BIG IDEAS: NIIGAANWEWIDAM JAMES SINCLAIR:

Manitowapow!

September 26, 2012

4:30 pm – 5:30 pm

Millennium Library, 251 Donald Street
Carol Shields Auditorium

Manitowapow, the precursor of our province’s name, is also the title of a lively anthology of aboriginal writing from “the land of water.”

What do those voices have to say?

Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair

Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair is Anishinaabe and originally from St. Peter’s (Little Peguis) Indian Reserve. He writes for The Guardian, Prairie Fire, The Winnipeg Free Pressand online with CBC Books: Canada Writes. He is the co-editor with Warren Cariou ofManitowapow: Aboriginal Writings from the Land of Water (HighWater Press), a lively and far-reaching anthology of texts which highlight Manitoba’s aboriginal presence. He is also co-editor of the forthcoming Centering Anishinaabeg Studies: Understanding the World Through Stories. Sinclair lives in Winnipeg, where he teaches Indigenous literatures and politics at the University of Manitoba, and builds community through his writing and advocacy work.

MANITOWAPOW

from Highwaterpress.com

ISBN: 978-1-55379-307-6

foreword by Beatrice Mosionier

“This anthology of Aboriginal writings from Manitoba takes readers back through the millennia and forward to the present day, painting a dynamic picture of a territory interconnected through words, ideas, and experiences. A rich collection of stories, poetry, nonfiction, and speeches, it features:

Historical writings, from important figures.
Vibrant literary writing by eminent Aboriginal writers.
Nonfiction and political writing from contemporary Aboriginal leaders.
Local storytellers and keepers of knowledge from far-reaching Manitoba communities.
New, vibrant voices that express the modern Aboriginal experiences.
Anishinaabe, Cree, Dene, Inuit, Métis, and Sioux writers from Manitoba.

Created in the spirit of the Anishinaabe concept debwe (to speak the truth), The Debwe Series is a collection of exceptional Aboriginal writing from across Canada. Manitowapow, a one-of-a-kind anthology, is the first book in The Debwe Series. Manitowapow is the traditional name that became Manitoba, a word that describes the sounds of beauty and power that created the province.

A guide for teachers will be available in spring 2012.

Because the editors want to give back to the local Aboriginal communities that have inspired them with their words, Niigaan and Warren have chosen to donate the proceeds from Manitowapow to a special fund administered through the Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Culture at the University of Manitoba. This fund supports literacy and creative writing initiatives among Manitoba’s Aboriginal youth. Many of the book’s contributing authors and copyright holders have also joined in this initiative by donating their fees to help support the next generation of Aboriginal writers. Initiatives from this fund will be announced later in 2012.”