Book encourages Anishinaabeg cultural literacy
Review by Heather Majaury
As an educator interested in adult literacy I found this book particularly interesting. This book is written in clear language – and the literacy it promotes is also inherent in its ascetic style. The font is larger, there is plenty of white space, the margins are wider, and it offers 14 visuals throughout. In this way, it is clear the author seeks to include a diversity of learners and readers.
What is interesting is that this book moves beyond encouraging textual literacy, to a place that also encourages Anishinaabeg cultural literacy. Even the way the chapters are organized emerges from an Anishinaabeg worldview. It begins with the Creation story and moves on to the Tree Nation and the work that Trees do within the larger order of Creation. The chapters on the eagle and the sacred pipe reinforce the importance of gender balance in our constitutional relationships.
Given that much of Indigenous land and waterscapes continues to be threatened from the pollution of uranium mining and nuclear fission, Gehl offers a contemporary story of its danger and thus ultimately our ability to live mino-pimadiziwin. Through this story she cleverly credits the Bear Nation for avoiding the pitiful practices that human do.
As an Algonquin Anishinaabe, Gehl highlights the Algonquin rather than taking a pan-Indian approach. In this way this little book offers a genuine contribution to the resurgence efforts in Algonquin communities.
Seeking to reach people in the community Gehl incorporates 3 crossword puzzles.
The book includes a Dedication, an Acknowledgement section where she credits many teachers, a Foreword by a respected Algonquin − Harold (Skip) Ross, an Introduction, a Glossary, a Works Cited, and in furthering the Algonquin cause she offers an Algonquin bibliography.
Anishinaabeg Stories: Featuring Petroglyphs, Petrographs, and Wampum Belts by Lynn Gehl. 2012 Ningwakwe Learning Press.