Dakelh (Carrier)

Sur la rivière, le castor claque sa queue, les saumons nagent, et une famille remonte sa pêche.

Membre de sa communauté, Monica, six ans, participe à la récolte traditionnelle du saumon au milieu de paysages magnifiques, de matins froids, de feux chaleureux, et en compagnie de sa famille étendue.

Educator Information
Recommended for Grades 3 and under.

This book is available in English: In Our Traditional Territory. 

Additional Information
8.00" x 8.00" | Paperback 

Voici l’histoire vraie de jeunes filles d’un pensionnat pour Autochtones qui ont cousu des poches secrètes dans leurs robes pour cacher de la nourriture afin de ne pas mourir de faim.

Mary avait quatre ans lorsqu’on l’a emmenée pour la première fois au pensionnat pour Autochtones de Lejac, bien loin de sa maison et de sa famille. Toujours affamées et frigorifiées, la jeune Mary et les autres filles vivaient sans confort. On leur interdisait de parler leur langue, le dakelh. De plus, les religieuses et le prêtre les surveillaient constamment, prêts à les punir. Mary et les autres filles ont eu une idée de génie : s’inspirant des connaissances de leurs mères, de leurs tantes et de leurs grands-mères, qui étaient toutes des couturières très habiles, les filles ont cousu des poches dans leurs vêtements pour y dissimuler de la nourriture. Elles rassemblaient des bouts de tissu en cachette et cousaient la nuit, puis elles cachaient des pommes, des carottes et des morceaux de pain dans leurs poches secrètes pour les partager avec les pensionnaires plus jeunes.

L’autrice s’est inspirée de l’expérience de sa mère dans un pensionnat pour Autochtones pour écrire La poche secrète, une histoire de survie et de résilience dans un contexte de génocide et de cruauté. Ce livre est aussi une façon de célébrer la résistance silencieuse à l’injustice des pensionnats et la façon dont les connaissances en couture transmises de mère en fille ont donné un avenir à ces jeunes Autochtones, un point de couture à la fois.

Également disponible sous le titre The Secret Pocket en anglais.

Reviews
« Le livre attire la sympathie des lecteurs et retient leur attention. […] Ce récit d’une période tragique de l’histoire a été adapté pour les jeunes par une équipe de créateurs autochtones. » — Critique étoilée parue dans le School Library Journal

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 8.

This book is available in English: The Secret Pocket.

Additional Information
40 pages | 8.75" x 10.75" | Hardcover 

Les autrices abordent les questions environnementales, le bien-être des animaux, l’estime et le respect de soi, ainsi que l’importance de la communauté. Elles livrent un message touchant et universel de manière accessible : nous devons tous être de bons ancêtres pour le monde qui nous entoure. Le texte du livre présenté sous forme de strophes nous porte à réfléchir à notre manière d’influencer les générations futures. Chaque décision que nous prenons a des conséquences et nous pouvons exercer une influence sur le monde qui nous entoure en réfléchissant bien à ces décisions.

Également disponible sous le titre Be a Good Ancestor en anglais.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.

This book is available in English: Be a Good Ancestor.

Additional Information
32 pages | 10.00" x 8.50" | Hardcover 

You are more powerful than you imagine.

In this lyrical picture book, young readers are reminded of their cultural roots, the wisdom of their ancestors and their own potential. Each page offers an affirmation about identity, respect, love and truth, encouraging all children to embrace their unique gifts and power. From the resilience flowing through their veins to the knowledge written in the stars, Remember Who You Are inspires children to see themselves as integral parts of their community, capable of great leadership and great kindness.

Perfect for bedtime reading and classroom discussions, this book fosters a deep sense of belonging and pride by celebrating Indigenous heritage and reminding young readers who they truly are.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.

This book is available in a dual-language format: Remember Who You Are / kiskisi awîna kiya.

This book is available in French: N'oublie jamais qui tu es.

Additional Information
32 pages | 9.00" x 9.00" | Hardcover 

You are more powerful than you imagine.

In this lyrical picture book, young readers are reminded of their cultural roots, the wisdom of their ancestors and their own potential. Each page offers an affirmation about identity, respect, love and truth, encouraging all children to embrace their unique gifts and power. From the resilience flowing through their veins to the knowledge written in the stars, Remember Who You Are inspires children to see themselves as integral parts of their community, capable of great leadership and great kindness.

Perfect for bedtime reading and classroom discussions, this book fosters a deep sense of belonging and pride by celebrating Indigenous heritage and reminding young readers who they truly are.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.

Dual-language: English and Plains Cree.

Plain Cree translation by Dorothy Thunder. 

This book is available in English: Remember Who You Are.

This book is available in French: N'oublie jamais qui tu es. 

Additional Information
32 pages | 9.00" x 9.00" | Hardcover 

The true story of how Indigenous girls at a Canadian residential school sewed secret pockets into their dresses to hide food and survive

Mary was four years old when she was first taken away to the Lejac Indian Residential School. It was far away from her home and family. Always hungry and cold, there was little comfort for young Mary. Speaking Dakelh was forbidden and the nuns and priest were always watching, ready to punish. Mary and the other girls had a genius idea: drawing on the knowledge from their mothers, aunts and grandmothers who were all master sewers, the girls would sew hidden pockets in their clothes to hide food. They secretly gathered materials and sewed at nighttime, then used their pockets to hide apples, carrots and pieces of bread to share with the younger girls.

Based on the author's mother's experience at residential school, The Secret Pocket is a story of survival and resilience in the face of genocide and cruelty. But it's also a celebration of quiet resistance to the injustice of residential schools and how the sewing skills passed down through generations of Indigenous women gave these girls a future, stitch by stitch.

Awards

• 2023 Sunshine Coast Writers and Editors Society (SCWES) Book Awards for BC Authors joint winner
• 2024 Forest of Reading Silver Birch Express Award

Reviews
“In bringing her mother’s story to the world, Peggy Janicki has ignited a powerful fire for intergenerational healing. A vivid illustration of how Traditional Knowledge helped the children at residential schools be heroes for themselves and each other. Not only has Janicki meticulously documented everyday life as experienced by the students of the Lejac residential school but she has also highlighted their ingenious and courageous efforts to survive. Strengths-based, age-appropriate and vividly engaging.”— Christy Jordan-Fenton, award-winning author of Fatty Legs

“Beautifully illustrated and powerfully narrated, The Secret Pocket amplifies the voices and experiences of Indian Residential School Survivors. In doing so, Peggy Janicki and Carrielynn Victor make an important contribution to the work of putting truth before reconciliation.”— Sean Carleton, historian and author of Lessons in Legitimacy: Colonialism, Capitalism, and the Rise of State Schooling in British Columbia

“In this important story of courage and resistance, educator Peggy Janicki shares the story of her mother and other Survivors who sewed secret pockets into their dresses to hide food to feed themselves and others at Lejac residential school. We need to continue to hear these stories and share them with our children so we can move forward in our collective healing.”— Dr. Sara Florence Davidson, co-author of Potlach as Pedagogy: Learning Through Ceremony

“It is through stories that knowledge, understanding, empathy and the tools for deep and lasting change are passed on. Peggy Janicki has carried her mother’s story for us to hold in our hearts. This truth-telling and history-sharing will touch readers of all ages as they allow themselves to feel the weight of this powerful book.”— Amber Price, MGC, owner of The Book Man

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 8.

This book is available in French: La poche secrète.

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.75" x 10.75" | Hardcover 

Rooted in Indigenous teachings, this stunning picture book encourages readers of all ages to consider the ways in which they live in connection to the world around them and to think deeply about their behaviors.

Addressing environmental issues, animal welfare, self-esteem and self-respect, and the importance of community, the authors deliver a poignant and universal message in an accessible way: Be a good ancestor to the world around you. Thought-provoking stanzas offer a call to action for each one of us to consider how we affect future generations. Every decision we make ripples out, and we can affect the world around us by thinking deeply about those decisions.

Awards

• 2023 Forest of Reading Blue Spruce Award
• 2023 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Awards - Children's Picture Book

Reviews
"Be A Good Ancestor is a story rooted in Indigenous teachings that ask readers to examine how they connect to the world around them and think deeply about their actions' consequences. The story looks at environmental issues, animal welfare, self-esteem and self-respect, and the importance of community making the delivery of a universal message accessible." - The Dalai Lama Center 

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.

This book is available in French: Laisse un bel héritage.

Additional Information
32 pages | 10.00" x 8.50" | Hardcover

Born in Anihim Lake, British Columbia, and a member of the Ulkatch First Nation, Carey Price grew up spending much of his time outdoors — hunting, fishing and riding horses. He didn’t start playing organized hockey until he was nine years old, but made up for a late start, becoming one of the best goalies in the NHL. Playing many spectacular seasons for the Montreal Canadiens, Carey has won everything from the Calder Cup to the Venzina Trophy, and from the Indspire Award to Olympic Gold!

Packed with photos and including 16 pages of hockey action comic sequences, this full-colour, easy-to-read biography will teach fans how Carey Price became a player known for taking care of the net, his team, and himself in a way that is uniquely his own.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 7 to 12.

Additional Information
64 pages | 6.01" x 9.00" | Paperback

On the river, beaver smacks his tail, the salmon swim, and a family pull in the catch. As a member of her community, six-year-old Monica participates in the traditional salmon harvest among the picturesque scenery, cold mornings, warm fires, and extended family.

Educator Information
Recommended for kindergarten to grade 3.

This book is available in French: Dans Notre Territoire Traditionnel.

Additional Information
36 pages | 8.25" x 8.25" | Paperback

Shawna Davis invites the reader to explore each of the four seasons through her beautiful words and lush, unforgettable, beaded illustrations.

We begin in Gwooyim (Spring) when the Majagalee, the Sim Algyax word for “flower,” are just beginning to sprout. We then move on to Sint (Summer) when Grandmother Sun stays in the sky a bit longer. Next there is Xwsit (Fall), just as Summer begins to get sleepy, and Maadim (Winter) where the snow has fallen and the freezer is full.

This is a story of nature, its importance to our lives, and why it must be cared for and respected.

Toonasa Jordana Luggi’s lovely, rich, and nearly tactile photographs are the perfect complement to Shawna’s hand-beaded artwork and wonderful, hand-cut paper backgrounds.

Includes Pronunciation Guides.

Reviews
“...simple, evocative poetry is culturally specific, rooted in a deep love of the land and the people around her but it’s also relatable to readers of different backgrounds. The lyrical verse in Majagalee makes it an ideal read-aloud book.... Majagalee is an elevated concept book. It introduces readers to the seasons, the plants and animals of the Northwest Coast, Sim Algyax, Indigenous art, and the importance of all these things to Gitksan culture. Despite its apparent simplicity, Majagalee is a complex and brilliantly constructed book. It will appeal to Indigenous and non-Indigenous readers alike, and for teachers and parents, it serves as an outstanding example of a book that demonstrates the ongoing presence and beauty of Indigenous cultures in what is now known as Canada..” – Quill & Quire, starred review

Educator Information
Juvenile Fiction. This picture book explores the four seasons on the northwest coast of what is currently British Columbia from a Gitksan perspective.

Additional information
Pages: 40 

Young Woman, like many people her age, is full of curiosity, energy and strength. What happens when people around you don’t recognize that strength?

This story is about the journey of Young Woman and Turtle. They move through the seasons together and Young Woman learns that growing up takes patience and time. Leadership comes from within, but it also comes from listening to the world around you.

A Dance Through the Seasons not only leads you through the story of one girl’s path, but also through the seasonal rounds of the Dakelh (Carrier) people of British Columbia.

Educator Information
The inspiring A Dance Through the Seasons is told through story and cultural teachings by award-winning Dakelh educator Leona Prince, with dream-like illustrations from acclaimed Cree and Métis artist Carla Joseph.

Readers of all ages will admire Young Woman as she endures and learns from each of the four seasons using many traditional means. Like Young Woman, we all have something to learn – from nature, the seasons, and our Elders, when we recognize and trust in our guides.

Find all of the hidden turtles in each illustration as they guide you through her journey.

This is the second edition.

This book is available in French: Une Danse au Fil des Saisons. 

Additional Information
56 pages | 11.00" x 8.50" | Paperback | 2nd Edition

Isla’s New Drum is Shane Hartman’s debut children’s book. The story is a contemporary story that Shane wrote for his daughter after he had made her a drum and gifted it to her. Isla loved her new drum!

Isla has been given a new drum that she loves dearly but she doesn’t have a song to sing to her new drumbeat,

Boom ba ba boom
Boom ba ba boom
Boom ba ba boom boom

So, Isla decides to ask some forest friends to help her make a new song. Each friend offers Isla what they can, showing true generosity. Each friend also offers a message that is important to keeping Mother Earth healthy and strong. In return, Isla plays her drum for each friend as she gives back what she can. Isla discovers so much more than her new song!

Educator Information
The Dakelh (Carrier) words included in this book were referenced from The Central Carrier Bilingual Dictionary. The Carrier Language belongs to the Athapaskan language family and has three major dialects: Northern - Babine Lake, Central - Stuart lake, Southern - locations as far south as Anahim Lake.

Keywords / Themes: Drum; Indigenous Canadian, Environmental Awareness, Friendship, Music; Nak'azdli Whut'en.

Recommended for Preschool - Grade 1 

Additional Information
32 pages | Colour illustrations | 8.5" x 11" | ISBN: 9781771745574 | Paperback 

How does a mother bear feed her babies? Off the land, of course.

A mother bear shares with her cubs how to be grateful for all they have in the natural world. The Bear's Medicine shows the interconnectedness of all things in the world they live in and how each season brings changes and blessings for the bears. It is a story of a mother's love for her children as she teaches them how to survive.

Written in English and Dakelh.

Awards

• Winner of the 2020-2021 First Nation Communities Read's Indigenous Literature Award

Reviews
"In this bilingual story, a mother bear teaches her cubs how to live in relationship to the land. Emphasizing gratitude, interdependence, and ancestry, Cree/Dakelh author and artist Gauthier conveys the wisdom of growing up and cultural inheritance through the movements of a bear family.... Valuable for its rich imagery and simple yet multifaceted storytelling, this stands as a beautifully told, #ownvoices offering that focuses less on plot and more on fascinating concepts." - Kirkus Reviews

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 6-8.

Keywords: bear, Indigenous, interconnectedness, medicine, nature, animals. 

Recommended in the Canadian Indigenous Books for Schools 2020/2021 resource list as being useful for grades 1-3 in these areas: Science and Social Studies.

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.00" x 8.00" | Dakelh translation by Danny Alexis and Theresa Austin

The Eagle Feather Story is a beautiful and ancient Dakelh (Carrier Peoples) story about learning to respect people who live their lives with integrity. The story features both the Dakelh and English languages. There is also sections that provide readers with an overview of the Dakelh culture, history and territory. For all ages.

The Eagle Feather Story utilizes concepts from the Dakelh culture to teach about respecting each other and our Mother Earth. The story is beautifully illustrated and features creatures from the Dakelh territory as characters who struggle, but eventually, learn to embody the characteristics and principles that we all strive to live by. The Eagle Feather Story is a tale that encourages people, young and older too, to try to be the best they can be. 

Educator Information
This a picture book that is recommended for all ages by its publisher.

Dual-language in Dakelh and English languages.

Storyteller: Francois Prince

Dakelh Language & Translations: Francois Prince and Aggie Anderson 

Cultural Advisors: Leona Prince, Mark Barfoot, Kelly Brownbill 

Includes a page of questions at the end of the book, entitled "Thoughts For Inquisitive Minds", for children to answer.  These questions and discussion prompts relate to the book's content and prompt further conversation, learning, and inquiry.

Additional Information
Approx. 25 pages 

Bundle includes all 8 titles, 6 of each, in the Strong Stories Dakelh series (48 books total).

These books are recommended for primary students.

Books in the Dakelh series include the following from author and illustrator Cecilia John:

Bald Eagle, Bald Eagle
Berries of the Dakelh Territory
Berry Picking with ‘Atsoo
Counting in Carrier (delivered in a dual-language format of Carrier and English)
Fall in Saik’uz (delivered in a triple-language format of Carrier, English, and French)
Spring in Saik’uz (delivered in a triple-language format of Carrier, English, and French)
Summer in Saik’uz (delivered in a triple-language format of Carrier, English, and French)
Winter in Saik’uz (delivered in a triple-language format of Carrier, English, and French)

For the books containing Carrier, downloadable pronunciation guides are available:
Spring in Saik'uz Pronunciation Guide
Summer in Saik'uz Pronunciation Guide
Fall in Saik'uz Pronunciation Guide
Winter in Saik'uz Pronunciation Guide
Berries of the Dakelh Territory Pronunciation Guide
Counting in Carrier Pronunciation Guide

Additional Information
ISBN: 9781771746687