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Bookcover illustration, by Rebekah Raye, from "Thanks to the Animals" Thanks to the Animals

By Allen Sockabasin,
Passamaquoddy Storyteller

Illustrated by Rebekah Raye
Hardcover, $16.95;
ISBN 0-88448-270-7
9 x 10, 32 pages, color illustrations
PreK—Grade 2

CHILDREN'S BOOKS:

Always My Brother—New

Bear-ly There—New

Remember Me: Tomah Joseph's Gift to Franklin Roosevelt—New

Amadi's Snowman

Carpet Boy's Gift, The

Everybody's Somebody's Lunch

Gift for Gita, A

Give a Goat

Goat Lady, The

Healthy Foods from Healthy Soils

Just for Elephants

Keep Your Ear on the Ball

Life Under Ice

Lights for Gita

Lucy's Family Tree

Mushroom Man, The

Muskrat Will Be Swimming

Opening Day

Our Friendship Rules

Playing War

Project Puffin

Roses for Gita

Saving Birds

Say Something

Sea Soup: Phytoplankton

Sea Soup: Zooplankton

Shelterwood

Shy Mama's Halloween

Spirit That Moves Us, The (Vol. I)

Spirit That Moves Us, The (Vol. II)

Spirit That Moves Us, The (Vol. III)

Stone Wall Secrets

Talking Walls

Talking Walls: the Stories Continue

Thanks to the Animals

Travels with Tarra

Under the Night Sky

Very Best Bed, The

Welcoming Babies

When the Bees Fly Home

Who Belongs Here?
  • "Sockabasin weaves a powerful story of paternal love while simultaneously expressing the mutual respect between his Passamaquoddy culture and the natural world---gives a fascinating glimpse of a culture not often seen in picture books." —School Library Journal
  • "Allen's voice is both gentle and strong. I can't think of a book I could recommend more highly for anyone who wants to give a young reader a true picture of the Native way of seeing, teaching, and understanding." —Joseph Bruchac
Little Zoo Sap and his family are moving from their summer home on the coast to the deep woods for the winter, traveling on a big bobsled pulled by big horses through the snow. When Zoo Sap falls off of the sled unnoticed, the forest animals hear his cries. First to come are the beaver, who put their tails together to cradle him. Then all the other animals circle round—everyone from the tiny mouse to the giant moose to the great bald eagle—keeping him warm and safe until his father comes back to find him.
Illustration by Rebekah Raye, from "Thanks to the Animals"
       Allen Sockabasin is a Passamaquoddy who devotes much of his time to teaching and preserving the Passamaquoddy language. A master musician, he has written, performed, and recorded Passamaquoddy stories and songs. He has been a tribal governor, a member of the tribal council, and director of child welfare for his tribe, and a health educator. He is the father of five grown children and a young son named Zoo Sap.
Illustration by Rebekah Raye, from "Thanks to the Animals"
       Rebekah Raye is an artist beloved for her bird and animal paintings and sculpture, derived from her affinity with the natural world around her at her studio in East Blue Hill, Maine. She has been interested in animals and art since she was a child in Eastern Tennessee, and now in addition to creating her own works of art, teaches workshops for children and adults.
Rebekah Raye's website is http://www.rebekahraye.com/

Illustration by Rebekah Raye, from "Thanks to the Animals"

Hear Allen Sockabasin reading Thanks to the Animals in Passamaquoddy, with his daughter Kendra Sockabasin reading in English.

The following links are downloadable audio files, a large and smaller version:
(PC's right-click, save link as...)
Click here for 256bitrate 41000Khz stereo mp3,   12.9MB  (best quality)
Approx. one hour to download at moderate dialup speeds(3.3KB/sec.)

Click here for 128bitrate 41000Khz stereo mp3,   6.4MB  (best for streaming)
Approx. half hour to download at moderate dialup speeds(3.3KB/sec.)

       The Passamaquoddy language is still spoken by many members of the tribe, and there are ongoing efforts to increase the number of tribal children who speak their native language. Once, the Passamaquoddy and related tribes occupied land between Maine and New Brunswick, Canada. Today there are approximately 3,200 tribal members and the tribe owns 142,000 acres of land in Maine, which it monitors and maintains. Many Passamaquoddy live at Sipayik (Pleasant Point) on Passamaquoddy Bay, or at Motahkmikuk (Indian Township) near the St. Croix River.
       Below are the Passamaquoddy names for the animals in this book, spelled phonetically by Allen to help English-speaking people become familiar with Passamaquoddy as it has been spoken traditionally. 

Beaver, Qua-bid                         Otter, Kiw-nigg

Moose, Mooz                             Muskrat, Kiw-huzz

Bear, Moo-ween                          Squirrel, Meek-koo

Caribou, Mug-ga-lib                     Mouse, Obb-biwqk-saz

Deer, Aduke                             Owl, Koo-kook-huzp

Fox, Quawk-sus                          Raven, Kchee-gah-gog

Wolf, Mull-sunp                         Crow, Gah-gah-koos

Raccoon, Ess-puhns                      Canadian jay, Pskun-quahs

Porcupine, Mudd-wehs                    Duck, Mud-heh-sim

Rabbit, Ma-art-teh-gwas                 Goose, Wub-tuwqk-heig

Weasel, Zerg-whehs                      Eagle, Jeep-law-gun

Mink, G-yauh-kehs

Teachers Take Note

Thanks To the Animals is derived from a story that Allen Sockabasin’s mother, Molly Zoo Sap, used to tell him. It’s a family story, set around 1900. Her family, along with others in her tribe, would make an annual migration from their summer homes on the coast—where fish and shellfish were abundant, fruits and berries could be gathered, and vegetables could be grown—to their winter homes in the deep woods—where there was wildlife to hunt. Her family members would take apart their cedar log cabin and load it onto a big bobsled, and pack up the food they had grown and gathered over the summer and their other belongings, and they would head north to the woods, where they would set up their cabin again. This annual migration was an important survival tactic for families that lived off the land.
       Little ones hearing this story will relish the tale of how the animals rescued the baby on a cold, snowy night. But we hope that older children will be inspired to learn more about the Passamaquoddy and other members of the Wabanaki confederation in northern New England.

Allen Sockabasin is a Passamaquoddy tribal member, born in 1944 at Peter Dana Point, Indian Township, Maine. Allen's first language was Passamaquoddy. He did not learn English until he was in school. Allen is a true lover of his language, culture, and tribal history. He teaches his language to others, translates contemporary music into Passamaquoddy, and records the traditional songs of his people. Allen hopes to inspire Native people to be proud of their culture and heritage through language and music. He speaks and performs in Maine and throughout the country. Beyond the borders of Native communities, he works to promote awareness of the importance of art and diversity. He currently resides at Peter Dana Point, "Mud-doc-mig-goog."

Thanks To the Animals can serve as a part of a curriculum that seeks to introduce elementary aged children to the traditions of Wabanaki tribes of northern New England and the Canadian Maritime provinces: the Abanaki, Penobscots, Passamaquoddy, Maliseets, and Micmacs. In particular, this story serves as a powerful introduction to traditional Native American attitudes towards animals and the natural world, but it also shows a family working together, playing, worrying, and celebrating.

In the Glossary teachers will find a Passamaquoddy pronunciation guide for the animals listed in the story. Listen to Allen read the story in Passamaquoddy on our website, and then practice saying the animals’ names.

Thanks To the Animals will help inspire classroom conversations about:
    For young children Giving "thanks" to others. Why it matters and ways to "give thanks"
  • Animals of the forests of New England and the Canadian Maritimes.
  • Storytelling traditions and customs in families.
  • Wintertime activities.
  • Different ways families prepare for winter today (storm windows, chop wood, etc.)
  • Language and its importance to families and cultures.
  • Passamaquoddy (or all the Wabanaki) people today—who are they? Where are they?

    For elementary school age children
  • Storytelling traditions and customs in families.
  • Preparation for winter, and different seasons today—and 100 years ago.
  • Animals of the forests of New England and the Canadian Maritimes.
  • Language and its importance to families and cultures.
  • Cultural stereotypes and their effects. What are they? Why are they harmful?
  • Who are the Wabanaki and where do they live today?
  • Where were the Wabanaki territories prior to contact with Europeans?
  • What is the traditional Wabanaki view towards the natural (or physical) environment?
Heads Up! Here’s help for teachers unfamiliar with introducing Native Americans stories to young or elementary-aged children. The following web sites and activities will help teachers and their students do their "cultural homework" so that the context of Alan Sockabasin’s story can be fully appreciated.

Combating biases and stereotypes: Although we all might wish otherwise, many of our children have been exposed to biased and inaccurate information about Native Americans through books, movies, TV shows, or just thoughtless comments. Teachers are sometimes unsure what to say to kids who have or express stereotypes about Native Americans, What follows below is a series that will help educators move forward respectfully as they educate native and non-native children about Native Americans. The first three websites provide general strategies for handling all types of behavior or comments that seem inappropriate, hurtful, or biased, The ERIC websites offer practical suggestions to create respectful learning environments for children to be introduced to Native American culture.

Anti-Defamation League: ADL has been fighting Anti-Semitism, bigotry and extremism since 1913. In 1999 ADL joined forces with Barnes and Noble to produce education materials aimed at breaking the cycle of hate through reading. Many of the resources from this partnership are now available for free on their website. These include handouts such as: "101 Ways You Can Beat Prejudice" and "Hate Hurts: How Children Learn and Unlearn Prejudice." http://www.adl.org

What to Tell Your Child About Prejudice and Discrimination
http://www.adl.org/what_to_tell/whattotell_intro.asp

Teaching Tolerance: This magazine’s website contains a wealth of information for teachers, parents, teens, and kids. Extensive links make a visit to this web site among the most helpful.
http://www.teachtolerance.org

Nine Positive Strategies for Learning about Native Americans in early childhood classrooms, based on an article by Debbie Reese (Pueblo), "Teaching Young Children About Native Americans," EDO-PS-96-3, 1996. http://www.ericdigests.org/1996-4/native.htm

ERIC Digests presents further strategies for learning about Native Americans in elementary classrooms, anti-bias materials, and curricula related to American Indians for both mainstream and Indian classrooms (12/97).
http://www.ericdigests.org/1997-2/antibias.htm

Teaching Resources on Native American Tribes: Going the extra mile! Because there has been such a powerful history of misinformation and stereotypes about different tribes over the years, we strongly recommend that educators take the time to explore the websites and books listed below.

Oyate
Publisher and reviewer of books about Native Americans, particularly those aimed at schoolchildren. Oyate is a Native organization that works to see that Native people’s lives and histories are portrayed honestly.
http://www.oyate.org

Resources on American Indians for Children and Teachers: Facts for Kids
Specific information on 32 different tribes, as well as facts about Native Americans in general that many American Indian kids use.
http://www.native-languages.org/kids.htm

Native Tech
An Internet resource for indigenous ethno-technology focusing on the arts of Eastern Woodland Indian Peoples, providing historical & contemporary background with instructional how-to and references.
http://www.nativetech.org

Finding Unbiased American Indian Books
Techniques for Evaluating American Indian Websites by Elaine Cubbins provides good, solid suggestions in a checklist format. Additional resources for selecting fair and accurate American Indian books for libraries, schools and home.
http://www.kporterfield.com/aicttw/excerpts/antibiasbooks.html

Additional Books
Crazy Horse's Vision by Joseph Bruchac (Abnanaki), color illustrations by S. D. Nelson (Lakota), Lee & Low 2000.
Gluskabe and the Four Wishes by Joseph Bruchac, Cobblehill/Dutton, 1988.
The Range Eternal by Erdrich, Louise (Ojibwe), Hyperion Books for Children, 2002. JingleDancer by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee), Morrow Junior Books, 2000.
Unsettled Past, Unsettled Future: The Story of Maine Indians by Neil Rolde, Tilbury House, 2004. For adults.
The Wabanakis of Maine and the Maritimes by the American Friends Service Committee. A rich and varied teaching resource.

Maine Native American Websites
Activity Ball and Triangle Game Make a traditional Native American toy

Recommended for PreK-Grade 3

Objectives: Learn how fun toys were made from "found" materials in the woods.

Background: This toy was made from a stiff piece of birch bark cut into a triangular shape. It had a hole in the center just a little larger than a "ball" made of animal skin tied around some stuffing. The ball was attached to a string fastened to one corner of the triangle. To play the game, you hold the triangle by one corner, toss the ball in the air, and try to get it to fall through the hole.

What Is Needed: Birch bark should be left on birch trees these days, but you can make this game out of a triangle of cardboard, some string, and a soft, small ball that you can tie the string around (so that it won’t slip off).

How to Do It: Cut triangles from cardboard, about a foot long on each side. You can decorate the cardboard with paint so that it looks like birch bark, or you can paint it with designs. Cut a hole in the center of the triangle that is a little larger than the ball, and then cut a small hole in one corner to fasten the string to. Fasten the other end of the string (about 15 inches long) to the ball.

Next: Try the game! Take turns if you don’t have one for each child.

Want to Do More?
  • Create a map showing the Passamaquoddy homeland.
  • Do a mural showing the animals in Thanks To The Animals
  • Practice saying the animal names in Passamaquoddy— you can listen to Allen Sockabasin reading the story aloud in Passamaquoddy on our website, and follow along with the book.
Action
Do a play of Thanks To The Animals

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