Seya's Song (English and North American Indian Languages Edition) - Hardcover

Hirschi, Ron

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0912365625 ISBN 13: 9780912365626

Publisher: Sasquatch Books, 1992

Synopsis

Using some traditional Clallam words, a young Indian describes the natural surroundings and activities of the Clallam, or S'Klallam, people through the seasons of the year

About this title

Reviews

PreS Up-- In this beautifully conceived picture book, readers are introduced to the world of the S'Klallam tribe in northwestern Washington State. Through the eyes of a contemporary Native American girl, Hirschi shows the relationship of these people to the salmon, the salmon to the seasons, the seasons to the cycles of traditional life. Past, present, and mythic time are all interwoven. At the center of this tapestry is Seya, the child's grandmother; it is she who passes on the stories, the language, and the nuances that make her culture so vivid for both the child narrator and readers. S'Klallam words are included in the text, and the relationship of language to experience is subtly implied. The watercolor illustrations interlace elements of the girl's modern life with aspects of the natural world and with references to traditional stories and dance. To open this book is to experience, visually and verbally, the landscape of the San Juan Islands, to see the growth of salmon through the seasons, and to hear the voice of Seya passing on her culture to the child. While it is specifically about one small group of Native Americans, the book reflects universal relationships. An annotated glossary and an afterword give additional information on the language and people. Aesthetically pleasing, culturally respectful, and with a perfect marriage of art and text, this is a book that will be enjoyed by a wide range of readers. --Carolyn Polese, Gateway Community School, Arcata, CA
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

For its noble purpose--to help preserve a disappearing Native American tongue and its culture--this book deserves praise. The S'Klallam people of Washington State share their rivers and lives with the returning spring salmon. Poetic words fill their days and seasons "like the wind, the songs of birds, and the swirl of the tide." But Hirschi's slight, impersonal story is burdened with too many details and a scope too comprehensive for younger readers. The sensitively conceived text buckles under the weight of more than 30 tongue-tripping S'Klallam words. And the glossary, with its instruction to pronounce the new vocabulary "by thinking of the rain-soaked forests, tide-washed beaches . . . of the Pacific Northwest," is not easily approached even by adults. However, these shortcomings do not negate either Bergum's elegant watercolor illustrations or Hirschi's characteristically flowing language. Because of the high quality of text and art, the book may speak eloquently to readers with a special affinity for the language of the S'Klallam or other Native American tribes. Ages 3-up.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Sasquatch Books
• Publication date: 1992
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0912365625
• ISBN 13: 9780912365626
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Bergum Constance Rummel
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32