Description
Neekna and Chemai first published by Theytus Books in 1984 was reprinted for the third time in 2018. Written by renowned Okanagan author and scholar Jeannette Armstrong with illustrations by Okanagan artist Barbara Marchand this book is designed to appeal to elementary level readers. Part story and picture book this title contains factual information about the Okanagan Nation prior to the contact period. Told from the perspective of two friends, Neekna and Chemai recount the seasonal rounds of their families living on the land in the British Columbia interior. Readers learn about the girls as they spend time with Great-Grandmother, who tells them about important ceremonies, and gather plants with Neekna's grandmother. The friends gather bitterroot, pick Saskatoon berries, blackberries and soap berries with their families and learn about the importance and origin of these harvesting activities. In the Fall the families move to fishing camps as they prepare salmon for the winter months. Each food source is accompanied by traditional stories and origin accounts. The two friends learn important lessons from their female relatives and Elders. Neekna and Chemai was selected as a 2019 title recommended by First Nation Communities Read program. Highly recommended.