Craig Fontaine celebrated the release of his book, Sagkeeng Legends, with a book launch on Sept. 11 in Winnipeg. There was a great crowd out to hear Craig talk about and read from his book. The highlight, for sure, was Craig playing a twenty-plus-year-old recording of his grandfather, John Courchene, telling one of the book’s stories in Ojibway. It was a powerful, moving moment, and gave those in the audience an glimpse into the importance of storytelling in Ojibway culture, and as Craig says, these stories can only really be understood and conveyed in their original language, Anishanabemowin - English simply isn’t equipped to accurately deliver all the ideas within these stories.
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Nonetheless, Sagkeeng Legends presents each of John Courchene’s stories in both English and Anishanabemowin in order to share these stories with others and preserve them for future generations.
CBC has posted an exclusive excerpt from Sagkeeng Legends. Click here to read one of the stories and Craig’s inspiration for compiling this important, unique book.
To celebrate Sagkeeng Legends we will be giving away two copies. Follow us on Twitter or Facebook for more information on how to win.