Mwakwa Talks to the Loon: A Cree Story for Children
by Dale Auger
Description:
Publisher's description (Heritage House, 2007):
Kayâs is a young Cree man who is blessed with a Gift that makes him a talented hunter. He knows the ways of the Beings he hunts and can even talk with them in their own languages. But when he becomes proud and takes his abilities for granted, he loses his gift, and the People grow hungry. With the help of the Elders and the Beings that inhabit the water, Kayâs learns that in order to live a life of success, fulfillment and peace, he must cherish and respect the talents and skills he has been given.Illustrated with Dale Auger's powerful, insightful paintings, Mwâkwa Talks to the Loon introduces readers to the basics of life in a Cree village. A glossary with a pronunciation guide to the many Cree words and phrases used in the story is included. Dale Auger is Cree.
Author Biography (Heritage House):
Dale Auger (1958–2008) was a Sakaw Cree artist and storyteller from the Bigstone Cree Nation in northern Alberta. He was born in High Prairie, Alberta, near that province’s second-largest body of water, Lesser Slave Lake. He attended the Alberta College of Art and the University of Calgary, obtaining a master’s degree in education and a PhD in education. Mwâkwa Talks to the Loon was named Aboriginal Children’s Book of the Year at the 2006 Anskohk Aboriginal Literature Festival and Book Awards and also received the 2007 R. Ross Annett Award for Children’s Literature.
Resource format: Picturebook
Age recommendation: Grade 1 - 6
Keywords: gift, talent, respect, Cree language, animals, loon, land, Kitaskinaw, hunter, Beings, birds, mammals, fish, onewokatiwak, peyisesak, kinosiwak, provide, generous, praise, attention, hunger, ego, gift lost, humble, downfall, Elder, wisdom, loss, Treaty 7, Treaty 6, help, assistance, favour, favor, debt, rediscovery, honour, feast, harvest, spirit, dance, Cree
Year of publication: 2007
Publisher information: Heritage House