Bear and Coyote

Publisher's Description (Strong Nations): Kenkéknem (Bear) and Sek̓lép (Coyote) are both busy preparing for the long winter months ahead. Kenkéknem eats berries while Sek̓lép dries salmon and bakes Bannock. They have always done this separately and do not want to share with each other. However, this year Kenkéknem is curious about what Sek̓lép is doing, and he is also very hungry. Kenkéknem curiosity and hunger soon get them both in trouble. This forces them to work and learn together to find out how to solve their problem. In the process, they learn through shared experiences and reflect together. They then discover that they have many new stories to share and new ways to prepare food together. They gather their relations to share their stories in a wider circle of community in order to share this way of learning through connectedness and relationships. Bear and Coyote tells the creation story of traditional foods and shows the possibilities that arise when we work together. This book makes for a great bedtime story or read-aloud in the classroom. The back of the book includes recipes for Bannock (Sp̓ íxle7cw) and Saskatoon Berry Jam (Speqpeq7úw̓l). Bear and Coyote complements other works by Mike Bowden and Kelsey Jules, including Chief Goose and Porcupine, and includes a familiar character from Four Winds.

Author Biography (Strong Nations): Mike Bowden is Secwépemc from the interior of British Columbia, Canada and also has Métis heritage. Mike is a storyteller and a strong believer in story as a way of learning and understanding the world and our relationships within the world. Mike’s stories are contemporary, fictional Secwépemc tales that reflect Indigenous ways of knowing. Mike is also a long-time educator in British Columbia and is active in literacy organizations throughout North America. He holds a graduate degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Calgary and is currently the District Principal of Aboriginal Education for a BC school district.

Kelsey Jules is a Secwépemc artist who enjoys learning and practising her culture. She has a strong interest in learning more about her people’s traditions so that she may teach the youth that she works with in the Kamloops’ School District. She also enjoys teaching Indigenous arts, crafts, and skills to others. Her artwork focuses on how to improve and move forward from Canadian history and the traumas that have happened to her and her people.

Resource type: Picturebook

Age recommendation: Grades 4-6

Keywords: Numeracy, winter, bear, coyote, reflect, food, stories, experiences, Bannock, Saskatoon Berry Jam, recipes, measurements, cooking, traditions, Indigenous knowledges, learning, nature, animals

Year of publication: 2020

Publisher information: Strong Nations Publishing