Secwepemc, People, Lands and Law

Marianne and Ron Ignace

We are starting a Family Book Club. I am going to blog ideas I offer at the book club.

Together we selected a book called Secwepemc People, Lands and Laws and many families have the book now.

When I was in Calgary at Miranda and Richard's home, I picked up the book and there was an uncertain feeling to the physicality of it.

An unexpected stiffness.

I tried to turn the pages but they were sticking to each other.

“Someone might have spilled orange juice on that already,” he nodded when I asked about the book. I like that. The book on a family shelf, being read by someone, another little soul who can’t keep their cup of orange juice always upright near the book.

People are going to jump in on the emails, whenever they wish. I am hoping all will say something about the book – something about one page, a picture, a chapter, a story in the book, how the book is speaking to you, anyone new thing you learned.

 Here is what I first thought on picking up the book:

Secwepmec, People, Lands and Laws

I first noticed this is a 588 page book with a 35 page forward. I thought I would familiarize myself with the organization of the book. The title page is written in English and then Secwepemc -- Yeeri7 Stsqeys-kuw.  That must be the Secwepemc spelling of their name.

The next page lists the titles of the books from McGill-Queen’s Native and Northern Series.

I had no idea there were so many books in this series – 90 of them with fascinating titles.

I have some new florescent markers and I take them out, giving myself permission to write notes in the book along the margins or beside pictures. I don’t doubt that I will be wanting to talk about some of those titles later.

On first picking up the book, I spend more time looking at the table of contents, the index, the bibliography, and the lists of charts and pictures. I actually read part of the bibliography, each book in it, and then put a little tick mark as to where I stop reading so I can pick it up there, later, if I return to that task.

Arta