After a successful fall hunting geese, Corey and Baba prepare to take the canoe trip home. The moon is high, but the night is dark and the journey is long. As Corey wonders how he and Baba will pass the time, he looks up to find the Big Dipper illuminating the night sky. Corey shares with Baba his knowledge of the bigger dipper—the stars that make up the constellation. As Baba listens, he tells Corey his own knowledge of the stars in the sky: the legend of how the fish stole all the water and how Oojakaduck will guide their journey home.
Recounted by Norm F. Wesley, Oojakaduck is the retelling of the Moose Cree legend of the Origin of the Fisher Constellation. Inspired by his youth, Norm F. Wesley reflects his family’s travels up the James Bay for the fall hunt, like many generations before him, and how the stars would guide them in their nightly travels. Into this setting, Norm folds the legend of the Origin of the Fisher Constellation.
Oojakaduck by Norm F. Wesley is a contribution to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action (10(iii); 48(ii); 62(i)). This book preserves sacred truths and shares Indigenous culture through the medium of storytelling.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Debut author Norm F. Wesley is a member of Moose Cree First Nation, a Cree elder, and a hunter by Cree tradition. A retired teacher, Norm has a degree in Native Studies from Laurentian University. After many years of studying Cree history and first-hand experiences with other Cree elders, Norm penned Oojakaduck to preserve and share the Moose Cree legend of the Origin of the Fisher Constellation, a sacred truth in Cree history.
Norm lives in Moose Factory Ontario with his wife, Jean. He spends his time hunting on the land and presenting seminars on Cree history.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR:
Astrid is a retired educator with a lifelong passion for sharing natural landscapes with her students. She is a self taught artist who loves to create images that tell stories in, and about the natural world. Teaching and learning alongside First Nations friends and students inspired the illustrations for this book.
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