Resource Links - Volume 15, Number 4,
pg 21 - April 2010
The Secret of Your Name / Kiimooch ka shinikashooyen
BOUCHARD, David
Illustrated by Dennis J. Weber. Red Deer Press.
2010. 32p. Illus. Gr. 1-4. 978-0-88995-439-7. Hdbk. With CD (Music by
John Arcand; David Bouchard on flute, John Arcand on fiddle) $24.95
The author laments that as a child he "somehow
sensed [he] had the blood of people who were just like" those who first
lived in the land now known as Canada. As years went by, the clues
to his heritage slowly faded away; people close to him chose not to
tell him because of extremely difficult choices that they themselves
had had to make. When he finally learns of his Métis heritage
after a long time, the author apologizes to his ancestors for not knowing
the songs or the stories that had traditionally been passed down from
one generation to the next. But he promises to seek these out
and not only "claim them as [his] very own" but also to teach them to
his own family and share them with others - both to honour his ancestors
and to show how proud he is to be Métis.
The use of language is beautiful and poetic, drawing
in the reader with its rhythms and patterns into a very intimate and
moving story. There is something very haunting throughout, a sense
of longing and awakening that eventually gives rise to understanding,
transformation of self, and the embracing of that new self. Though
the story may be challenging to some younger readers, the text is simple
and the illustrations provide fabulous details. Weber's oil paintings
are gorgeous, reflecting the sense of loss, longing, and searching that
the author experiences. Perhaps the best of these paintings is
also the book's cover - the author peers into a hollowed-out log in
which water has collected and sees the reflection of an ancestor he'd
never before known. Bouchard appears in some of the paintings
and two prominent Métis - Louis Riel and Gabriel Dumont - have their
pictures included.
The book is written in both English and Michif,
and the CD also includes readings in both languages.
Thematic Links: Michif Language;
Métis History, Heritage, Culture; Canada - History; Self-understanding;
Self-acceptance
Ken Kilback
April 13, 2010
THE SECRET OF YOUR NAME
By David Bouchard, Art by Dennis J. Weber, Fiddle
Music by John Arcand
Commentary by Tyler Trafford, author of the "Sun
on the Mountains" books click
here 
We are all millions of years old. Our DNA stretches
back into forgotten times around the world, crossing and re-crossing,
merging and tangling until the unique 'I' of today emerges for the flicker
of an eyelash.
David's brave quest to learn the truth about
himself through his family's genetic and cultural history combines with
the colours of Dennis's art and the music of John's fiddle to remind
us of the historical DNA we share and must explore in our lives, and
that what we discover needs to be celebrated and acknowledged if we
are to truly understand ourselves.
"I am Métis," David's poetic song declares following
his search into the few generations that separate him from his Nokum,
his grandmother.
To many, those three words might sound like a
challenge, like a man separating himself from the rest of us. But, through
the book's beguiling language, art and music, the words become a beckoning,
a call welcoming us to join David in celebrating his origins, and sharing
what he has discovered.
This call reminds us that it is only by acknowledging
our diversity, are we are brought closer together. By joining with David
in his quest for the 'customs and traditions' of his ancestors, we are
taking part in the universal journey of self-discovery, that marvellous
adventure that has sent men and women for millions of years in search
of the answers to "Who am I? Where did I come from? What can I do?"
We cannot help but relate to David who accepts
the necessity of his quest that begins when, 'My Nokum tells me stories
about things I haven't lived.'
On the surface this book is about being Métis,
about Métis life, about Métis heroes and about being proud to be Métis.
But scratch that surface and this book is the eternal, universal campfire
story about accepting the sometimes strange ways of other clans, of
learning from them, of marrying into them and finding common themes
… of the constant, important merging of humanity that makes some of
us fiddlers and some of us astronauts.
We live in a multi-cultural world, one dominated
for centuries by a western European culture that, too often, has failed
to accept the value of the cultures it has overwhelmed.
Probably the most fascinating aspect of this book
is that, compared to many voices that call for and focus on justice
and restitution for historical injustices committed by that dominant
culture, this book only asks for acceptance in what should become a
famous phrase: "I am Métis."
Who, amongst all the peoples of the world, could
not identify with the desire to have a similar tolerance made available
to them.
"The Secret of Your Name" is a call that reverberates
everywhere, showing us the common ground of art, music and poetry that
we all share and long to explore. David's, Dennis's and John's gifts
are passageways through time, and this book is, in reality, not a step
back in time as much as it is an encouragement to step forward.
We are all millions of years old. "The Secret
of Your Name" takes us back a few generations on that journey, untangles
the tiniest snippet of DNA, and shows us that, if we are to move forward
in our lives, we must recognize and put to use the wisdom and bravery
our ancestors have given us.
"The Secret of My Name" is not only a celebration
of an almost lost Métis past - it is also a universal guidepost to the
destiny waiting for us on the road ahead.
Personally, I will be disappointed if this book
only becomes a must-read for Métis. This book should be a must-read
for everybody who wants to know and celebrate who they really are.
When David declares, "I am Métis," this book asks
"Who are you and what will we share?"
