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This book follows a girl and her father, as they discover an old totem pole, share stories - and dream about what the territory could look like filled with čiin̓uł - totem poles - as it used to be.
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The book is written for a very beginner Nuu-chah-nulth language learner, with the majority of the text in English and 40 Nuu-chah-nulth language words mixed in. There is a word list and pronunciation guide included, and a link to hear the words read aloud.
Written and illustrated by Hjalmer Wenstob and Timmy Masso, brothers from Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations, and Hjalmer’s wife, Annika Benoit-Jansson
Annika Benoit-Jansson is Mi’kmaw, from the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nations, as well as French, Irish and Swedish. Annika has a Child and Youth Care (CYC) undergraduate degree and Master’s degree from the University of Victoria (UVic). She has been learning the Nuu-chah-nulth language for the last 4 years, and has completed the Indigenous Language Fluency Certificate Program through North Island College (NIC). In the last 3 years, she has co-created five short children’s books with Hjalmer Wenstob and Timmy Masso, incorporating Nuu-chah-nulth language and imagery. She currently works with Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations, as the Nuu-chah-nulth language planner.
Tlehpik Hjalmer Wenstob is an interdisciplinary artist who specializes in sculpture and carving. He is Nuu-chah-nulth from the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations on his dad's side, and Norwegian and English on his mum’s side. Hjalmer completed both an undergraduate and master's degree in Fine Art at the University of Victoria, and in 2017, Hjalmer and his family opened Cedar House Gallery in Ucluelet, B.C. Recently he has been working on putting art back in Tla-o-qui-aht territory, and has carved and installed 8 place-marker poles, as well as a 26-foot totem pole and a Welcome Sign to the territory.