- The Gift of the Little People
- William Dumas, Rhian Brynjolson (Illustrator)
- Portage & Main Press
- $22.95 Hardcover, 48 pages
- ISBN: 978-15-53799-92-4
Part of The Six Seasons of the Asiniskaw Īthiniwak Series, which explores the language, culture, knowledge, territory, and history of the Rocky Cree people, The Gift of the Little People shows us the alchemic power of overcoming doubt with faith.
As co-leader of the Six Series Team, and with support from many Rocky Cree communities and knowledge keepers, Dumas recounts this enchanting story of the little people.
In this unique book, Dumas envelops the reader with the warmth of traditional oral storytelling. The story gently unfolds, telling us of Rocky Cree Elder Kakakiw, whose people are struggling with a mysterious sickness.
As more and more people pass into the spirit world, grieving Kakakiw becomes physically, emotionally, and spiritually tired. He seeks guidance through ceremony and prayer. Later that night, his prayers are answered in the form of an unusual visitor: one of the little people.
Dumas had his own curiosity about the little people as a boy. “One character that the Elders always told stories about was the little people. The little people are no taller than your knee, and I think you could compare them to the leprechauns—except they don’t have pointed ears.
“I had a special curiosity about the little people since I was a kid, partly because of the stories the Elders told, but also because many of our friends and relatives said they had actually seen the little people at one time or another.”
The story highlights Kakakiw’s doubts, and most importantly, his decision to share those doubts with the people to decide if he should follow the visitor on a magical journey to receive the medicine the people need.
Accomplished artist Rhian Brynjolson captures with accuracy Dumas’ and the Six Seasons team’s vision of 17th century history, life, and community of the Rocky Cree people.
Warren Cariou, co-leader with Dumas of the Six Seasons project and director of the Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Culture at the University of Manitoba, shares the journey and perseverance of the Six Seasons team to bring us this story.
“We feel that the end product has been very much worth persevering through the difficulties that we encountered along the way. Since the story is about the Rocky Cree people’s struggles to deal with an epidemic in the past, there is something fitting about the way that we had to overcome the challenges posed by a pandemic in our own time,” Cariou explains.
This beautifully told and illustrated story, suitable for all ages, celebrates the strength of community and offers us a timely reminder, during our own pandemic, of the power of faith and resilience.
