First Nation Communities Read Nominee 2010
Canada's three most well known and respected Métis artists collaborate in this heart wrenching telling of what it means to be Métis. Best selling, award winning Métis poet David Bouchard, once again makes books and culture available to all ages in The Secret of Your Name.
Bouchard's heartfelt story is illustrated by Canada's most prominent Métis artist Dennis Weber. Included on the accompanying CD, with reading in English and Michif, is the Red River Jig performed by acclaimed Master Métis Fiddler John Arcand. Click here to go to Le Secret de ton Nom in French and Michif.
Canada's Métis are the only mixed blood people in the world recognized by every level of government as being a Nation. The Métis have their own language, flag, songs and stories. They have exciting traditions and a proud history. Sadly, their journey was one of hardships, denial and often lies. In The Secret of Your Name, these three men open their hearts to all those who care to know what it means when it is said that we are Proud to be Métis!
Click here to read the Forward from the Author
Or here to see pages 18 and 19.
Reviews:
"In English and Michif, Bouchard, whose grandmothers were Anishnaabe, Chippewa, Menominee and Innu, honours those 'Kokums, ' of whom he is so proud. . . Dennis Weber's wonderfully textured paintings add further luminescence to an emotionally powerful book."
-- The Globe and Mail
"The use of language is beautiful and poetic, drawing in the reader with its rhythms and patterns into a very intimate and moving story. There is something very haunting throughout, a sense of longing and awakening that eventually gives rise to understanding, transformation of self, and the embracing of that new self. Though the story may be challenging to some younger readers, the text is simple and the illustrations provide fabulous details. Weber’s oil paintings are gorgeous, reflecting the sense of loss, longing, and searching that the author experiences. Perhaps the best of these paintings is also the book’s cover - the author peers into a hollowed-out log in which water has collected and sees the reflection of an ancestor he’d never before known."
Rating: E - Excellent
-- Resource Links
"The paintings paired with Bouchard’s text on each page trace the history of the Métis people and their traditions. Combined with Arcand's music, The Secret of Your Name serves as a much-needed multimedia resource for middle grade to young adult readers looking to learn more about the history and future of Métis culture."
-- Canadian Bookseller
"In The Secret of Your Name, David Bouchard – prolific author, literacy advocate, and Member of the Order of Canada – delivers a succinct but powerful account of personal discovery. . . The Secret of Your Name is a must-have title for Canadiana and Aboriginal collections, Métis communities and families, and libraries providing support for Aboriginal curricula at all academic levels."
-- Quill & Quire
"David Bouchard's latest book, The Secret of Your Name, is a proud declaration of his Métis heritage and, at the same time, a humble apology to his forebears for not rejoicing in his heritage earlier. . . In many respects, Bouchard's poetic text is deeply personal and intimate. Bouchard's revelation of the discovery of his Métis culture, his pride in that identity, but his simultaneous regret that it was suppressed for so long is, on one level, a complex, sophisticated text that will demand maturity of his readers. Yet, Bouchard's word choices and Weber's artwork assist the reader in navigating what might otherwise be a puzzling journey. . . Weber's realistic, full colour paintings supplement Bouchard's words, adding an extra dimension to the feelings Bouchard is trying to express. . . The Secret of Your Name will especially appeal to people with Métis heritage. The book, however, offers an interesting insight into Canada and her history and so is likely to appeal to many people regardless of Métis links."
Recommended.
-- CM Magazine
"I absolutely love the books by Red Deer Press. While they are mainly aimed at children, these books are consistently beautifully illustrated and incredibly informative - always of the highest quality and The Secret of your Name is no exception. This hardcover book actually comes with a CD - and takes an in-depth look at our heritage, mainly exploring the world of the Métis. . . What a beautiful book."
-- bookshipper.blogspot.com
Métis author David Bouchard, one of Canada's best-selling authors, has surrounded himself with the very best musical and visual artists in the aboriginal world. Intimately, poet, painters and musicians share the beauty of their respective cultures. Champion of literacy, sought after conference speaker, successful author David Bouchard adds to his many literary awards, the honour of having been named to the Order of Canada.
The fascinating story of the Métis Nation can be told through Dennis J. Weber's ancestors. Louis Riel, his first cousin five generations removed and the father of Manitoba, was a poet, visionary and a martyr. In 1885, the year of his death, Riel stated; "Our People will sleep for a hundred years, but when they awake, it will be the artists who bring back their culture." Dennis is one of Canada's foremost Métis artists. When he’s not painting, teaching, searching for artifact, photographing reference material or exhibiting his art, Dennis sits on the board of Kelowna’s Métis Children and Family Services.
John Arcand the undisputed "Master of the Métis Fiddle" has made fifteen recordings to date and still plays and records the Traditional Métis tunes of his Father and Grandfather as well as those he continues to research, learn and pass on. John has been honoured with numerous awards the most recent being the Order of Canada. He currently lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
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