Heather O'Watch

Name: Heather O'Watch
Start: 2024-09-25T13:00:00
End: 2024-09-25T14:00:00

In-person

Indigenous Kids Poetry & spoken word Storytelling Writing & literature

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Date and time

Location

Indian Head Elementary School

607 Bell Street

Indian Head, SK

Directions: From the Trans Canada Highway, turn into Indian Head at the west entrance. Come north across the railway tracks and turn right (east) on North Railway. After 2 blocks, turn left on Otterloo. Proceed for 5 blocks. Turn left (north west) on Bell Street. At the end of the second block, the Indian Head Elementary School will be on the right hand side (east).

Access

Free.

Offered in English.

Wheelchair accessible.

About

Heather O'Watch will talk about her book Auntie's Rez Surprise.

Heather O’Watch (She/Her) is a Nakoda and Cree woman from the Okanese First Nation in

Treaty 4 Territory. Heather is enrolled in a Masters Degree in Public Policy (MPP) at the

University of Saskatchewan. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Indigenous Studies from the First

Nations University of Canada. Heather currently works for a global Indigenous Rights

organization and advocates for Indigenous peoples and their rights.

When not working or studying, Heather spends her time creative writing. Heather recently

published Auntie’s Rez Surprise with Second Story Press. The book is available in Y dialect

Cree and English.

You can purchase Heather’s book at :

https://secondstorypress.ca/2023-books/aunties-rez-surprise

Auntie’s Rez Surprise STORYLINE:

By Heather O’Watch, and illustrated by Ellie Arscott

Translated by Dorothy Thunder

tānisi! my little one, tānisi!

Auntie always greets Cree in Nehiyaw when she comes for a visit. When Auntie arrives with a surprise gift hidden in her bag, Cree can’t wait to discover what it is. The first clue? It’s from the rez. As Cree tries to figure out what it might be, the bag starts to move. Cree is thrilled when the bag opens and out jumps a rez puppy!

Cree asks Auntie how to take care of the new puppy. Auntie talks to Cree about the importance of dogs in their culture. They are our relatives, she explains, and need to be well taken care of. Cree decides she will name her new puppy "Atim", the Nehiyaw word for dog.

Plains Indigenous Sign Language (PISL)

Heather will be sharing PISL, a non-verbal language that was broadly used across the plains with many First Nations including the Cree and Nakota. Heather is actively learning PISL and is sharing some actions to help encourage others to learn and sustain this critical language. Join and follow along with Heather in PISL.

Organizer

Indian Head Public Library

The Indian Head library board encourages thinking and reading; especially regarding indigenous culture. The Indian Head library board believes in giving local indigenous writers such as Heather O'Watch, a platform to discuss their work. The board raises public awareness of local indigenous culture, and opens the opportunity to participate in thought-provoking discussions.