Our parents always taught us well. They told us to look on the good side of life and to accept what has to happen.

The Man Who Lived with a Giant is a collection of traditional and personal stories told by Johnny Neyelle, a Dene Elder from Déline, Northwest Territories. Johnny used storytelling to teach Dene youth and others to understand and celebrate Dene traditions and knowledge. Johnny’s voice makes his stories accessible to readers young and old, and his wisdom reinforces the right way to live: in harmony with people and places. Storytelling forms the core of Dene knowledge-keeping, making this a vital book for Dene people of today and tomorrow, researchers working with Indigenous cultures and oral histories, and all those dedicated to preserving Elders’ stories.

Alana Fletcher received the Governor General’s Academic Gold Medal for her doctoral work on the community of Déline, which she completed at Queen’s University.

Alana Fletcher's profile page

Morris Neyelle (1951-2022) was a residential school survivor and a sub-chief on the Déline band council.

Morris Neyelle's profile page

"[Johnny Neyelle's] recorded stories were meticulously translated by his son Morris Neyelle and editor Alana Fletcher to blossom into this beautiful memoire, which is truly a guide to being... An invaluable road map, a gift from Johnny Neyelle that will help guide the people of Denedeh and everyone else to a positive life."

Deborah Shatz

“To paraphrase Johnny Neyelle, these stories are about learning to live, they are about cultivating an ethos that will help us navigate our increasingly interdependent lives together, on the land that sustains us, well into the future.”

Glen Sean Coulthard, Native American and Indigenous Studies Journal, Spring 2022

"Johnny’s traditional and life stories are nothing short of exquisite, offering an important window into Dene traditions and history. What a find!"

Ruth DyckFehderau, Writer, The Sweet Bloods of Eeyou Istchee: Stories of Diabetes and the James Bay Cree

"I am in awe of what you are holding and witnessing with The Man Who Lived with a Giant. Reminiscent of George Blondin's When the World was New and Trail of the Spirit, this book is not only a treasure for the people of Denendeh, it is a garden of renewal for the world to learn from."

Richard Van Camp, Writer