Pīsim Finds Her Miskanaw is the first book in the anticipated cycle of stories based on the six seasons of the Asiniskaw Īthiniwak (Rocky Cree). Set in the mid-seventeenth century in northern Manitoba, these stories form the heart of the Six Seasons project which supports the ongoing work of reclaiming the languages, histories, and knowledges among the Asiniskaw Īthiniwak. A key goal of the project is to create materials for educators to use in middle-years classrooms.
We offer three exciting resources for Pīsim’s story: the picture book, app, and teacher’s guide. The app and teacher’s guide are available for free download. With the purchase of a class set of picture books, teachers will also receive a free gift: a set of miniature tools, booklet, and poster for the archeological dig activity outlined in module 4 of the teacher’s guide! Read more about each resource below.
Picture Book
Pīsim Finds Her Miskanaw follows thirteen-year-old Pīsim and her family over seven days as they prepare for and travel through stunning landscape of Southern Indian Lake to attend the Spring Gathering and reconnect with relatives after the long winter. Set in mithoskāmin – the season of good travel – the book ends with Pīsim finding her life’s purpose – her miskanaw.
This historical fiction about the Asiniskaw Īthiniwak is based in the oral stories author William Dumas has heard throughout his life and other source materials from archaeology, history, and linguistics. Leonard Paul’s beautiful illustrations, based in hours of research at the Manitoba Museum, won the Canadian Archaeological Association’s 2014 Public Communications Award. Maps and side notes detailing the language, material culture, and history of the Asiniskaw Īthiniwak accompany each page of the book. Order individual copies or class sets through Portage & Main Press.
Picture Book App
The app brings Pīsim’s journey richly to life through oral and written narration in both English and Rocky Cree, songs, soundscapes, and interactive games. A substantial resource for Indigenous language and immersion programs and all classrooms, it can be used as a stand-alone version of the story or as a supplemental text to accompany the picture book. It has been designed for use on devices with an iOS operating system and is ideally viewed on an iPad, although it is also formatted to be playable on an iPhone. Download for free from the Apple store.
Teacher's Guide
The guide aids educators in exploring the picture book and picture book app in middle-years classes. It presents five thematic modules with suggested connections to all areas of Manitoba curriculum: Social Studies, Science, English Language Arts, Health, and Arts as well as Indigenous culture and language. Each module provides a guiding suite of learning activities organized by sub-theme. Many of the suggested activities are readily linked to cross-curricular themes in Indigenous studies, land-based education, and education for sustainable development. Teaching strategies are linked to extracts from the book and fortified with printable resources for students. Download for free at Portage and Main Press or Six Seasons Project.
Archeological Toolkit
The 1993 discovery of the burial site of a seventeenth-century Rocky Cree women and the archeological excavation that followed are key sources for Pīsim Finds Her Miskanaw and the Six Seasons project.
Module 4 of the Teacher’s Guide includes an archeological shoebox dig activity that teaches the basics of archaeology, the logic of horizontal excavation, the nature of stratigraphy, and the importance of keeping records and preserving the context of finds. To support this activity, the Six Seasons project has created 3D models of tools that were found at the burial site. This miniature toolkit is perfect for the shoebox dig and is accompanied by a poster and booklet! When you place your order for a class set, contact Six Seasons to obtain your free gift: d.wolf@uwinnipeg.ca