Indigenous Book Lending:
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| Indigenous Diabetes Health Circle Programming May 2021 |
| | | Mocc Walk 2021, Ontario May 1 - May 31 |
| | | Introduction to the Métis Sash, ONLINE Thursday, May 6 |
| | | Kahwa:tsire Book Club, ONLINE Wednesday, May 12 |
| | | IDHC Foot Care Webinar, ONLINE Thursday, May 20 |
| | We need YOU!
Help us become more inclusive of the many First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples among our readership. Share an Indigenous recipe, song, or traditional art through Come Walk in My Moccasins. Contact kahwatsire@mbq-tmt.org if you are interested in becoming a guest contributor.
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| | Indigenous Family Literacy Circle Partners:
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| Come Walk in My Moccasins is created by the Indigenous Family Literacy Circle and sponsored by Journey Together through Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte. |
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Copyright 2016 Indigenous Family Literacy Circle 465 Advance Avenue, Napanee, Canada | |
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