Sequoia students publish first of many short stories

Shannon LeClair

Times Reporter

 

Golden Hills School Division held a book release party for students in the Sequoia Outreach program after one of their short stories published. Graduating students Catlyn Storm and Bella Saddleback adapted The Three Buffalo Snuff and How the Kiayo Got a Short Tail to reflect more on their lives on Siksika. Kristen Daniels was the illustrator for the book. 

The project was initially Alberta Initiatives for School Improvement, AISI. For the last decade, the Alberta government has given money to school boards to do innovative projects.

Each school is allotted a small amount to enhance their current goals and objectives. 

“In our previous AISI commitment we decided to make our focus one of cultural literacy, and so the two components were brought together in this project,” said Denise Peterson, a teacher at Sequoia Outreach. 

“The assignment for students was to choose an existing fable or first nations Napi story or an existing fairytale and adapt into a Siksika context.”

Students could also take a story from their family, a naming story or historical story. Their task was to choose their audience, write their story and incorporate the Blackfoot language sufficient to the target audience. Of the stories that were chosen, one is a fairytale and one is an Aesop Fable and both were written in Siksika context. The elders were the editors of the stories, helping make sure the language was correct. 

The stories were written for children ages three to 10. Approximately 20 stories have been accepted, and now the school is just looking to raise the funds to publish them. 

“We hope that the profits from the books will be used to generate more,” said Peterson.  

The Three Buffalo Snuff and How the Kiayo Got a Short Tail is on sale at Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park, or people may call Denise at 403-734-0190 for a copy. Peterson said they hope to have the next short story ready for sale in February.