The Rainbow, the Midwife & the Birds Rainbow, the Midwife & the Birds

The book contains four Dene stories, as told by Raymond Yakeleya. "Flight Through the Rainbow" is about flying through a rainbow in a small plane and experiencing multi-sensations of colour. It also tells the legend of the spider and how its web catches raindrops that create the rainbow. "The Midwife and the Spirit of Life," dedicated to Raymond's Granny Harriet Gladue, is about the birth of babies and bringing their spirits into the world. "The Slingshot and the Songbird" is about a boy's sadness over killing a friendly songbird. "The Medicine Brothers and the Giant Birds" is a tale told to Raymond by his uncle George Blondin about the hazards of giant animals when the world was new. The book also contains Dene language translation throughout. An animated film, phone app, and videogame can also be accessed though QR codes in the book.

1. FLIGHT THROUGH THE RAINBOW

2. THE MIDWIFE AND THE SPIRIT OF LIFE

3. THE SLINGSHOT AND THE SONGBIRD

4. THE MEDICINE BROTHERS AND THE GIANT BIRDS

5. HONOURING THE MIDWIFE, GRANNY HARRIET

6. ABOUT THE AUTHORS AND ILLUSTRATORS

Raymond Yakeleya is an award-winning Dene television producer, director and writer. Originally from Tulita in the Northwest Territories, he now calls Edmonton, Alberta home. Raymond is author of the Dene children’s book The Tree by the Woodpile and editor of We Remember the Coming of the White Man and Indigenous Justice. He wrote an extensive foreword in Nahganne: Northern Tales of the Sasquatch. Says Raymond, “Indigenous Peoples need to have a voice in mainstream media in order to tell our stories, our way. With the passing of many of our Elders, the telling of these stories has become more important.”

Rich Théroux is illustrator of Flight Through the Rainbow. Besides being a caveman, Rich is a genius talent at painting and drawing. His art hangs in prominent homes and galleries but he prefers not to boast about it. Rich is founder of Rumble House and also teaches junior high school art. He is the author and illustrator of Stop Making Art and Die, and The River Troll and is the co-author of the poetry book, A Wake in the Undertow with his partner Jess Szabo. He and his gang exist/co-exist in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Samantha Gibbon is illustrator of The Midwife and the Spirit of Life. She is a member of the Métis Nation of Alberta and a descendent of Peayasis Band in Northern Alberta. Raised an otipemisiwak (Metis) and Nehiyaw Iskwew in Treaty 6 Territory on Papaschase Land (Amiskwaciywaskahikan/Edmonton), she’s a senior medical student at the University of British Columbia. Although she currently lives on Syilx territory, her heart forever lies in the prairie brush of her ancestral homelands of Northern Alberta.

Antoine Mountain is illustrator of the Bird stories and is from the Radelie Koe/Fort Good Hope area of the Dene Nation in Northwest Territories.. He is a Dene artist, painter, and activist who focuses on depicting the Dene way of life, his love for the land, and the spiritualism of his faith. He holds a Master’s in Environmental Studies from York University, and is currently doing a PhD in Indigenous Studies at Trent University. Mountain uses his voice and art to ensure that today’s youth do not forget their Dene identity.