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A review by anniemackillican
The Gift Is in the Making: Anishinaabeg Stories by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, Amanda Strong
4.0
This is the kind of book that was totally different than what I expected, but I liked it a lot anyways. I picked this up as part of my quest to read everything Leanne Simpson has ever written, and I found an incredible gem in this book.
This book is a retelling of a number of different Anishinaabe stories about the land, specifically in Michi Saagiig Nishinaabeg territory, all starring Nanabush. Simpson makes it clear at the start of the book that her ideal reader (or listener) for this text is a young child, but that the stories will be useful to all to understand the history of the land.
I found myself finding specific stories in this collection that I wanted to read to my class, as they finished up an assignment about maple sap harvesting this past week. I also found myself finding stories I want to read to my kids some day.
Simpson’s scattered use of Anishinaabemowin throughout the text can only be described as comforting. I felt proud of myself when I remembered a word without looking at the index at the end of each story. I also gave myself the occasional “good enough” when I confused frog with duck, or something similar.
If you live in an area that is traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, I highly recommend giving this a read. It is an invaluable primer to the history of the land and the stories that live in the earth.
This book is a retelling of a number of different Anishinaabe stories about the land, specifically in Michi Saagiig Nishinaabeg territory, all starring Nanabush. Simpson makes it clear at the start of the book that her ideal reader (or listener) for this text is a young child, but that the stories will be useful to all to understand the history of the land.
I found myself finding specific stories in this collection that I wanted to read to my class, as they finished up an assignment about maple sap harvesting this past week. I also found myself finding stories I want to read to my kids some day.
Simpson’s scattered use of Anishinaabemowin throughout the text can only be described as comforting. I felt proud of myself when I remembered a word without looking at the index at the end of each story. I also gave myself the occasional “good enough” when I confused frog with duck, or something similar.
If you live in an area that is traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, I highly recommend giving this a read. It is an invaluable primer to the history of the land and the stories that live in the earth.