The Nature of Life

In the Wikipedia entry for “Book design”, a “Glossary” is identified as “back’ or “end matter”. Perhaps in nonfiction that placement may make some questionable sense, but, when it comes to fiction, I strongly believe that the glossary should appear as front matter, and preferably, it should be placed on the page immediately facing the first page of text so that those who want to rush into a story do not miss it. Such an up front placement would have helped me greatly when I began to read The Nature of Life, part of the “Siha Tooskin Knows” series. In the excerpt above, I have provided most of the book’s second page of text. When I encountered the word “Ena”, I thought it was Paul’s mother’s given name, but then, a few lines later, I encountered “Ade” and “Mitoshin” and still later “Mugoshin”. Confused, it was at this point I thought the book (which doesn’t have – or really need – a table of contents to direct me) might possibly have a glossary, and so I turned to the back where I discovered that these confusing names were, in fact, among nine Nakota terms that would appear throughout the book. And so “Ena” is not Paul’s mother’s name, but the Nakota word for “Mom” while “Ade” is “Dad” and “Mitoshin” is “Grandfather” and “Mugoshin” “Grandmother”.

In The Nature of Life, 11-year-old Paul, a Nakota boy, has come with his parents and two younger siblings to spend part of the summer holidays in the country with his grandparents. Paul is excited because he is going to have some quality time alone with his mother, walking in the woods, while his younger brother Danny goes to town with Mitoshin and baby Laura is cared for by Mugoshin. Paul’s mother uses their time in nature as an opportunity to pass on some traditional teachings that she had received from her mother. What Paul is exposed to by his mother are values that he, in turn, will be expected to pass on to his siblings, future children and grandchildren. For instance, when mother and son pass “a clump of tall white birch trees”, Ena recalls:

Mitoshin told me that the trees are like the arms of Ena Makoochay reaching towards the Creator: Waka.” Ena raised her arms to show Paul what she meant about the trees. :He told me that when I see the trees they will remind me to always reach out to Waka for guidance and help to live my life in a good way.” [Ena Makoochay = Mother Earth]

The teachings continue as the pair walk through the woods and include some that relate to their lands being colonized by Europeans. At the end of their time together, Paul concludes:

”Well Ena, I know why Ade and Mitoshin always say that if I’m smart I’ll listen to the women and not talk back when they are teaching me. You’re a great teacher, don’t get me wrong, but wow...Ena Makoochay is the greatest teacher, isn’t she?”

To which Paul’s mother replies:

”She sure is, Michish,”Ena replied with approval. Ena Makoochay and all that lives on her teach us so much.”, [Michish = My son]

Chloe Bluebird Mustooch’s full-colour illustrations appear in half and full-page formats throughout the book. The cartoon-style illustrations, while attractive and engaging, do not, however, really reflect the text’s more serious tone.

Though The Nature of Life is fiction, it is much less a story than it is a “teaching” and, as such, becomes a useful addition to libraries serving elementary-aged students.