After being invited into his grandson’s school to share his wisdom and knowledge of his traditional Mi’kmaw culture in Poppa and His Drum, Poppa is happy to return as a respected Indigenous Elder and Knowledge Keeper.

In this second book of the Poppa series, we find Poppa giving his next gin’masuti (lesson in our culture) to his grandson, François, and his friends, Paul and Joe.

The boys have an important art project to complete for school and are not sure what to do. While spending the afternoon on a beach adventure with Poppa, the boys get to learn about the Sacred Kitpu (Bald Eagle) and why it’s so important to our Indigenous People.

Poppa engages the children with eager imaginations of how the Sacred Kitpu is not only a powerful spirit guide, but also represents the Spirit of the Creator among us. It is the messenger between Mother Earth and the Spirit World, whispering to the Creator our prayers, touching the face of the Creator with its wing.

Poppa teaches the children through mystic wonder how we use the Sacred Kitpu feather in many different cultural ceremonies. He embraces their eagerness to learn and shares the tradition of smudging, using the Kitpu feather along with Sacred Medicines that burn in a smudge bowl to purify our body, mind, and spirit.

The children delight in discovering Poppa’s never-spoken-of regalia treasures that once belonged to his grandfather and decide to commemorate their art project to the Sacred Kitpu.

Poppa is invited back to the class to award the winning medal to the winners of the arts project. He is proud to present the medals to happy children who truly understand and appreciate the importance of the role the Sacred Kitpu plays in our MI’kmaw culture and heritage. Poppa and the Sacred Kitpu will delight and surprise the reader with fun and teachings given by the love of a Poppa who is cherished by his community for being such a wonderful Mi’kmaw Elder.

Judith M. Doucette (Judy Falle) was born and raised in St. George’s, a little town on the west coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. She graduated high school in 1980 and from a medical office administration program in 1995. In 2004, she began her employment with the Federation of Newfoundland Indians, and she is employed with the Qalipu First Nation Band as client intake officer with the Department of Education and Training in St. George’s. Judith is married and has two adult children, Tiffany and Travis, and a beautiful, vibrant granddaughter, Aria. Her first book, Amanda’s Baking Lesson, was published by Jesperson Press in 1986. In 1996, she wrote and self-published Evan ’Elps Senny Claws, a Newfoundland-dialect Christmas book. Judith M. Doucette is a proud member of the Qalipu First Nation Band and also sits on the St. George’s Indian Band Council.

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Rebecca Reid is a Mi’kmaw student currently living in St. John’s, Newfoundland. She was born and raised in Stephenville, Newfoundland, where she found a love for sports and art.She graduated from St. Francis Xavier University in 2022, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Human Kinetics.She is currently studying Medicine at Memorial University of Newfoundland, where she hopes to become a medical doctor.

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