Keeshig & the Ojibwe Pterodactyls
Join Keeshig as he tells his mother about the Ojibwe Pterodactyls and their relation with Nanaboozhoo.
Themes: Nature, family, Indigenous oral story, traditions
About the Author
“Keeshig Spade (Keeshigbahnahnkut) is a six year-old Anishinabe from Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation. He currently resides with his family in Sudbury, ON where he attends Alexander Public School. Keeshig enjoys being a big brother to Kiniw and Wakinyan and he enjoys doing many things with them including playing outside, swimming and dancing men’s traditional at powwows. Keehshig is a member of the Sturgeon Clan and has a gift for sharing stories and singing songs. Keeshig’s favorite time of the year is when he gets to go back west in the summer to be with his kookums and great kookum. “
Bio from the publisher’s website.
Discussion Questions
- Nanaboozhoo reveals itself to the storyteller and his mom as a “big piece of land.” What do you suppose Nanaboozhoo might mean to the Anishinaabe people?
- Nanaboozhoo holds the thunderbirds in its heart. What do you hold in your heart?
- The thunderbirds eat ginoozhe (northern pike) and “puffy snakes.” What do you like to eat?
Learning Activities
- What stories do you like to tell? Find a quiet spot to sit with a loved one and tell a story to them.
- If you are ready, write down your story or tell it through pictures and then share with your family.
- The storyteller and his mom are on the shores of Gitchee Gumee (sometimes called Lake Superior). Learn more about one of the largest freshwater bodies in the world!
