聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Bronte Big Eagle (10-years-old), son of Juanita McArthur Big Eagle and Jason Big Eagle, from Ocean Man First Nation won the opportunity to become a printed author last year through the Saskatchewan Indigenous Cultural Centre (SICC) Book Writing Competition. His book, 鈥淭he Legend of the T-Rex鈥檚 Short Arms,鈥� was written and illustrated by Bronte.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 like dinosaurs and I thought about making a book about dinosaurs,鈥� Bronte stated at a 鈥楳eet the Author鈥� night in Stoughton hosted by the Stoughton library and school. 鈥淚鈥檓 thinking about another one, 鈥楬ow the Duck Lip Dinosaur got Duck Lips.鈥欌��
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 His favourite part of creating the book? 鈥淒rawing the pictures.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淗e鈥檚 full of ideas,鈥� Juanita smiled. 鈥淗e鈥檚 always wanted to do a series.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淗e loves reading, you can鈥檛 get him out of a book,鈥� Juanita said; while Bronte added that reading is one of his favourite things to do.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The competition was open to youth from Kindergarten to Grade 12 and this is the first book translated to Nakota to win.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e found out he won in July last year and he read his story at a Language Conference, Nov. 23 to 25, in Saskatoon in front of 400 people,鈥� Juanita explained. She credited 4-H Public Speaking with helping him accomplish that task, while thanking the school for being flexible with Bronte鈥檚 language days.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The win is an exciting one for the young man who is not only a creative author, but is contributing to the awakening of the Nakota language.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he language is going through an awakening,鈥� Juanita explained. 鈥淲e鈥檙e seeing it in our youth. When he took the book to a Nakota speaker on White Bear, she said that he had made her heart happy. There鈥檚 a connection between elder and youth that had been missing.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Bronte is enjoying learning Nakota, which originally came through Victor Sammy, who the book is dedicated to, who would speak the language to the young man. Now he, along with many who are bringing the language back, relies on Tuffy Helgeson (麻豆视频 Dakota), Mike Turcott (Fort Peck), and Peter Bigstone (Ocean Man).
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t鈥檚 an honour to be his mom,鈥� Juanita added. 鈥淗e鈥檚 such an old little guy. All I had wished for in my childhood I see it in him and I鈥檓 very thankful for that.鈥�
