Pete Enzoe

The sixth entry in Fifth House Publishers' The Land Is Our Storybook series - a collection of books profiling the diverse First Nations peoples of Canada's Northwest Territories - The Caribou Feed Our Soul: ?étthén bet’á dághíddá offers young readers a glimpse into the lives of the Denésǫliné, or Chipewyan Dene, community of Łutsël K'e, on the eastern side of the Great Slave Lake. Narrated by Pete Enzoe, a Denésǫliné elder, and a hunter, fisher and trapper who is actively involved in both the harvesting and conservation of caribou, the book highlights the central importance of these cervine beings to the cultural and physical survival of the Denésǫliné.

As with Proud to be Inuvialuit: Quviahuktunga Inuvialuugama, the previous entry in the series, I think the authors here must be aware that some of their readers will have qualms about the subsistence hunting being depicted, as they address the issue in their acknowledgments, and thank the reader for keeping an open mind. I was struck, during the course of my reading, by the Denésǫliné belief that their people evolved from the caribou, who came in turn from the stars, by way of the Northern Lights - in fact, their word for both caribou and stars is "?étthén" - and by their belief that, when the caribou do appear in their hunting areas, it is because they have deliberately come to sacrifice themselves. I cannot honestly say I understand that kind of spiritual connection to one's primary food source - I certainly don't have that kind of connection myself - but I was struck by the obvious sincerity with which it was expressed, and its meaning for this people.

I learned quite a bit from this book, from the fact that the Denésǫliné, or Chipewyan Dene, are part of the larger Dene grouping of indigenous peoples (it hasn't always been clear to me just what "Dene" actually means, whether it referred to specific peoples, or to a very wide linguistic group), to the activities of the Indian Brotherhood, formed in 1969 to fight for Dene rights (I'd love to find a book on this topic!). The informative text, which also includes a number of traditional folk-tales, is accompanied by Tessa Macintosh's color photographs, making this a most engaging introduction to a people with whom most young readers will be unacquainted. Highly recommended to any reader with an interest in the Denésǫliné, the Dene, or the indigenous peoples of the Northwest Territories.

Note: readers interested in the Dene language should also take a look at Byron Through the Seasons: A Dene-English Story Book, written by the youngsters of the Clearwater River Dene Nation, a Chipewyan Dene community in Saskatchewan.… (plus d'informations)

Authors: Mindy Willett, Pete Enzoe (Chipewyan Dene), Tessa MacIntosh

One of the authors is Pete Enzoe who is a Denésôliné (Chipewyan) from the community of Łutsël K’é, Northwest Territories. He passes along the knowledge he has gained from his forefathers to his nephews. This book reflects modern times, they use snowmobiles and other technology but certain traditions remain strong. Caribou is a vital part of who they are and this animal is interwoven into their culture. Even though they hunt the caribou, their respect for the animal is undeniable and the animal is not wasted.… (plus d'informations)