Where can you find strength when someone disrespects you? And what does having strength really mean?

Paul Wahasaypa—Siha Tooskin—has learned from Ena (his mom) and Ade (his dad) to maintain a strong mind, heart, and spirit. Though starting at a new school can be hard, especially when the kids there have never experienced the values and culture of the Nakota people. Join Paul as Mitoshin (his grandfather) helps remind him how strength of character can be found in the strength of his hair.

The Siha Tooskin Knows series uses vivid narratives and dazzling illustrations in contemporary settings to share stories about an 11-year-old Nakota boy.

Charlene Bearhead (she/her/hers) is an educator and Indigenous education advocate living in Treaty 6 Territory in central Alberta. She was the first Education Lead for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation and the Education Coordinator for the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Charlene was recently honoured with the Alumni Honours Award from the University of Alberta and currently serves as the Director of Reconciliation for Canadian Geographic. She is a mother and a grandmother who began writing stories to teach her own children as she raised them. Adaptations of these stories have now been published as the Siha Tooskin Knows series, which she co-wrote with her husband, Wilson.

Charlene Bearhead's profile page

Wilson Bearhead (he/him/his), a Nakota Elder and Wabamun Lake First Nation community member in Treaty 6 territory (central Alberta), is the recent recipient of the Canadian Teachers’ Federation Indigenous Elder Award. Currently, he is the Elder for Victoria School for the Arts in Edmonton and a board member for the Roots of Resilience Education Foundation. Wilson’s grandmother Annie was a powerful, positive influence in his young life, teaching him all of the lessons that gave him the strength, knowledge, and skills to overcome difficult times and embrace the gifts of life.
 

Wilson Bearhead's profile page

Chloe Bluebird Mustooch is from the Alexis Nakoda Sioux Nation of Northern Alberta, and is a recent graduate of the Emily Carr University of Art & Design. She is a seamstress, beadworker, illustrator, painter, and sculptor. She was raised on the reservation, and was immersed in hunting, gathering, and traditional rituals, and has also lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico, an area rich in art and urbanity.

Chloe Bluebird Mustooch's profile page

• Short-listed, SOLS First Nations Communities READ, Children's Category

Among Best Books for Kids & Teens, a starred selection of exceptional caliber

The Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC)

There are many reasons to love this series. Highly Recommended.

Bit About Books

Reconciliation is a big word, and it is a big job. Authors Wilson and Charlene Bearhead show us that even storybook characters can help when they are brought alive in authentic cultural settings. Meet Paul Wahasaypa, also known as Siha Tooskin or Little Foot, as he dances his way through these colourful pages, sharing some of the things he loves most with his new, non-Indigenous friend Jeff…his culture, his powwow dances, and even his beloved Uncle Lenard with all his teachings and teasing! More than an adventure between new friends, this is a colourful, youth-friendly, cultural exchange based on kindness, respect, and willingness to share and to learn.

Marie Wilson, Commissioner, TRC of Canada, 2009-2015

#SihaTooskinKnows…, with its words and illustrations, is a love letter to our family, culture, resilience, and pride.

Tanya Talaga, journalist and author

Among The Globe and Mail's twelve children’s books that will inspire and enlighten

The Globe and Mail