ninanâskomon. I am grateful.
It’s really exciting to see another rich layer added to this beautiful book and story from traditional Cree culture that centres on gratitude. The story told by Alberta Cree Elder and WW2 veteran, James “Smokey” Tomkins was interpreted in English by author Jean Miso, and illustrated by Darrell Doxdator, another Indigenous veteran.
Thanks to Jean and her colleagues, including Dolores Greyeyes Sand who translated Jean’s interpretation into Plains Cree, then lent it her voice, we can now share a complete video presentation of the book’s images with voice-over: another opportunity to listen in Cree and read along.
In addition to the story, the video also features a cameo appearance at the end by James “Smokey” Tomkins, and the video itself is framed by the traditional singing of the Red Bear Singers from Sagkeeng First Nation in Manitoba.
Scroll past the video to find the November 2020 CLN post that describes the book and ordering instructions in detail. This one belongs in every library in Canada.
