BOOK SYNOPSIS
Hoarders. Scavengers. Clever foragers. Bringers of new life.
Ravens have many roles, both for the land and in Gitxsan’s story and song. The sixth book in Hetxw’ms Gyetxw (Brett D. Huson)’s Mothers of Xsan series transports young readers to Northwestern British Columbia, where they will learn about the traditions of the Gitxsan, the lives of ravens, and why these acrobatic flyers are so important to their ecosystem.
Follow along as Nox Gaak, the raven mother, teaches her chicks what they need to survive with the help of her flock.
HETXW’MS GYETXW
Hetxw’ms Gyetxw, also known as Brett D. Huson (he/him/his), is a proud member of the Gitxsan Nation of the Northwest Interior of what settlers call British Columbia, Canada. As a knowledge carrier, Brett’s work is centred on challenging stereotypes and tokenization of Indigenous knowledge systems. With over 16 years of experience in the film and television industry, Brett has volunteered as the chair for the sakihiwe Music Festival (sakihiwe.ca). He is currently a member of the Science Committee for Adaptation Futures 2023 (adaptationfutures.com).
Brett is a multi-award-winning author, with his first series of books, Mothers of Xsan, offering readers a glimpse into the rich culture and unique perspectives of the Gitxsan people. He is currently working on a range of new books in both fiction and non-fiction, further exploring the complexities and beauty of the Gitxsan culture. As a research associate at the Prairie Climate Centre at the University of Winnipeg, Brett has been instrumental in developing the Indigenous Knowledges section of the Climate Atlas (climateatlas.ca). He has also contributed to adapting the “Two-eyed Seeing” methodology, which aims to unite Indigenous and Western scientific approaches in a respectful and meaningful way.
With the unwavering support of his wife Jeri and their children Warren and Ruby, Brett is dedicated to sharing the stories of the land and promoting dialogue and understanding around Indigenous pedagogies and epistemologies.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Website: thegitxsan.ca
Twitter/X: @thegitxsan
Instagram: @thegitxsan
Facebook: bretthuson
LinkedIn: thegitxsan
NATASHA DONOVAN
Natasha is an illustrator originally from Vancouver, Canada, with a focus on comics and children’s illustration. Her short comic work has appeared in This Place anthology (2018), published by Portage & Main, and Wonderful Women of History, published by DC. Natasha illustrates the award-winning children’s book series The Mothers of Xsan (written by Brett Huson). She was also the illustrator of the graphic novels Surviving the City and From the Roots Up (written by Tasha Sumner-Spillett) and the picture book biography Classified (written by Traci Sorrell). Natasha did the art for the graphic novel adaptation of Thomas King’s story, Borders, which was shortlisted for the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award. She has a BA from the University of British Columbia, and previously worked in academic and magazine publishing. She lives with her American partner in Bellingham, Washington.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Instagram: @ndonovan
Website: natashadonovan.com
