Photo of: Dr. Andrew Miller, Mahekan Ahenakew and Senator Bill Strongarm at the launch of the book: Those Who Fly Around
Photo by: Danielle Dufour
Last Friday at the First Nations University of Canada, community attended the book launch of ka-papamihacik / Ka-papamihsewat – “Those Who Fly Around”: Plains Cree and Saulteaux Birds, authored by Dr. Andrew M. Miller, Senator Bill Strongarm and Barry Ahenakew.
This book draws on five years of community-based research with Elders from the Touchwood Agency Tribal Council, Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation, Cote First Nation and Fishing Lake First Nation.
The book includes over 100 photos of birds of Saskatchewan, archival photos and illustrations by Cree artist Lindsey Bear.
The idea for the book came to Dr. Andrew Miller as he was conducting research with the Touchwood Agency Tribal Council communities on stories related to their lands.
“I just started seeing that a lot of people had stories related to birds, you know, a duck hunting place or telling stories about eagles, ravens or owls, and I thought to myself, we ought to make a dedicated book about the winged ones, the ones who fly around,” said Dr. Miller.
Senator Bill Strongarm, who co-authored the book, spoke about the need to revitalize language and the stories that were being lost with the Elders passing.
“The stories about the birds, some have a certain history on how they got their physical characteristics, their songs, their tunes, their colours and how they came to be,” said Strongarm. “I think it’s very important that we record those because in due time, with our loss of language, which is detrimental at this stage. I think only seven per cent of our people down in southern parts of Saskatchewan have retained their language, and that’s a very low number.”
Strongarm said he thinks to revitalize and regain fluency in our Indigenous languages, it must be recorded and brought to the youth in story form.
“The stories all have a lesson in there. If you look at the weather outside, you look at the birds themselves,” said Strongarm, “They’re telling if it’s going to rain or not. You look at them; they’ll give you a message.”
Mahekan Awasis Ahenakew spoke on behalf of his father Barry Ahenakew, who co-authored the book.
“My late father was quite the excellent oral historian,” said Ahenakew. “He held on to many traditions and the way that our culture practices its norms through oral histories was venerated in regards to also being an excellent orator in how he was able to deliver and speak about the old days, and how they correlated many ways into art, modern days talk, traditions, cultures and norms were a part of where they came from.”
Ahenakew said his late father was a “big bird lover”.
At the launch, he sang a traditional song featuring the lyrics, “Our grandfather is the Thunderbird.”
“I feel like the book is able to connect a lot of oral traditions and even the history of how these birds got their names,” said Ahenakew. “I feel like that’s very important … and I hope that coming generations look to it and feel a sense of identity and strength … because strength truly exists in one’s identity, and the best way to experience your identity is through stories.”
The proceeds from the sale of the book will go to the Touchwood Tribal Agencies to support an education fund.