Target audience: Grades K-8 Educators, Administrators, Coaches (note: Grades 9-12 Educators are also welcome)
Join us for this powerful and engaging book study series that will not only deepen your own learning around an Indigeneous Perspective, but will also prepare and support you in having authentic and meaningful dialogue within your school and community.
We are honoured to have authors and educators Charlene and Wilson Bearhead guide us through a personal tour of their children’s book series entitled, “Siha Tooskin Knows”.
During this book study Wilson and Charlene will highlight 2 books in each session as they guide us through the ways of knowing and being of an 11-year-old Nakota boy living in an urban centre in the present day. Wilson and Charlene will share some key teachings that can help us to live together in a good way. They will also offer ideas of how teachings from Siha Tooskin can be used as jumping off points to explore the ways of knowing and being of the original people where you are living, learning and teaching. We will even learn some Nakota language together!!!
Through examples offered by the authors, along with some lively dialogue among the book study participants, the books and teachings will be connected to various curricular areas and ideas will be shared for how you might relate these teachings to your own lived experiences and those of your students.
You will be invited to take an idea from each session and try it out in your own classroom to share your experiences back with the group at the beginning of the next session. Wilson and Charlene are excited to create a safe space to learn from, and share with, one another within an inviting and inspiring learning community. The authors welcome you to email your questions and insights between sessions as well and they will happily respond to you in the interim or address your inquiries at the following session as you wish
You are asked to purchase your own books, ideally, prior to Session 1, October 19, 2021. The books are not included in the registration fee.
Session 1- October 19, 2021
- Siha Tooskin Knows The Gifts of His People
- Siha Tooskin Knows The Sacred Eagle Feather
Session 2- November 2, 2021
- Siha Tooskin Knows The Strength of His Hair
- Siha Tooskin Knows The Catcher of Dreams
Session 3- November 16, 2021
- Siha Tooskin Knows The Nature of Life
- Siha Tooskin Knows The Best Medicine
Session 4:November 30, 2021
- Siha Tooskin Knows The Offering of Tobacco
- Siha Tooskin Knows The Love of the Dance
Please “Click here for Book Details”
On Overview of The Book Series
Siha Tooskin Knows is a series of 8 early chapter books that have been embraced and widely used across Turtle Island to read aloud to younger children, read with older children and teens, and to educate adults of all cultures and walks of life. Siha Tooskin, or Paul Wahasaypa as he is known to his teachers and school friends, is an 11-year-old Nakota boy living in an urban centre with his Ena (mom), Ade (dad) as well as his little brother, Danny. The family even welcomes a baby sister, Laura, in the 4th book, Siha Tooskin Knows the Catcher of Dreams. Siha Tooskin loves spending time with Mitoshin (grandpa), Mugoshin (grandma) and his Uncle Lenard as he learns so much from each of them. You will also get a glimpse into experiences in Siha Tooskin’s life where he is able to share his culture and knowledge with his non-Indigenous classmates, neighbors and even his teacher. The books do have a subtle sequence based on the seasons and times of the year that the stories occur but each book stands on its own in terms of the story and the teachings. Baby Laura joins the family in the fourth book so is not mentioned in the first three. Each book contains a glossary of Nakota terms that appear in the respective book as well as an explanation of the dialect of Nakota and the spelling used in the Siha Tooskin Knows series.