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Boreal Community Media

Obijwe Author's New Children's Book: The Forever Sky

Apr 25, 2019 09:02AM ● By Editor

From Boreal Community Media - April 25, 2019

The Story

"Nooko's spirit is there in the stars"; says Niigaanii to his younger brother, Bineshiinh, as they sprawl in a meadow, gazing skyward. "Uncle said when "Nooko's spirit left this world it went there." Nooko was their grandmother, and they miss her. But Uncle helps them find comfort in the night sky, where all the stars have stories.

Indeed, there are so many stars and so many stories that the boys spend night after night observing and sharing, making sense of patterns and wisdom in the forever sky." They see a moose, a loon, a crane, the Path of Souls, and so much more.

One night, a beautiful show of lights fills the sky. Niigaanii explains that the northern lights are the spirits of the relatives who have passed on. The boys imagine different relatives dancing, lighting up the sky with their graceful movements. And then they see her: Nooko is one of the elders leading the dance. She has a message for them. One they can share with their parents and their uncle and everyone else who remembers her. One that lends power to the skies and brings smiles to the stargazers' faces.

The Author and Illustrator

Thomas Peacock (Fond du Lac Band, Lake Superior Chippewa) is a coauthor of The Four Hills of Life,The Good Path and Ojibwe Waasa Inaabidaa

Annette S. Lee is a professor of astronomy and a professional visual artist. Her communities are Ojibwe and D/Lakota, and she is the director of Native Skywatchers.

Review

"Peacock (Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Anishinaabe Ojibwe) spins prose that feels both traditional and contemporary, providing a mirror for Indigenous readers raised among similar stories. Yet those unfamiliar with the Ojibwe cosmos will connect as well. Although rendered in a style all her own, astrophysicist/artist Lee’s (Lakota-Sioux) colorful, richly detailed illustrations recall the X-ray pictograph inspirations, elongated figures, and genre-content popularized by other Native American/First Nations painters. Astute readers will also notice the young brothers appear to wear shorts in some of the images, reinforcing present-day significance."
Kirkus Starred Review

Upcoming Book Events for Forever Sky

Saturday, April 27, 2019 from 1 to 3 pm
Mille Lacs Indian Museum, Onamia MN
Share the Facebook event

Thursday, May 2, 2019 from 7 to 8:30 pm
Zenith Bookstore, Duluth MN
Share the Facebook event

Saturday, June 22, 2019 from 11 am to 3 pm
Historic Fort Snelling at Bdote, St. Paul MN


To learn more, follow this link to the Minnesota Historical Society website.  http://www.mnhs.org/mnhspress/books/forever-sky

 

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