This book is a mixture of natural and ethnographic lore. In my library, it was shelved with the other fish books, which is correct, as the natural part predominates. The art is arresting, it is realistic as opposed to anthropomorphic, but is is also dramatic. Many of the illustrations, which fill the whole page, rather than being set off in a frame, include pacific northwest artistic motifs. The book has limited text, but unusually for a book aimed at young readers, does not shy away from difficult technical vocabulary. Wherever it uses these technical words, it has a sort of footnote to define them. This I liked.

Words that I did not know the meaning of:
1. semelparous -- breeding only once in a lifetime. This word, properly spelled, offends Library Thing's spelling checker!
2. fry - a recently hatched fish that can fend for itself, is eating its own food and has almost consumed the yolk sac.
3. smolt - a young fish that is changing from a freshwater fish to one that can live in saltwater
4. saliferous - salt-bearing (I think that one was thrown in just for fun)

However, sometimes I could not really relate the text to the fine illustrations. There is a shark in one illustration, and I don't know what it is doing there. The allusions to cultural religious beliefs of the tribes that have lived along the river on which the salmon live collide with true knowledge that is now really well established about ecology. Alas, it is not impossible that those salmon will go the way of the cod on the opposite coast. ( )

Hetxw’ms Gyetxw (Brett D. Huson) — Book Launch
Thursday Jan 04 2018 7:30 pm, Winnipeg, Grant Park in the Travel Alcove
Launch of The Sockeye Mother (Highwater Press), illustrated by Natasha Donovan.

To the Gitxsan people of Northwestern British Columbia, the sockeye salmon is more than just a source of food. Over its life cycle, it nourishes the very land and forests that the Skeena River runs through and where the Gitxsan make their home. The Sockeye Mother explores how the animals, water, soil, and seasons are all intertwined.

Brett D. Huson is from the Gitxsan Nation, an Indigenous people from an unceded territory in the Northwest Interior of British Columbia, Canada. For the past decade, Brett has worked in the film and television industry, and has volunteered for such organizations as Ka Ni Kanichihk and Indigenous Music Manitoba.

Growing up in a strong matrilineal society, Brett experienced and learned about the culture, land, and political landscape he was born into. From this came a passion to create and share the knowledge and stories of his people, which reflect the importance of environmental balance and a cultural knowledge that spans thousands of years.

Synopsis:

To the Gitxsan people of Northwestern British Columbia, the sockeye salmon is more than just a source of food. Over its life cycle, it nourishes the very land and forests that the Skeena River runs through and where the Gitxsan make their home. The Sockeye Mother explores how the animals, water, soil, and seasons are all intertwined.

MY THOUGHTS:

The above information pretty much summarizes what and how I feel about this book. It is stunning and beautiful. The illustrations are bright and colorful and with the text, tell an amazing story everyone should read. Share this book with everyone you know, it is substantially important to the Gitxsan people but can be rewritten to be as equally important to anyone when considering food and this planet as its supplier. Respect is needed for our planet and what she gives us, it’s just too sad to see how little it is cared for, respected and understood. ( )

The Sockeye Mother by Hetxw’ms Gyetxw (Brett David Huson) and Natasha Donovan is a beautiful non-fiction story about the importance of the sockeye salmon to the Gitxsan people. Providing the reader with a detailed look at the sockeye salmon lifecycle, this book serves as an important reminder to us all about the interconnectedness of all species. If one species isn’t allowed to fulfill their destiny, so to speak, we all can suffer as a result. The Sockeye Mother is the perfect book to add to your science reading. Huson’s love of science is reflected through his caring take on the sockeye’s journey, providing the reader with scientific terminology (with definitions) throughout. Putting the terminology in the story where the word is encountered is so key for young readers. No one wants to have to turn to the back of the book every time to find the definition of a word. Also, including many of the Gitxsan words, as well as the link to a pronunciation guide at the back, is the perfect touch. The reader can sense the importance of the sockeye to the Gitxsan people throughout the book, while also learning about the environment, lifecycles, and stewardship. Information about the Gitxsan themselves can be found on the information page at the back of the book. I absolutely love the beautiful art by Natasha Donovan, taking us through the life of the Miso’o, sockeye, while providing a glimpse of the life that goes on around the Xsan, Skeena River, and including some recognizable traditional Gitxsan imagery hidden throughout. The Sockeye Mother is a book that should make its way into all school libraries and science classes. ( )