kekwan etakwak mîkisîhk / What’s in a Bead?

Synopsis:

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?

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