7 tales, transmitted by the Elders of 7 communities to 95 youth, then re-interpreted by 7 Indigenous and non-Indigenous authors and offered in 7 languages lived in Québec. One single book.
The genesis of an intercultural book
In Indigenous myths and cultures, there is a mysterious multiform character : the Trickster, the-one-who-plays-tricks. It can be both a despised stranger or a cultural hero. Beyond its thirst for games, it brings the necessary balance to the life of communities : with it, sadness is more joyful and optimism is tempered.
Young Indigenous are among the most at-risk youth of our society. Yet, behind the weight of history and sometimes difficult daily realities, there is an exceptional potential, bearer of hope and prospects. At Exeko, the Trickster and its symbolism inspired us to set up a program aiming at spreading those often forgotten and under-estimated talents. We use culture and creative experiences as means to identity attachment and expression. Tales, circus and drama become the ingredients for scenic interpretations of traditional tales transmitted by the Elders to the youth.
Indigenous and non-Indigenous authors have put their pens on paper together in order to give a unique personality to each tale adapted in this collection. This wider cultural dimension offers to the reader the inspiration imprinted with his/her own cultural references while it invites at the same time to discover some new ones.
Possibles Éditions’ team and its invested volunteers, driven by the desire to embody physically the richness of those cultural encounters, enrolled in a very traditional production process. Restoring a printing press to working order, choosing forgotten tools, selecting the most beautiful materials… The passion generated from the sound and scent of the very first book produced was coupled to the work of graphic designers and illustrators inspired of the effervescent imaginary of stories for which everyone have brought himself to the same creative tune.
The authors
We invited them to interpret the tales, to give them all their orality so that the scope of perfomance.
Joséphine Bacon, Clifford Cardinal, Moe Clark, François Gagnon, Natasha Kanapé Fontaine, Alexis Martin, Catherine Voyer-Léger.
An innovative collaboration, an inclusive approach
Through the Trickster program, many communities opened their doors to welcome a variety of encounters filled with cultural mixes, between tradition and modernity, between Indigenous and non-Indigenous, between generations. Humble and curious, we have been both witnesses and instigators, but before all the privileged participants of many experiences which make mixed and multiple Indigenous identities alive.
With this book and the collaboration with Possibles Éditions, it’s our turn to dare to invite you to discover the imaginary of Indigenous cultures and of cultural diversity embodied thanks to the weaving of languages and identities. This literary space is a living legacy which every actor who made it spring hands over to you so that you can, your turn, dare to make the stories, their background and potentials live.
How to get yours?
- Your copy is waiting for you in our office:
5445 avenue de Gaspé, suite 405, H2T 3B2, Montreal, Qc
Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm
Come and get the book for 20$ which will support our future projects, discuss about it and meet our team!
- Buy it online for shipping to Canada only:
Order your copy via PayPal and receive it within 5 business days. A 5$ postage and handling fee applies for each book. - For international delivery, please get in touch with our team:
info@exeko.org / +1 514 528 9706
Une collaboration / A collaboration
Avec le soutien de / With the support of
Laurier