Honouring the Buffalo is an all ages picture book collaboration between Raymond Lavallee, Judith Silverthorne and Mike Keepness. The credit for this book belongs to Raymond Lavallee, a Wisdom Keeper and Cree Storyteller, who asked Judith to help him write the oral stories in book form to preserve them.
Honouring the buffalo
Honouring the Buffalo: A Plains Cree Legend, (Picture book, all ages). ISBN: 978-1-927756-33-1 • 48 pages • 11”x8.5” • $19.95 PB
Hommage Au bison
Hommage Au Bison: Une legedende des Cris der Plaines. ISBN: 978-2924237144 French translation • $18.95. e-Pub-ISBN: 9782924237892 • $14
Die Wurdigung des bisons
Die Würdigung des Bisons. Eine Legende der Plains-Cree, MONS Verlag, ISBN: 978-3-946368-24-3, hard cover picture book, German translation• 52 pages • €23,90.
Pre-School Animated TV Show based on the book.
An estimated thirty to fifty million bison once thundered across the Great Plains and much of North America.
Honouring the Buffalo is the story of how the Buffalo gifted themselves so freely through the Creator to the Plains Cree people to help them survive. Discover how every part of the buffalo was used to provide shelter, food, clothing, tools, hunting, spiritual ceremonies and many other necessities.
A long time ago Our People came from the Northern Woodlands to the Great Plains looking for food,” Grandfather said. “They saw that the Buffalo lived in harmony with Mother Earth the same as Our People did.”
Through the Creator, Buffalo gave themselves as a gift for the sustenance and survival of the Plains Cree people. This largest land animal in North America once thundered across the Great Plains in numbers of 30 to 50 million. They provided shelter, food, clothing, tools, hunting gear, ceremonial objects, and many other necessities for those who lived on the Plains.
But by 1889, just over a thousand buffalo remained, and the lives of the Plains Cree people changed. Buffalo are honoured to this day, a reminder of life in harmony that was once lived.
This book tells the story of how Buffalo came to share themselves so freely.
EDUCATIONAL Resources
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Exercises crafted for various proficiency levels.
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Explore the origins, history and link to organizations to learn more about the Cree culture.
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Listen to “Honouring the Buffalo” being read aloud with visuals or audio only.
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Perfect for auditory learning and literacy activities for kids.
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Teacher Resource guides, curriculum matches and outcomes.
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Questions and activities to encourage discussions in the class for schools.
Delve into “Honouring the Buffalo” with a compelling excerpt that encapsulates the essence of this Plains Cree legend. This snapshot offers a poignant look at the intertwined destinies of the buffalo and the Cree people.
“Honouring the Buffalo” has been recognized for its cultural and educational contributions, winning several international awards. Visit our Awards and Acknowledgements page to see the honors and praise the book has received.
Learn about the incredible journey Ray Lavallee and Judith Silverthorne embarked on to create “Honouring the Buffalo.”
Explore the impact of “Honouring the Buffalo” through our curated selection of reviews and media features. Gain insights into the book’s reception and the conversations it’s sparking.
Meet the creative team who collaborated on “Honouring the Buffalo” to make it theincredible resource it is today.
RAY LAVALLEE
The oral legend is shared by Storyteller and Wisdom Keeper Raymond Lavallee of the Piapot First Nation.
Illustrations were created by MIKE KEEPNESS
Judith Silverthorne 