Description
Comme on se sent bien ici is the French translation of We Feel Good Out Here, Zhik gwaa'an, nakhwatthaiitat gwiinzii one of the first titles in Fifth House Publishing's The Land Is Our Storybook series. This Gwich'in title is designed to highlight one of the official Aboriginal language groups in the Northwest Territories. The book presents information about the people and community of Tsiigehtchic through the eyes of Julie-Ann Andre and her family. Julie-Ann is a Canadian Ranger, mother of twins, a hunter, a trapper, and a small-business owner engaged in cultural tourism. This Gwichya Gwich'in woman grew up on the land with her parents, attended residential school, and returned to her community knowing little about living on the land. Since that time she devotes herself to showing her daughters how to hunt and trap respectfully, and to learning more about her culture's traditional knowledge and language. This 26-page book offers elementary students a clear view of a Gwich'in family's contemporary life through amazing colour photographs and engaging text. A detailed map of the Northwest Territories, a traditional story or legend, an informative glossary of Gwich'in terms, and numerous photos make this an important resource for all elementary school and public libraries. The text shows family members at home, on the trapline, in school, swimming, at the library, and around the camp-fire. The part biography and information book shows that First Nations of the North can live successful lives engaged in traditional activities while maintaining the environment for future generations. French translation is provided by France Benoit. Highly recommended.