let’s honour National Indigenous Peoples Day with a great book!
Learning about different cultures & building food literacy is just as important as eating real food every day. Mayabeekamneeboon: Blueberry Patch, written & illustrated by Indigenous health researcher Jennifer Leason & translated by Norman Chartrand, offers a delightful story about a blueberry picking adventure (yum!), but it also opens a window to rich Indigenous heritage & traditions. With vibrant artwork of sparkling streams in the middle of summer & delicious bannock roasting on an open fire, captivating anecdotes, & of course, lots of blueberries, we think it nourishes the mind while embracing this important day.
If this story puts you in the mood to go blueberry picking with your family, you’re in luck! See below for a list of farms near the GTA you can visit this summer:
- Bluemin’ Acres Farm, Niagara-on-the-Lake
- Wilmot Orchards, Newcastle
- Blueberry Knoll Berry Farm, Lowbanks
- Andrews Farm Market and Winery, Milton
- Saskatoon Berry Farm, King City
- Barrie Hill Farms, Springwater
- Hugli’s Blueberry Ranch, Pembroke
- Marcy’s Berries, Puslinch
And if you’d like to share even more Indigenous stories with your kids, visit Orca for a list of kids books by Indigenous authors & head over to Jennifer Leason’s website for even more resources on Indigenous health, wellbeing & more.