New Music releases

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It seems to be a great time for the release of Ojibway story books, including two by Basil Johnston, an Anishinaubae member of the Cape Croker First Nation in Ontario.

The Bear-Walker and Other Stories is a hard-cover book which brings to the printed page the spoken myths of the Ojibway. These stories have inspired beautiful illustrations by David Johnson, a member of the Anishinaubae of the Curve Lake First Nation. Bear-Walker is published by the Royal Ontario Museum and distributed by University of Toronto Press.

The second book by author Johnston is The Manitous, the Spiritual World of the Ojibway. Manitous are the essences that infuse and safeguard plants and animals, including humans. The tales found in the book, released by Key Porter Books, attempt to explain the mysterious ways of the natural world. The book is filled with Weendigoes (Giant Cannibals) and other mysterious spirits.

Johnston is a Native scholar and author of 11 books, including Ojibway Heritage, Ojibway Ceremonies, Ojibway Tales, and Indian School Days.

Ojibway storyteller Anne Dunn presents When Beaver Was Very Great, another collection of traditional legends combined with recent writings.

The tales are primarily teaching stories for adults. The characters are the animals of Native American legend: Bear, Fox, Rabbit, Otter, Beaver and others. The stories address topics such as peace and social justice, respect for Elders and raising children. The book is published by Midwest Traditions from Mount Horeb, Wisconsin and can be found in both soft and hardcover.

Something different

From Fernwood Publishing Co. comes Thunder in my Soul: A Mohawk Woman Speaks by Patricia Monture-Angus, a law professor at the Native Law Centre, University of Saskatchewan.

The book is the reflections of one woman and her struggle to find a good place to be in Canadian society. It contains essays which document the struggles against oppression that Aboriginal people face, as well as the success and change that has come to Aboriginal communities. Foreword is by Mary Ellen Turpel.