The Two Brothers: A Haida Story
Gwaai and Jaalen Edenshaw
The Two Brothers
presents a wonderful opportunity for Canadian children of all ages to
learn about Haida culture through colourful illustrations and text
translated by a Haida author who has been instrumental in the protection
of the Haida language.
For
almost a century, the world-famous Raven Totem Pole stood in downtown
Jasper. After being repatriated to its original home on Haida Gwaii in
2010, it was replaced by the Two Brothers Totem Pole in 2011.
Beautifully illustrated by Gwaai
and Jaalen Edenshaw, the Haida artists who carved the new totem pole, this
book tells the story of the Two Brothers—of a journey long ago from the
west coast islands of Haida Gwaii to the Canadian Rockies, and of an
unusual connection between two very different places.
About the
Illustrators and Author
Gwaai and Jaalen Edenshaw are
Ts’aahl from Haida Gwaii. They are the founders of K'aalts'idaa K'ah Story
Telling Society, a body dedicated to promoting Haida story and Haida
language in everyday life through various media. Both Jaalen and Gwaai are
carvers and designers who express their art through many forms.
Author Gwaaganad (Diane Brown) is
Gwaai and Jaalen's nunaay. She is a keeper of traditional medicines and an
important figure in the preservation of the Haida language. She has spent
28 years in community health, and 12 years as a teacher with the Skidegate
Haida Immersion Program. Gwaaganad has devoted her life to her family and
to Haida culture. |
