MELFORT 鈥� A new French language children鈥檚 book by two Saskatchewan authors aims to show kids part of the prairie region鈥檚 history of partnership between Black and Indigenous communities.
鈥淲e're contributing members and we have been here for a very long time 鈥� we have cemented a place for ourselves, alongside other communities as well,鈥� co-author Alix Lwanga said of Saskatchewan鈥檚 history of Black settlement.
She and illustrator Miriam K枚rner wrote the book聽Li鈥檒 Shadd A Story of Ujima聽in 2015 through a partnership with the Saskatchewan African Canadian Heritage Museum (SACHM) and the Melfort museum.
In late October SACHM finished publishing the book鈥檚 French edition.
The book tells of Dr. Alfred Schmitz Shadd, the first Black doctor to move to the Saskatchewan area in 1896. Coming from Ontario, Shadd first settled in the Kinistino area, about 30 kilometres west of Melfort.
Lwanga and K枚rner use the narrative device of Shadd鈥檚 elder son Garrison, nicknamed Li鈥檒 Shadd, to show the doctor鈥檚 work in the area, which was then the North-West Territories governed by Treaty 6.
鈥淚 wanted the voice to be for someone young, so when kids read it they could see themselves in their shoes at the time,鈥� Lwanga said. She researched and co-wrote the book while completing an internship at Melfort鈥檚 museum, organized through the University of Regina鈥檚 Faculty of Arts.
In the book, the doctor is called away from town when a settler, Reginald Beatty, asks for medical help for an infant girl on behalf of his Cree neighbour, the girl鈥檚 father, Nikanisiw.
Li鈥檒 Shadd helps his dad through the night while he treats the baby girl, eventually saving her. It allows the Shadds to learn about the Cree traditions of brotherhood, giving thanks and prayer, while the elder Shadd teaches his son about the Swahili tradition of ujima, shared work and responsibility.
The story is based on events in Beatty鈥檚 journal, which tell of Shadd performing surgery on the girl鈥檚 鈥渢ubercular gland鈥� and of later saving Nikanisiw鈥檚 two baby boys.
鈥淭hat was the first time I had a really in-depth look at someone who had been in the province and had such a prominent profile,鈥� Lwanga said of her research.
Before he died in 1915, Shadd took runs at federal and provincial politics, bought the Prince Albert Advocate newspaper, set up Melfort鈥檚 Central Drug Store and served as a town councillor, school board member and Masonic Order member.
As a white woman from Germany, K枚rner said telling Shadd鈥檚 story meant collaboration with SACHM and the Melfort museum was important.
鈥淚f you write about a culture that's not your own, appropriation is always a big elephant that's kind of in the room,鈥� she said.
That guidance, K枚rner said, helped her 鈥渂ring Dr. Shadd鈥檚 story to life.鈥�
She believes its themes of 鈥渒indness and sharing brotherhood and unity鈥� are ones all readers can connect with.
Lwanga hopes the book allows Black youth to 鈥渒now the story growing up and 鈥� they have a place here and they shouldn't second-guess themselves.鈥�
