Poetry Friday – Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox

Sometimes I feel like a turtle,

slow and quiet.

I retreat into my shell

and find peace and solitude.

According to Anishinaabe tradition, which spans thousands of years of history, the word totem, or doodem, means clan. Each Anishinaabe individual belongs to a clan, which is represented by a different traditional animal. Different animals represent different skills, knowledge and abilities, and the tradition reinforces the idea of the interconnectedness of all living things.

Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox gently encourages readers young and old to explore and experience the Anishinaabe tradition of totem animals in a poetic celebration of aboriginal culture. From the a strong and confident bear to the sensitive and kind deer, twelve children explain why they connect with different traditional animals, and share what that animal means to them. The text is simple and elegant, and creates a series of gentle, evocative poems.

Danielle Daniel’s soft, colourful illustrations depict each child with a mask of their chosen animal, almost becoming one with their animal. This reinforces the Anishinaabe tradition of the totem animal a part of each person – not simply a mask, but a very real aspect of their spirit and identity.

While tradition holds that each person has one predominant animal totem that acts as their guide through life, children may associate with different animal guides at different times. Like the children in the poems, they might sometimes feel like bear, or a wolf, or a deer. All animals are connected, both within the animal kingdom and to all living things, and we all have aspects of different animals within us.

Writer and mixed-media artist Danielle Daniel wanted to help her young son connect with his Aboriginal roots, and was inspired to create this accessible introduction to the totem tradition. As she writes in her author’s note,

In my book, a selection of totems act as guides to help children identify with the positive character traits of animals that might be familiar to them…Totem animals remind us that all living organisms are interconnected. We are all part of the same cycle of life.

Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox is a beautiful addition to any library collection, and especially to a First Nations or Aboriginal collection.

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Five Finds – Canadian Aboriginal Children’s Books

June 21 is Canadian Aboriginal Day, and to celebrate, here are five of my favourite Canadian Aboriginal children’s books.

 

Little You

Richard Van Camp creates an elegant, heartfelt expression of the profound love and joy a new baby brings. Illustrated by the incredibly talented Canadian illustrator Julie Flett (who you’ll see again and again on this list), this board book features an Aboriginal family, but does not refer specifically to any one group or culture. Gentle, soothing and lyrical, Little You would make a beautiful gift for any new parents or caregivers.

My Heart Fills With Happiness

Another joyous board book, this time from author Monique Gray Smith and illustrator Julie Flett, My Heart Fills with Happiness celebrates the simple every day experiences that can fill our hearts with happiness.  Smith refers to Aboriginal experiences, like the smell of fresh bannock and listening to traditional drums, as well as the universal pleasures that unite us all, like the feeling of the sun’s warmth on our faces, and seeing our loved ones. Once again, the text refers to Aboriginal culture and features Aboriginal characters, but does not reference a specific cultural group.

Wild Berries

If you’re sensing a bit of a theme here you’re not mistaken – I love Julie Flett, as both an author and an illustrator, and you’re going to see her mentioned quite a few times in this feature. Wild Berries follows a child and his grandmother as they collect wild berries in the woods. Together they encounter, observe, and share the traditional names of different plants and animals that live in the forest. This is a bilingual picture book, available in English and two different Cree dialects.

Owls See Clearly At Night

Did I mention I’m a fan of Julie Flett? I think I might have mentioned it… I really appreciate and admire her fresh, understated illustrations – they make her stories both timeless and incredibly modern. This is a bilingual alphabet book, sharing words in English and Michif, the endangered language of the Metis people of the prairies. Michif is so threatened that it may disappear entirely within a generation. Flett provides additional information on Michif and Metis culture, which is a good starting point for individuals interested in learning more about this endangered language.

Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox

Like Wild Berries and Owls See Clearly At Night, Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox is based in a specific Aboriginal culture, in this case the Anishinaabe culture. In this introduction to the Anishinaabe totem tradition, children are introduced to different totem animals and their meaning and significance.  In the illustrations, children wear animals masks representing different feelings and traits, while minimal poetic text connects the animals to Anishinaabe tradition. A beautiful, poetic introduction to a complex, timeless culture.