Tonight I read Shin-chi’s Canoe by Nicola Campbell, illustrated by Kim LaFave to my daughter. The story is a follow-up to Campbell’s earlier book Shi-shi-etko which narrates the story of a young aboriginal girl, Shi-shi-etko, as she is separated from her family at the age of six to attend a residential school. In Shin-chi’s Canoe, Campbell returns to the same family but now it is time for Shi-shi-etko’s brother, Shin-chi to go to the same school with his sister. Shin-chi is given a little carved canoe as a parting gift from his father and the boat will serve as a reminder during the cold cruel months ahead of a request Shin-chi has made of his father: namely, to build a dugout canoe for him when he returns home at the beginning of summer.
When this book arrived at our house, my daughter was immediately taken by it. She and her classmates were all building boats to be launched at a nearby creek. Can I show this book to my teacher? She asked right away. But we haven’t read it yet, I said. We’ll read it tonight, I promise. At bedtime we curled up into bed and read Shin-Chi’s Canoe. My daughter remained silent through the reading and at the end, she made a comment that struck me. While I concentrated mostly on the social injustice of the aboriginal residential school experience, my daughter remembered instead the request Shin-chi made of his father, namely, the promise that he would have his own canoe by the end of that first year away at school. See, his Daddy’s making the canoe just like Shin-chi asked, my daughter said. Quite frankly, caught up as I was with the bigger social issue presented by the book, I had forgotten that simple request. I was amazed and humbled by my daughter’s observation. Truly, children have their own unique perspective. That is why reading to them at bedtime can be so hugely rewarding.
Incidentally, November is National American Indian Heritage Month in the United States. The story of Shin-chi and Shi-shi-etko is a great way to start educating young people about the history of aboriginal childrens lives in North America.
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Author: 
your camera has a video icon because if you hold down the button that takes pictures you are taking video. See, you do have a video camera:)
I tried that and a variety of other things before I wrote that post. I'll have to read the instructions or something, though, because I couldn't figure it out. :-(
I am a script writing d
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t! Tony is on annual training and well, there are many things I can't spend more than ten minutes on at one time! How are you doing? What is your script called? I think I'll do this the long and drawn out way.
I'm failing the Script Frenzy at the moment, too, but I haven't yet thrown in the towel.
I had a very tought first 10 days--getting through everything I needed to do at work, finishing my photo projects and then traveling for my vacation. Right now I'm jet-lagged and have a headache, but I'm happy to find this internet connection at my mom's. And since I'll be on vacation for a while, I might be able to catch up.
So, although I've only gotten 350 words written so far(ugh!), I'm hoping to dive in and at least try harder. I may not make the 20,000 words that is the goal, but I'm going to try to get at least to the 1000 mark, and then reassess--making up the goal to 5,000, then 10,000 if I'm not yet blind and stupid. We'll see if I can still keep writing through a visit home.
My script working title is PHOTO ON THE FRIDGE. But I haven't yet figured out where I'm going, which is also why the writing hasn't yet started to flow.
But whatever I do, I'll be learning, and doing more than if I don't even try.
Love the title, and the determination! You go! Brave woman indeed