Flight of the Hummingbird: A Parable for the Environment

A beautifully drawn comic book inspired by Japanese manga and Indigenous art and legend

This powerful story about a brave hummingbird shares a message of environmental stewardship

Hummingbirds have long been a symbol of wisdom and courage. In this breathtaking book, a hummingbird makes a valiant effort to put out a raging fire that threatens her forest home. She makes many trips over the burning woodland because her tiny beak can only hold one drop of water at a time. Her efforts show the other creatures in the forest that doing something—anything—is better than doing nothing at all. Will they join her in her fight to save their home?

The hummingbird parable, which originates with the Quechuan people of South America, has become a talisman for environmentalists and activists worldwide committed to making meaningful change. This retelling, enlivened by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas’ fabulous Haida-Manga illustrations, is suitable for all ages of would-be activists. Although environmental responsibility often seems like an overwhelming task, The Flight of the Hummingbird shows how easy it is to start and how great the effect could be if everyone just did what they could.

Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas challenges native stereotypes through illustrative story telling. His artwork is informed by many years of dedication to public service and political activism, mostly on behalf of the Haida. Yahgulanaas creates pop-graphic narratives that riff on traditional Haida stories and painting techniques, and developed "Haida Manga"—the distinctive art form for which he is widely known. A trickster-like sense of humour contributes to his work's appeal. Yahgulanaas' books include Flight of the Hummingbird, A Tale of Two Shamans, The Last Voyage of the Black Ship, Hachidori, and—most recently—Red, a graphic novel.

Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas has exhibited in several major galleries, including the Bill Reid Gallery, the McMichael Gallery, the Museum of Anthropology, the Glenbow Museum, and the National Arts Center in Ottawa. His Haida Anime "Flight of the Hummingbird" is featured on YouTube. For the past two decades, besides developing his unique visual style, Yahgulanaas has spent most of his time working with other Haida people to prevent their homeland, Haida Gwaii, from being logged. Yahgulanaas lives on Bowen Island, British Columbia.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the spiritual and temporal leader of the Tibetan people. He is a recipient of the Raoul Wallenberg Congressional Human Rights Award, the Albert Schweitzer Humanitarian Award, and the Nobel Peace Prize. He lives in Dharamsala, India.

Wangari Maathai is a Kenyan environmental and political activist. She holds a BSc from the United States at Mount St. Scholastica and a Masters degree in Biology from the University of Pittsburgh. She would become the first Eastern African woman to earn a doctorate, when in 1971 she was granted a Doctorate of Anatomy from the University of Nairobi. In the 1970s, Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement, an environmental non-governmental organization focused on the planting of trees, environmental conservation, and women's rights. Maathai served as Assistant Minister for Environment and Natural Resources in Kenya from 2003-2005.