Raymond Taniton, a Sahtugot'ine man - the Sahtugot'ine are a band of Dene from Sahtú, or Great Bear Lake - joins forces with co-author Mindy Willett in this seventh installment of The Land Is Our Storybook series, intended to highlight the lives of the indigenous peoples of Canada's Northwest Territories. Describing his family, and the history of the Sahtú Region, he explores cultural practices from drum-making to spiritual gatherings, trying to get "at the heart" of what makes his community successful. He discusses treaty rights, and shares two traditional stories from his father, Alfred Taniton. The first, "Sahtú k'aowe" (The Lake Is the Boss), explains the nature of Gorabe Island, while the second, "Tudze or Waterheart," explores the great power that the Sahtugot'ine believe is at the center of their lake. Mention is also made of the prophets who influenced how the people celebrate their religion (they are Roman Catholic), as is the cultural hero Yamoria, mentioned as Yambahdéyaa in Come and Learn With Me / Éwo, séh Kedįdįh, about the Dene Yatie. An afterword gives a list of terms, and a timeline.

Although At the Heart of It / Dene dzó t'áré is something of a departure from some of the other books in The Land Is Our Storybook series that I have read, in that the indigenous co-author is not a young person, I nevertheless found it every bit as informative and engaging as previous titles, and think it will still have plenty of child appeal. The topics covered seem a bit more historical and political than in other entries in the series, and except for the section on drum-making, there is far less about the material activities that produce food, clothing and other goods for the people. That said, what is covered is quite fascinating, and the change in thematic focus feels quite welcome. As someone interested in folklore, I found the traditional stories most engrossing, and was pleased to see another reference to Yamoria. The page on leaders mentioned George Blondin as a story collector and author - I will have to see if I can track down any of his books. All in all, an engaging addition to this worthy series! ( )