Collection The Land Is Our Storybook
The Land Is Our Storybook is a first-ever series of books for children about the diverse lands and cultures of Canada's Northwest Territories. Mindy Willett, an educational consultant and former teacher from Yellowknife, has worked with storytellers-Elders and cultural leaders-from ten regions in the territory to capture real stories of everyday life as it exists today. Books are available in English and French, and here you'll find the French versions.
Told in a uniquely diverse range of northern voices, with a child-centred approach, books in The Land Is Our Storybook series highlight each official Indigenous language group in the NWT, revealing a richly textured picture of life in the North-on the trapline, around the campfire, in communities, at school, and within the outdoor school that is the land itself. The series celebrates the seasons, ages, genders, traditional activities, and communities of the NWT.
The stories are illustrated by the striking images of acclaimed northern photographer, Tessa Macintosh and depict the similarities in lifestyle between children of the North and South, as well as the marked cultural differences, and highlight the special relationship these First Nations people have with the land and how they are adapting to rapid change while remaining connected to the land. Images of the landscape and animals within it, of trapping, hunting, fishing, and bannock baking sit alongside pictures of children at school, swimming at recreation centres, and reading in libraries. Here is modern northern culture painted beautifully: a complex mix of the new and the old.
These wonderful books, written with a variety of provincial and territorial curricula in mind, are specially designed for the classroom and include special features such as glossaries relating details on animals biology and cultural definitions, regional and language maps. The text of the stories also have sidebars such as Our Stories, which contain the stories of the people and language group featured, and Our Words, which highlight words in the featured language that are important to the story.
Synopsis:
James Pokiak is proud to be Inuvialuit. The Inuvialuit, or "real people," are the most westerly Canadian Inuit. James lives in Tuktoyaktuk, NT, a community above the Arctic Circle, on the shore of the Arctic Ocean. Even though he lives in town now, James grew up on the land, learning the traditional values and survival skills of his people.
In this fifth book in the The Land is Our Storybook series, James and his daughter, Rebecca, go on a trip to harvest a beluga whale. Harvesting and processing belugas with his family is important to James. It is an integral part of what it means to be Inuvialuit. Join James and his family and learn about how the beluga whale is interlinked with Inuvialuit culture and history.
Educator Information
Recommended Grades: 2-4
Additional Information
32 pages | 8.25" x 8.25" | French Edition
Synopsis:
Pete Enzoe est de Lutsël K’é aux Territoires du Nord-Ouest qui se trouve dans le bras Est du Grand lac des Esclaves. C’est un chasseur, un pêcheur et un trappeur. Son rôle dans la vie est de protéger le caribou. Il passe beaucoupde temps à se désplacer sur les terres traditionnelles de son peuple. Pete aide également les scientifiques qui observent la santé et les migrations du caribou.
Dans Le caribou, nourriture de notre âme, le sixième livre de la série Notre Territoire, un livre d’histoires, Pete invite le lecteur à une chasse au caribou faite de façon respectueuse. En route, il partage des histoires Denésôliné et décrit les endroits chargés de spiritualité que sa collectivité tente de protéger, incluant Thaidené Nené, « terres de nos ancêtres ». Viens avec nous pour apprendre la riche histoire des Denésôliné et leur relation privilégiée avec le caribou.
Synopsis:
Comme on se sent bien ici! est l’histoire de Julie-Ann André. Elle est une Ranger canadienne, une mère, une femme d’affaires, une étudiante qui chasse et qui pratique le piégeage. Dans ce livre. elle nous raconte l’histoire de sa famille et de son territoire, Khaii Luk, l’endroit du poisson d’hiver. Comme Julie-Ann le dit: « Si vous saves bien écouter, vous allez entendre l’histoire que les terres ont à raconter ». Joignez-vous à Julie-Ann et à ses filles à Tsiigehtchic et à Inuvik et apprenez-en plus sur leur chez-soi et les traditions de leur peuple, les Gwich’in.
Series Information
This book is part of the This Land Is Our Storybook series.
Additional Information
32 pages | 8.25" x 8.25" | French translation: France Benoit
Synopsis:
Tom McLeod est un gar garçon de onze ans d'Aklavik qui raconte souvent ses histoires à la radio de CBC North. Il est de culture métissée, gwich'in et inuvialuite. Dans « Le Delta, C’est mon chez moi », Tom nous raconte les inondations dans le delta du Mackenzie au printemps, comment faire de la banique, poser des pièges à rat musquè et chasser les canards noirs. Venez rencontrer Tom dans le plus grand delta fluvial du Canada et faites la connaissance d'Aklavik et de ses habitants qui proclament « Ne jamais abandonner »
Educator Information
This resource is also available in English: The Delta Is My Home.
This book is part of the series The Land Is Our Storybook, which considers the diverse lands and cultures of Canada's Northwest Territories.
Additional Information
32 pages | 8.25" x 8.25"
Synopsis:
Join Tlicho young people, Shelinda, Forest, and Bradley, as they learn about making dry-fish, bows and arrows, and birch-bark baskets; the practices of old-time healers; as well as the sacred stories that tell the history of the Tlicho people. Some of the stories related in this book have never been written down before -versions of sacred stories are a gift to young readers across Canada, to be used wisely.
The Tlicho Nation was the first in the Northwest Territories to gain self-government. With Elders such as Philip and Elizabeth passing along their traditional wisdom to the young, as well as knowledge gained since the Tlicho first encountered European peoples, the Tlicho are showing how they are, "strong like two people."
Educator & Series Information
This resource is also available in English: Living Stories: Godi Weghàà Ets' eèda
This book is part of the series The Land Is Our Storybook, which considers the diverse lands and cultures of Canada's Northwest Territories.
Additional Information
32 pages | 8.25" x 8.25"
Synopsis:
Nine-year-old Sheyenne lives in Sambaa K’e, Northwest Territories - that’s Trout Lake in English. Come learn with her as she takes you on a journey to her community in the fall, the season of moose.
This is the fourth book in the popular series “The Land Is Our Storybook” and features the Dehcho region of the Dene.
Awards
- 2010 OLA Best Bets - Junior Non Fiction
- Canadian Best Bets list - Junior Non-fiction, 2011
- Resource Links Best Books 2010 - Non-Fiction K - Grade 6
- First Nations Communities Read selection, 2009
- 2011 Vancouver Children's Literature Roundtable - Information Book Award
Educator & Series Information
This is the French version of Come and Learn With Me.
This book is part of the series The Land Is Our Storybook, which considers the diverse lands and cultures of Canada's Northwest Territories.
This resource is also available in English: Come and Learn With Me: Ewo, seh Kedjdjh
Additional Information
32 pages | 8.25" x 8.25"
Our logo reflects the greater Nation we live within—Turtle Island (North America)—and the strength
and core of the Pacific Northwest Coast peoples—the Cedar Tree, known as the Tree of Life. We are
here to support the building of strong nations and help share Indigenous voices.
