Kelsey Borgford

Ceremony, community and connection - the poems of Once the Smudge is Lit carry the reader into deeply spiritual elements of Nishnaabe/Ojibwe culture. Co-written by Cole Forrest and Kelsey Borgford, the poetry of Once the Smudge is Lit highlights the Indigenous experience in post-colonial times through explorations of themes ranging from love to community. Bogford's and Forrest's verses seek to open a multidimensional window into the experience of being a contemporary Nishaabe. A profound sense of movement, connection, and continuity is emphasized by Tessa Pizzale's beautifully evocative illustrations, which include a line of smudge smoke that flows from page to page from beginning to end.

Additional Information
50 pages | 5.50" x 8.50" | 50 Illustrations | Paperback

Tessa loves how her grandmother always smells of campfire stories. Mom says it’s because Kohkom spends her days sewing beautiful beads onto smoked hides. Inspired, Tessa asks Kohkom to teach her beading, but first she must listen and learn about the many stories held in a bead.

A celebration of Cree craftsmanship, language, and learning. The loving exchange of knowledge between Tessa and her Kohkom will be familiar to many children. Readers will learn that different Indigenous communities have different beadwork techniques, and that this traditional art form is alive and thriving today.

Reviews
"The story is a beautiful look into the importance of beading in our communities and the ways that this art practice ties us together as families and communities." — Nancy Cooper, First Nations Consultant for the Southern Ontario Library Services and coordinator for First Nation Communities Read

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 8.

This dual language edition contains the story in both Ininîmowin (Cree, N-dialect) and English.

Translators: Duane Linklater & Angela Shisheesh
Duane is Omaskêko Ininiwak and currently lives in North Bay, Ontario. He earned a Master of Fine Arts from Bard College and a Bachelor of Native Studies with a focus in Cree language from the University of Alberta. Linklater is lifelong learner of the Cree language and credits the many Elders, including his kohkom Agnes Hunter, for teaching and sharing the language.

Angela is a Cree translator at Ojibway & Cree Cultural Centre based in Timmins, Ontario

An English-only version is available: What's in a Bead?

This book is available in French: Le pouvoir d'une perle

Additional Information
24 pages | 8.50" x 8.50" | Hardcover

Tessa adore l'odeur d'histoires de feu de camp de sa grand-mère. Sa maman lui explique que Kohkom passe ses journées à coudre de magnifiques perles sur des peaux fumées. Tessa décide de demander à Kohkom de lui apprendre à perler, mais elle doit d'abord écouter et apprendre la multitude d'histoires que contient chaque perle.

La célébration de l'artisanat, du langage, et de l'apprentissage dans la tradition cri. L'échange tendre de connaissances entre Tessa et son kohkom sera reconnu par de nombreux enfants. Les lecteurs apprendront qu'il y a de différentes techniques de perlage selon la communauté autochtone et que cette forme d'art traditionnel est toujours vivante et florissante. Également disponible sous le titre What's in a Bead? en anglais.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 8.

This book is available in English: What's in a Bead? 

This book is available in a dual-language format in Ininîmowin (Cree, N-dialect) and English.: kekwan etakwak mîkisîhk / What’s in a Bead?

Additional Information
24 pages | 8.50" x 8.50" | Hardcover 

Tessa loves how her grandmother always smells of campfire stories. Mom says it’s because Kohkom spends her days sewing beautiful beads onto smoked hides. Inspired, Tessa asks Kohkom to teach her beading, but first she must listen and learn about the many stories held in a bead.

A celebration of Cree craftsmanship, language, and learning. The loving exchange of knowledge between Tessa and her Kohkom will be familiar to many children. Readers will learn that different Indigenous communities have different beadwork techniques, and that this traditional art form is alive and thriving today.

Reviews
"The story is a beautiful look into the importance of beading in our communities and the ways that this art practice ties us together as families and communities." — Nancy Cooper, First Nations Consultant for the Southern Ontario Library Services and coordinator for First Nation Communities Read

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 8.

A dual-language version in Ininîmowin (Cree, N-dialect) and English is available: kekwan etakwak mîkisîhk / What’s in a Bead?

This book is available in French: Le pouvoir d'une perle

Additional Information
24 pages | 8.50" x 8.50" | Hardcover