ninitohtênân / We Listen
About this ebook
A child, her family and her friend have arrived at their favorite picnic spot by the lake, but before they eat lunch Nôhkom suggests they pick leaves for Labrador tea. Once among the trees, Nôhkom pauses for a moment to listen, and the others do too. Nôhkom prays, the girls take their turn, then Nôhkom shows them where to find the leaves. Nôhkom and Mom rest after harvesting, but the girls opt for a swim in the lake ... though they’re quite happy to warm up afterwards with freshly brewed Labrador tea. And when it’s time for the picnic, the girls take another turn at listening.
Beautifully rendered paintings in acrylic on canvas show the family outing. Includes a recipe for Labrador tea as well as a salve made from Labrador Tea leaves.
Key Text Features
illustrations
recipe
informational note
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2
Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.7
Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.
About the author
CAITLIN DALE NICHOLSON is a graduate of the First Nations Studies program at the University of Northern British Columbia. Her family and Leona Morin-Neilson’s family have been close friends for many years, and Caitlin continues to learn about traditional plant medicines from Leona. Caitlin has written and illustrated the first two books in the Nôhkom series — niwîcihâw / I Help and nipêhon / I Wait. She is currently living with her family in Tahltan Territory in northern British Columbia.
LEONA MORIN-NEILSON teaches Cree at the “Power of Friendship” Aboriginal Head Start program in Prince George, British Columbia, and at the University of Northern British Columbia. She also teaches people in her community about traditional plants and how they can be used for medicinal purposes. She lives in Prince George, British Columbia.
