Finalist for The 2022 Governor General’s Literary Awards

A magical children’s picture book, written in Cree and English, depicting the transformation of a barren landscape into a rich natural world where an elderly couple can spend their remaining days.

Rooted in the historical displacement and relocation of members of the Chemawawin First Nation from their ancestral homeland, The Move is a bilingual story of two Cree Elders adjusting to life in their new environment. The story presents two contrasting landscapes of the old community—the homeland of the Chemawawin People—and the new community of Easterville, which at first appears barren and lifeless. Gradually, the couple begins to incorporate their old customs and traditions into their current surroundings. Family members begin to visit, and eventually nature begins to bloom all around them. Through traditional Cree storytelling techniques and vivid imagery, the new landscape springs to life and becomes a true community, filled with life and happiness.

Doris George is a Cree educator. She is the principal of Chemawawin Schools in Easterville, Manitoba, where she also taught Cree language for four years. She holds a BA and BEd from University College of the North and a Community Linguist Certificate (CLC) from the University of Alberta. She has a passion for her language, and credits her grandparents and parents with speaking Cree with her when she was growing up. She is married with three sons and six grandchildren.

Doris George's profile page

Don K. Philpot is an educator specializing in Cree language structures and use, language and literacy education, and children’s literature. He is a member of the reading faculty at Shippensburg University and holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Indigenous Studies, Teacher Education, and Literacy education from the University of Manitoba and University of British Columbia. His current research focuses on Indigenous landscapes and worldviews in contemporary adolescent novels by Indigenous writers.

Don K. Philpot's profile page

Alyssa Koski is an illustrator, animator and entrepreneur. She graduated from the Alberta College of Art and Design (now Alberta University of the Arts) with a major in Character Design. Alyssa specializes in whimsical and narrative-based illustration, following the themes of adventure, magic and belief in the impossible. She mostly works on children’s books, graphic novels and short film 2D animation. She is also the curator of her grandma’s traditional Blackfoot dress collection, which she showcases in museums, pop-up exhibits and fashion shows. She has a mixed heritage of Blackfoot and European ancestry and is a member of the Kainai Nation. She lives in her hometown of Okotoks with her family and many dogs.

Alyssa Koski's profile page

• Short-listed, Governor General's Literary Awards

“kā-āciwīkicik / The Move is a small treasure. A wonderful story about memory, land, and kinship, and how language is integral to our relations with each other and with the land and all living things. This is a moving story of hope, wonderfully illustrated in tones that feel like earth, and with translation into Cree it invites us in, like a crackling fireplace in a log cabin, to sit with a cup of tea in hand and learn the old stories.”
—Paul Seesequasis, bestselling author of Blanket Toss Under Midnight Sun

"A tale that reflects Cree oral storytelling, filled with repetition for emphasis and learning, kā-āciwīkicik/The Move demonstrates the power of hope and ancestral memory in resisting the ravages of colonization. It provides a powerful lesson for readers and Cree language learners alike."
—Quill & Quire

“My experience reading kā-āciwīkicik / The Move was profound. From the dreariness of relocation and searching for hope to finding happiness in reconnecting to culture—this story is both educational and poetic. Doris, Don and Alyssa balance healing in two worlds and do it beautifully through words, storyline, and graphics.”
—Shayla Raine, author of The Way Creator Sees You

“kā-āciwīkicik / The Move is a compelling story of loss and resiliency amid displacement. Beautifully written in both English and the Cree language, the story comes alive. Doris George and Don Philpot use transformative imagery, reminding us of the healing power of tradition, kinship, and love.”
—Penny M. Thomas, award-winning author of Nimoshom and His Bus and Powwow Counting in Cree