We have two books for you this week in the Small Press Spotlight. HighWater Press is set to release Books 3 and 4 of their Sk’ad’a Stories Series this week, Returning to the Yakoun River and Dancing With My Ancestors. A father-daughter collaboration between internationally renowned contemporary artist Robert Davidson and educator Sara Florence Davidson, the first two installments in the series have received critical acclaim nationwide for their showcasing of the importance of intergenerational learning in preserving Indigenous traditions and highlighting the role of Elders.
Read details of each below:
Returning to the Yakoun River
By Sara Florence Davidson & Robert Davidson
Illustrated by Janine Gibbons
Ages: 6–8
Grades: 1–3
Experience a Haida fish camp through the delighted eyes of children as they learn from the land and from their Elders.
Based on author Sara Florence Davidson’s childhood memories, this illustrated story captures the joy and adventure of a Haida fish camp.
Every summer, a Haida girl and her family travel up the Yakoun River on Haida Gwaii, following the salmon. While their father fishes, the girl and her brother spend their time on the land playing and learning from Tsinii (Grandfather).
Dancing With Our Ancestors
By Sara Florence Davidson & Robert Davidson
Illustrated by Janine Gibbons
Ages: 6–8
Grades: 1–3
Learn about the cultural significance of the Haida potlatch through the sights, sounds, and dances of this once-banned ceremony.
In this tender picture book, Sara Florence Davidson transports readers to the excitement of a potlatch in Hydaburg, Alaska—her last memory of dancing with her late brother.
It feels like my brother and I have always known how to sing the songs and dance the dances of our Haida ancestors. Unlike our father, we were born after the laws that banned our cultural practices were changed. The potlatch ban did not exist during our time, so we grew up dancing and singing side by side.
The invitations have been sent. The food has been prepared. The decorations have been hung. And now the day of the potlatch has finally arrived! Guests from all over come to witness this bittersweet but joyful celebration of Haida culture and community.
Written by the creators of Potlatch as Pedagogy, this book brings the Sk’ad’a Principles to life through the art of Janine Gibbons.
Head to the publisher’s website to order.
