A new children’s book was published today that tells the story of a Cape Breton eel from a Mi’kmaw perspective.
Kataq: Journey of our Eels is illustrated by well-known artist Dozay Christmas and is written by Angela Denny and Shelley Denny of the Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources.
The book is in English with side-by-side Mi’kmaw translation by Barbara Sylliboy.
Shelley Denny explains “Kataq tells the story of an eel–from its birth as a tiny, leaf-like fry in the southern Sargaso Sea, to a mature silver eel who spent her life in the Bras d’Or Lakes.
It is also the story of the importance of the eel in Mi’kmaw culture, tradition and day-to-day life.
The eel teaches us to respect our environment and understand our relationship with the world around us.”
The illustrations by Dozay Christmas are “appealing to children and adults alike. I was able to have the freedom in establishing a character to make our eel a friendly and expressive personality.
She even wears a medicine bag around her neck as she takes us through her journey.”
Single copies of Kataq: Journey of our Eels are available at UINR’s office in Eskasoni. Supply is limited. One free copy per person. Digital copies are available here.