In this legend, Yamozha forgets his promise to his wife and as a result she turns into a giant beaver. He follows her all over Denedeh but is unable to catch her. This story tells of how this great medicine man shaped the land in the Tlicho region and its surrounding areas into what it is today.
This is a story of how one great-grandfather decides to give his great-grandson his special name in the Sechelt language. These traditional teaching legends come straight from the oral traditions of the Sechelt Nation.
It happened in the long ago. . . . So begin many tales in this wonderful collection of traditional legends and recent writings by Ojibwe elder storyteller Anne Dunn. The short pieces range from folk tales of Native American origin myths (the antics of Beaver, Rabbit, Otter, Bear, and others) to nature writing and contemporary stories of peace, justice, and environmental concern. Brimming with insight, vibrant with strength and beauty, these indeed are stories to live by, for all ages. Divided into the four seasons of the year, many of the stories are perfect to be read aloud to children.
When Jewish author/storyteller Sheldon Oberman met Inuit artist/hunter Simon Tookoome, he knew the encounter was special. Still, he had no idea their meeting would result in an amazing collaboration that would span a decade. Through the use of many tape recordings and translations, Sheldon has painstakingly woven the threads of a remarkable man’s life into a book for all to treasure. With Tookoome’s drawings to enhance the text, Oberman has managed to express the cadence and voice of one of the last of the Inuit to live the traditional nomadic life in the Arctic. The Shaman’s Nephew magically transports readers to a cold climate that warms and grows more familiar with every turn of the page.
James Houston made his first journey to the Canadian Arctic in 1948 in search of a new land to paint. There he found a warm, friendly people living in a vast, cold, hauntingly beautiful world. He lived with the Inuit and Indian people in the Arctic and grew to understand them and their way of life. He also helped introduce Inuit culture to the world with his remarkable art and stories. Here are four of his exciting Inuit folktales–Akavak, Tiktaliktak, The White Archer, and Wolf Run–collected for the first time in one beautiful volume. Houston’s striking illustrations for each story bring the Arctic and its people to life. This inspired collection is sure to fascinate readers of all ages. Includes an introduction by Theodore Taylor.
The Tlingit Indians of southeastern Alaska are known for their totem poles, Chilkat blankets, and ocean-going canoes. Nora Marks Dauenhauer is a cultural emissary of her people and now tells the story of her own life within the context of her community’s. Life Woven with Song re-creates in written language the oral tradition of the Tlingit people as it records memories of Dauenhauer’s heritage–of older relatives and Tlingit elders, of trolling for salmon and preparing food in the dryfish camps, of making a living by working in canneries. She explores these recurring themes of food and land, salmon and rainforest, from changing perspectives–as a child, a mother, and a grandmother–and through a variety of literary forms. In prose, Dauenhauer presents stories such as “Egg Boat”–the tale of a twelve-year-old girl fishing the North Pacific for the first time alone–and an autobiographical piece that reveals much about Tlingit lifeways. Then in a section of short lyrical poems she offers crystalline tributes to her land and people. In a concluding selection of plays, Dauenhauer presents three Raven stories that were adapted as stage plays from oral versions told in Tlingit by three storytellers of her community. These plays were commissioned by the Naa Kahidi Theater and have been performed throughout America and Europe. They take the form of a storyteller delivering a narrative while other members of the cast act and dance in masks and costumes. Collectively, Dauenhauer’s writings form an “autoethnography,” offering new insight into how the Tlingit have been affected by modernization and how Native American culture perseveres in the face of change. Despite the hardships her people have seen, this woman affirms the goodness of life as found in family and community, in daily work and play, and in tribal traditions.
Simple and compelling First Nations drawings illustrate this dynamic story that teaches respect for the environment and describes the life cycle of the salmon.
A hungry tiger tries to trick a brother and sister into opening their door by pretending to be their absent mother.
This is a Collection of original legends–How Food Was Given, How Names Were Given and How Turtle Set the Animals Free–with time-honored lessons for children about the values of sharing and respect presented in a beautiful full-color format. Told in a strong, rhythmic language, the stories read aloud well and can be used to help children think about the values of sharing, self-sacrifice and reverence for life in all forms. One of the most valuable aspects of the “Kou-Skelowh series is that it was developed with Aboriginal cultural protocol. In 1981 the Okanagan Elders Council was approached and asked if some traditional legends could be used in the project. When the Elders gave permission for three legends to be used they were translated into English. The English versions were then taken back to the Elders Council for examination and edited until they were approved for educational use by Okanagan Children. Theytus was granted permission to publish the stories on the condition that no individual claim ownership of the legends.
Three brave young hunters befriend a maiden who is then changed into a white caribou. Includes instructions for performing the story as a shadow play.