This National Indigenous People Day, Tomson Highway joined multidisciplinary artist Santee Smith, Inuk artist Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory and musician Raven Kanatakta on the CBC podcast Commotion to discuss the power of Indigenous art with host and culture critic Elamin Abdelmahmoud. Listen to the full episode on your preferred platform.
“I cannot live without music,” Highway said when asked who he would be without the arts. “I don’t think anyone can. I don’t think the planet could live without music. Imagine the planet without music. That’s why I make music: It makes people happy.” In his latest project, the musical picture book Grand Chief Salamoo Cook Is Coming to Town!, Tomson shares his love of music with children through nine jazzy songs written and performed in Cree. Part of his motivation behind writing the book was to promote the Cree language and create resources that teachers and students can use in classrooms. Alongside the book, a free teaching guide and activity sheets developed with the Cree Literacy Network will be available for download.
Story and Songs Tomson Highway | Illustrations Delphine Renon | Narration Jimmy Blais | Singers Coral Egan, Alexandre Désilets, Moe Clark and Angel Baribeau
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay informed about our new releases and events and for a chance to win our subscriber giveaway. To order books for your library or bookstore, please contact Hornblower Books/University of Toronto Press (Canada, United States) and MMS/BookSource (United Kingdom). For additional information, email info@thesecretmountain.com.
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Tomson Highway Talks Indigenous Art on Commotion
Photo: Sean Howard
This National Indigenous People Day, Tomson Highway joined multidisciplinary artist Santee Smith, Inuk artist Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory and musician Raven Kanatakta on the CBC podcast Commotion to discuss the power of Indigenous art with host and culture critic Elamin Abdelmahmoud. Listen to the full episode on your preferred platform.
“I cannot live without music,” Highway said when asked who he would be without the arts. “I don’t think anyone can. I don’t think the planet could live without music. Imagine the planet without music. That’s why I make music: It makes people happy.” In his latest project, the musical picture book Grand Chief Salamoo Cook Is Coming to Town!, Tomson shares his love of music with children through nine jazzy songs written and performed in Cree. Part of his motivation behind writing the book was to promote the Cree language and create resources that teachers and students can use in classrooms. Alongside the book, a free teaching guide and activity sheets developed with the Cree Literacy Network will be available for download.
Grand Chief Salamoo Cook Is Coming to Town! is available September 2023. Find it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, Shop Local (Canada), Indigo, Edelweiss, and Goodreads. Listen to the trilingual counting song “Peeyak, Neesoo, Nistoo,” below.
Story and Songs Tomson Highway | Illustrations Delphine Renon | Narration Jimmy Blais | Singers Coral Egan, Alexandre Désilets, Moe Clark and Angel Baribeau
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay informed about our new releases and events and for a chance to win our subscriber giveaway. To order books for your library or bookstore, please contact Hornblower Books/University of Toronto Press (Canada, United States) and MMS/BookSource (United Kingdom). For additional information, email info@thesecretmountain.com.