Elder Caroline Daigenault Elder Robert Fenton and Kayla Perry, RD Illustrated by Joshua Hunt.

We are pleased to offer this colouring book, which includes information and illustrations on some traditional plants and animals from our different territories. Through the beauty of our First Nations languages, this colouring book will serve as a resource to help children learn about the foods and medicines that sustain us.

In the creation of this resource, we met many times to discuss what plants and animals to include and share stories about, with the ultimate purpose of aiding children in their journey to healthy eating and living. We thought we could best speak to the plants and animals we know from our territories, which stretch from Animki Wa Zhing #37 First Nation in Treaty 3 (Ontario) to Fishing Lake First Nation in Treaty 4 (Saskatchewan).

All of the foods included in this colouring book have a spiritual aspect, as all life is giving and connected to medicine. Our parents, grandparents, and other relatives taught us the importance of these foods, and we now want to share these teachings with younger generation

We are reminded that when our grandfathers went hunting, they always gave thanks first — it seemed as though when our grandfathers would give thanks before a moose hunt, a moose would then present itself to them as an offering. Similarly, our grandparents had a garden, and they always gave thanks before beginning their planting season, and then again at harvest time before sharing every grown thing.

There are a lot of old teachings that are practised today, like offering tobacco when picking medicines. Sharing is important — when my father went moose hunting, people would visit when they knew he was home because he always gave the meat away. For those that could not make it to our house, he would go out and give them meat. He only kept what we needed for the winter season. The Elders liked the bones, so my father would collect and share a big pile of bones with them. This reflects the fishing patterns of our grandfathers; they did not keep all of their catch, but instead shared it with those around them.

Please enjoy this colouring book as a gift from us to you and your families. Elder Caroline Daigenault Elder Robert Fenton

To acquire a physical copy of Mino-Te-Mah-Ti-Zee-Win A good way of life Colouring Book, kindly proceed to Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre’s official online store at https://mfnerc.org/shop/ for purchasing options.