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Come Walk in My Moccasins Newsletter
September 2022
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In this Issue:
Books: Little You / Gidagaashiinh, With Our Orange Hearts, Fatty Legs: A True Story, Genocidal Love: A Life After Residential School Our Music: Wildflower Song Our Words: Kanienʼkehá Language Our Stories: Wawahte: Stories of Residential School Survivors Our Traditions: Fire Keepers Recipe: Butternut Squash Soup |
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| Did you know...
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation falls annually on September 30. We also observe this day as “Orange Shirt Day”. The significance of the orange shirt symbolizes the time when Phyllis Webstad, who was then a 6 year old Indigenous girl, proudly received an orange shirt from her grandmother to wear on her first day of Residential School in 1973. She recalls the very moment that she arrived and was forced to cut her hair and her clothes, including her beautiful orange shirt, were taken away in an effort to assimilate her and strip her of her traditional language and culture. Because of this, we now wear our orange shirts proudly in honour of all residential school survivors and those who did not make it home. We wear them to support, celebrate and show the resilience of Indigenous people and to solidify that Every Child Matters. Personal Reflection Question:
On September 30, will you wear an orange shirt to show your love and support? |
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Little You / Gidagaashiinh
Infant & Toddler
Gidagaashiinh is the English and Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) version of Little You, a charming and heart-warming board book that welcomes a new baby into a family. Written by renowned author and storyteller Richard Van Camp and illustrated with creative flair by Julie Flett, this board book is a welcome addition to Indigenous family resources. Gidagaashiinh has been translated by Angela Mesic and Margaret Noodin. Julie Flett uses collage-like images of an infant who grows to be a toddler. This child is adored and loved by one or both parents on every other page. Simple rhyming text accompanies each image. The warm colour tones of orange, red, tan, grey and black set against a crisp white background in Flett's graphic styled images with rounded curves make this board book suitable for all families. (excerpt from Goodminds.com)
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| With Our Orange Hearts
Preschool & Kindergarten
"Every child matters, including you and me. With our orange hearts, we walk in harmony." As a young child, your little world can be full of big emotions. In this book, I, Phyllis Webstad, founder of Orange Shirt Day, show that sharing my story with the world helped me to process my feelings. My true orange shirt story encourages young children to open their hearts and listen as others share their feelings, and to be more comfortable sharing their own feelings too. Listening is a first step towards reconciliation. It's never too early to start.
Phyllis Webstad (nee Jack) is Northern Secwepemc (Shuswap) from the Stswecem'c Xgat'tem First Nation (Canoe Creek Indian Band). She comes from mixed Secwepemc and Irish/French heritage. She was born in Dog Creek and lives in Williams Lake, BC, Canada. Phyllis is the founder of the Orange Shirt Day movement and has inspired thousands of people to honour Residential School Survivors and their families and share the call on September 30th of each year that "EVERY CHILD MATTERS." Phyllis is well respected for her work, her courage and for striving to heal our communities and Nation through speaking her truth. This book is illustrated by Saugeen First Nation artist Emily Kewageshig. (excerpt from Goodminds.com)
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Fatty Legs: A True Story -10th Anniversary Edition
Primary
With important updates since it first hit the shelves a decade ago, this new edition of Fatty Legs will continue to resonate with readers young and old.
Fatty Legs: A True Story is a recounting of the life of an eight-year-old Banks Island Inuvialuit girl who attended Residential School. Olemaun Pokiak, later called Margaret, tells her story in this memoir. In the introduction she explains the book's title, Fatty Legs, is the result of her destruction of the dreaded red-coloured stockings a nun forced her to wear at residential school. The picture book tells about her life before residential school, how she travelled five days to attend the school, and her life at the school. It turned out the school was much different from the place she imagined. Despite bullying from other girls attending the school and the racism of the school teachers, Margaret succeeds and learns to read. She enjoys reading and vows not to let the teachers and other classmates bully her. The book contains a map of Margaret's community; numerous photographs, and colour illustrations by Liz Amini-Holmes. The book contains an information section about residential schools and the healing process, and a scrapbook of images from Margaret's childhood. The book is the story of Margaret Pokiak-Fenton and is told with care by her daughter-in-law Christy Jordan-Fenton. (excerpt from Goodminds.com)
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Genocidal Love: A Life after Residential School
Adult
Presenting herself as “Myrtle,” residential school survivor and Indigenous television personality Bevann Fox explores essential questions by recounting her life through fiction. She shares memories of an early childhood filled with love with her grandparents—until she is sent to residential school at the age of seven. Her horrific experiences of abuse there left her without a voice, timid and nervous, never sure, never trusting, affecting her romantic relationships and family bonds for years to come.
This is the story of Myrtle battling to recover her voice. Genocidal Love is a powerful confirmation of the long-lasting consequences of residential school violence —and a moving story of finding a path towards healing. (excerpt from Strongnations.com)
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| Wildflower Song
This video was made in 2021, when the first 215 stolen children were uncovered in Kamloops, BC. The number of recovered bodies continues to rise across Turtle Island.
This song is dedicated to all of the children, to honour them in hopes they find their way home and be at peace. Miigwech Diane & North Hastings Children's Services for the video. (3:19 minute video)
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Kanien'kéha Language
Listen and practice as Kerri shares words surrounding Orange Shirt Day in Kanien'kéha (Mohawk). |
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| Wawahte: Stories of Residential School Survivors
Wawahte is an educational documentary based on the book of the same title by Robert P. Wells, first published in 2012. It tells the story of Indian Residential Schools from the perspective of three of its survivors. (48:45 minute video) |
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| Fire Keeping
Fire Keeper, Randy Cadue from Tyendinaga, shares fire teachings and knowledge about Sacred Fires and Fire Keeping duties. (3:38 minute video) |
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| Butternut Squash Soup
This delicious soup is a perfect fall comfort food! As an addition to your soup, you can choose to roast the squash seeds as well. Roasted squash seeds make a great toping for your soup, or a tasty snack all on their own. |
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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). 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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| Cooking on the Land: Corn Soup, Kingston, ON Saturday, September 10 |
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| | Forage Walk #11, Kingston, ON Thursday, September 15 |
| | | Forage Walk #12, Kingston, ON Sunday, September 25 |
| | | Forage Walk #13 Thursday, September 29 |
| | National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Canada
Friday, September 30 |
| | 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 aflccanada@gmail.com 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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