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| Come Walk in My Moccasins Newsletter January 2025 |
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| In this Issue:
Books: Taos Pueblo Winter, Snow Day, Raven's Ribbons, What the Chickadee Knows Our Music: Gijigjigaaneshiinh (Chickadee) Our Words: Winter Words in Anishinaabemowin Our Stories: Peach Stone Game Our Traditions: Midwinter Ceremony Our Recipe: New Year Cookies
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Did you know...
...for some First Nations, January is known as the Spirit Moon? It is the time of connection. During this moon, we recognize who we are in connection to our relations, land, water, and all of Creation. In the light of this moon we purify ourselves and prepare for the coming seasons.
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| | | Taos Pueblo Winter
Infant and Toddler
This delightful board book, written without text, was created by the Taos Pueblo's Tiwa Language Program to preserve the Tiwa culture and revitalize the Tiwa language by teaching it to younger generations. Many other Indigenous languages also need revitalizing, so it is the hope of the Taos Pueblo's Tiwa Language Program that other American Indian Nations will find the books in the Toas Pueblo Four Seasons series useful to teach their language to young children. The beautiful, hand-drawn illustrations will also teach young children about the four seasons of the year. All proceeds of the book support the Taos Pueblo's Tiwa Language Program.
We are the "Red Willow People" of Taos Pueblo and have sustained our ancient village as one of the longest continuously inhabited communities, for over 1,000 years. Taos Pueblo is located in northern New Mexico and our Tiwa language is a dialect of the Tanoan language, which is not a written language. Traditionally we learn our Tiwa Language through oral tradition but we are in danger of losing our ancient language due to colonization, modernization, and the shift from Tiwa as our first language to English as our first language. The efforts of the Taos Pueblo Tiwa Language Program are focused on revitalizing the Tiwa Language and culture by protecting and preserving it, through teaching it to our younger generations.
This text-free board book allows Indigenous nations to teach their own languages to children. (excerpt from Strongnations.com)
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| | | Snow Day
Preschool and Kindergarten
Lindsay Gloade-Raining Bird is a mixed-Cree writer, poet, and mother of two who comes from a long line of bookworms. Illustrated by Ashley Thimot.
Capturing the magic of a snowfall, Snow Day follows an Indigenous family as they experience all of the delights of a winter's day. While Mom shovels the driveway and Dad cares for her brother by the fire, a young girl and her dog make snowflake tea, build a snow caterpillar, catch snowflakes on their tongues, and make snow angels. All while the snow continues to fall. At the end of the day, the girl is beckoned inside by the promise of hot chocolate, and regails her family with her adventures' and dreams of doing it all again tomorrow. (excerpt from Goodminds.com) |
| | | Raven’s Ribbons
Primary
Tasha Spillett is an Inninewak (Cree) and Trinidadian award-winning poet and author who is also working on her doctoral degree in Indigenous land–based education. She makes her home in Treaty 1 territory, Manitoba, where she raises her daughter, Isabella, with her husband. She is the author of the New York Times best-selling picture book I Sang You Down from the Stars and the award-winning Surviving the City graphic novel series. Daniel Ramirez is a descendant of the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe of Michigan and a much-celebrated fine artist.
Raven loves round dances. The drums sing to the people, and the people dance to their songs. Raven especially loves dancing with his grandma, sidestepping to the rhythm of the drums. His favourite part of all is watching the ribbon skirts swirl like rainbows. “Nohkum, do you think a boy could wear a ribbon skirt?” Raven asks his grandmother one day. She tells him she has lived for a long time, but she has never seen it. That evening, she sews late into the night, and Raven awakes to a rainbow skirt of his own. “I’ve lived for a long time,” his grandma says, “and I’m lucky to see beautiful things that I’ve never seen before.” At the next dance, Raven wears the swirl of unique ribbons with pride. With illustrations infused with joy and colour, this moving intergenerational story celebrates self-expression, honouring traditions, and finding room for reinvention. (excerpt from Goodminds.com) |
| | | What the Chickadee Knows
Young Adult
Margaret Noodin who is of Anishinaabe descent, explains in the preface of her new poetry collection, What the Chickadee Knows (Gijigijigaaneshiinh Gikendaan), "Whether we hear giji-giji-gaane-shii-shii or chick-a-dee-dee-dee depends on how we have been taught to listen. Our world is shaped by the sounds around us and the filter we use to turn thoughts into words. The lines and images here were conceived first in Anishinaabemowin and then in English. They are an attempt to hear and describe the world according to an Anishinaabe paradigm." The book is concerned with nature, history, tradition, and relationships, and these poems illuminate the vital place of the author’s tribe both in the past and within the contemporary world. What the Chickadee Knows is a gesture toward a future that includes Anishinaabemowin and other indigenous languages seeing growth and revitalization. This bilingual collection includes Anishinaabemowin and English, with the poems mirroring one another on facing pages. In the first part, "What We Notice" (E-Maaminonendamang), Noodin introduces a series of seasonal poems that invoke Anishinaabe science and philosophy. The second part, "History" (Gaa Ezhiwebag), offers nuanced contemporary views of Anishinaabe history. The poems build in urgency, from observations of the natural world and human connection to poems centered in powerful grief and remembrance for events spanning from the Sandy Lake Tragedy of 1850, which resulted in the deaths of more than four hundred Ojibwe people, to the Standing Rock water crisis of 2016, which resulted in the prosecution of Native protesters and, ultimately, the completion of the Dakota Access Pipeline on sacred land. The intent of What the Chickadee Knows is to create a record of the contemporary Anishinaabe worldview as it is situated between the traditions of the past and as it contributes to the innovation needed for survival into the future. Readers of poetry with an interest in world languages and indigenous voices will need this book. (excerpt from Goodminds.com) |
| | | Gijigjigaaneshiinh
Enjoy this catchy tune by Lindsay Morcom about Gijigijigaaneshiinh (chickadee). This Ojibwe language song is a favourite for children and adults! (.33 second video) |
| | | Winter Words
Diane from North Hastings Children's Services shares winter words in Anishinaabemowin, the language of the Algonquin people. (.51 second video) |
| | | Midwinter Ceremony
Carlene from Kahwa:tsire Indigenous-Led Child & Family Programs tells us about the Midwinter Ceremony. (1:02 minute video) |
| | | Peach Stone Game
Carlene explains the rules to the Peach Stone Game. This game is played during the Midwinter Ceremonies and is considered a sacred game to the Mohawk people. The winning clan team will be the planters for the year. (2:26minute video) |
| | | New Year Cookies
Try this yummy recipe shared by Woodland Cultural Centre and be sure to visit their website to learn more about the programs and events they have available. |
| Indigenous Language Resources |
| | Mohawk Language Learning Resource This open education resource (OER) may be used a supplementary resource to learning the Mohawk language at the beginner level. In the first part of the OER, the basic morphology, of the language is introduced through pronouns, pronoun prefixes, particles, and verb roots. The second part introduces vocabulary builders. Finally, in the third part, basic conversational language is explored.
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| Language Resources created with the intention of learning and developing your knowledge of the Michif language. The resources featured are trilingual including the following languages; Michif, French, and English.
Anishnaabemowin - Our Language Our Culture
Ojibwa language booklet
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| Tsi Tyónnheht Onkwawén:na provides Mohawk language and culture programming at the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory (the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte). They run several programs, including Totáhne (At Grandma's House) for preschool children, Kawenna'ón:we Primary Immersion (K-4) and Shatiwennakará:tats, a year long program for Adults. |
| Free Anishinaabemowin printable resources, lesson plans, and videos to help learn the language |
| | | NEW! Nurturing Childhoods Through Indigenous Ways of Knowing Explore teachings, strategies, and resources that guide the inclusion of Indigenous ways of knowing in early learning environments. This is a FREE online course provided by the University of British Columbia. |
| | | Toronto Zoo- Turtle Island Conservation Toronto Zoo's Turtle Island Conservation programme (TIC) respectfully shares the hopes and goals of First Nation partners in our committment to the preservation of biodiversity. TIC partners with First Nation communities to preserve community knowledge and significant natural and cultural landscapes.
Resources available in Ojibwe and Mohawk. |
| | | Beauty in Movement: An Indigenous Guide to Physical Activity Pamphlet about the importance of physical activity and ideas to get children moving
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| | Sources for Indigenous books:
Indigenous Book Lending:
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| | | National Ribbon Skirt Day, Canada Saturday, January 4 |
| | | Full Moon Teaching, ONLINE Monday, January 13 |
| | | Midwinter Ceremony, Kingston, ON Saturday, January 18 |
| | | Anishinaabemowin Storytelling with Albert Owl, ONLINE Tuesday, January 21 |
| | | Grandfather/Grandmother’s Sharing Series, Midland, ON or ONLINE Wednesday, January 22 |
| | We need YOU!
Help us become more inclusive of the many First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples among our readership. Share an Indigenous recipe, song, or traditional art through Come Walk in My Moccasins. Contact kahwatsire@mbq-tmt.org if you are interested in becoming a guest contributor.
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| | Indigenous Family Literacy Circle Partners:
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| Come Walk in My Moccasins is created by the Indigenous Family Literacy Circle and sponsored by Journey Together through Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte. Click here to download or print the Come Walk in My Moccasins pamphlet. |
| | | Copyright 2016 Indigenous Family Literacy Circle 465 Advance Avenue, Napanee, Canada | | | |
