Mi'kmaq Song by Pat Cher

Mi’kmaq Song 

by 

Pat Cher 

Photograph courtesy of safa ghasemkhani

  It began with a dream. "Come follow me." Gheeju, her Mi’kmaq grandmother, urged. Maggie didn't realize that to follow would mean plunging into uncharted wilderness beginning with the sighting of a phantom ship. 

It became a voyage of daring which taxed her endurance as well as her soul. Captivity, honor, ancient courtship rituals, and a new spirituality root her in a culture, Gheeju had held dear, but it is more than Gheeju had taught, much more. 

Maggie captured by Abtatuk , a Mi’kmaq, finds her life turned upside down as she experiences the Mi’kmaq way of life; their legends, the Little People, the neighbouring Penobscot. 

Time and perils change her relationship to Abtatuk. Will Maggie find her way back home and if she does, will she want to return?

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Book of Children. 

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Book of Children

Grandma's Words of Wisdom 

Coming soon!

Questions children asks and answers with a Christian perspective.

Book design by Sonya and Mary.

Question 1 

Dear Grandma,

Is it true God loves me? I don't understand.

Me

Celebrate by Pippa Middleton

Browsed this book out of curiosity and surprised myself by buying it. Celebrate is a combination of well-thought out recipes, crafts and ideas for family fun. It is set with some of the best illustrations and photos I've seen in a book of this genre. 

Not being British, I was charmed by customs and recipes which were unfamiliar. Some will be added to our own family traditions. One I will try this holiday season  is Stir-up Sunday. 

The book set- up is easy to follow,and  centres around the seasons and their special days.; Robbie Burns,  picnics, camping, Hallowe'en....

I am an indie author/publisher and pay close attention to ratings on Amazon.

After I bought Celebrate, I checked the rating and couldn't believe some of the nasty remarks and low scores. They were clearly undeserved and made me wonder about the motivation behind  some of the malicious comments. 

Celebrate is a book about home and family and traditions, a book I will be using for years to come.

 I could see Celebrate turned into a  weekly tv show or  a tv special for each season! 

Pat Cher 

Author Mi'kmaq Song

Mi'kmaq Ancient Lecture Hall

Mi'kmaq - Ancient Lecture Hall

Picture an open space around a campfire where the breeze mingles the smell of smoke with the sweetness of the forest beyond.

The walls are the trees and perhaps a river rushing by, the roof an open sky, the background music, the chirping of squirrels interspersed with the sweet song of the woodland thrush or the harsh cry of the crow.

Picture a circle of people, sitting on grass provided by Mother Earth, a circle of equals where no one's word  is greater than his brother's.

Listeners all, the people gathered sit for hours or even  whole days listening without interrupting the speaker. 

Breaks would happen often, for the Mi'kmaq are a people who take pleasure in humor, and the stories incorporated tales that  brought laughter. The laughter would usually begin with a small chuckle and petty soon the forest would be filled with merriment.

Laughter the best medicine.... The Mi'kmaq lived to over 100. Membertou, the great Mi'kmaq Sagamaw, is reported to have lived to  one hundred ten. Of course, they were  a very disciplined people, stoic, pushing themselves to the utmost in all areas of their lives.

The early explorers considered the Mi'kmaq to be a very intelligent people. Perhaps this emphasis on storytelling was one of reasons. 

The Mi'kmaq listened to hunting  stories, war stories, stories of what they believed in...Glooscap, legends of the stars and of animals, stories of ancestors and lineage. Always these were tales that taught and amused for the storyteller was always a great entertainer.

The novel Mi'kmaq Song explores the ancient Mi'kmaw customs. It's available as an ebook readable on any computer and most tablets. http://goo.gl/i7zQy. It can also be purchased as an ebook.

There is a road in the hearts of all of us, hidden and seldom traveled,

which leads to an unkown, secret place.

The old people came literally to love the soil,

and they sat or reclined on the ground with a feeling of

being close to a mothering power.

Their teepees were built upon the earth

and their altars were made of earth.

The soil was soothing, strengthening, cleansing and healing.

That is why the old Indian still sits upon the earth instead of

propping himself up and away from its life giving forces.

For him, to sit or lie upon the ground is to be able to think more deeply

and to feel more keenly. He can see more clearly into the mysteries of

life and come closer in kinship to other lives about him.

Chief Luther Standing Bear, Lakota

Mi'kmaq Song Readers Favorite Book Review *****

Received this today! So Happy !
Mi'kmaq Song  5 Stars*****

Book Review

Reviewed by Tamera L. for Readers Favorite

Newly divorced, Maggie lives a pretty mundane life. She learns the old customs and language of her ancestors, the Mi’kmag people, through her grandmother Maggie and they linger in her memories. After her grandmother’s death, Maggie finds solace in her dreams where her grandmother still regularly visits and guides her. Maggie depends heavily on her own special song – something her ancestors relished. But Maggie’s life takes an unexpected turn when she takes a canoe ride and finds herself face to face with a ghostly ship from the past. Escaping from the pirates, she finds herself back on the coast only to discover that things are no longer the same. Stuck in a time warp, Maggie comes face to face with a new terrifying reality as she struggles to escape the bounds of slavery. But all is not lost, for Maggie meets Abtatuk, a special warrior who aids her through her perilous battle for survival and fills the empty void of her heart.

"Mi'kmaq Song" by Pat Cher is a spectacular book filled with historical prowess and a breathtaking view of the Mi’Kmag people. Maggie’s adventures weave magically throughout each page as she battles for existence using her wits, courage, a few modern gadgets and of course her special song. I enjoyed taking this wild roller coaster ride with Maggie and Abtatuk. The writer did a great job of creating this distinctive world, which I felt firmly a part of. I look forward to reading more books from this talented writer. This is one of the best books I have read in a while. Great job! 

Elizabeth Wilder-The Spruce Gum Box

One of the joys and unexpected pleasures of self publishing is meeting fellow authors. We don't for the most part meet face to face but we do get to know each other, in some cases better than if we'd met at a gathering or party.

For me, one of these special people is Elizabeth Wilder, author of The Spruce Gum Box. 

Elizabeth writes about the Mi'kmaq and the Penobscot as I do, but from a totally different perspective. She writes in the years of the pioneers when the lumber trade was in its infancy and about how it affected the native people of the time. She emphasizes the generosity of a people, not only to their own but to everyone they met. 

My grandfather used to whittle and carve as did Jed in this novel. The spruce gum box was new for me, but it did make sense that there would be such a box. Abtatuk and Panonias in my story, Mi'kmaq  Song use spruce gum to survive when the are captured. 

I liked Elizabeth's portrayal of the Maine woods, much like the scenes  from my own story years earlier. I could almost smell the spruce, the pines, the cedars and the campfires as I read this very entertaining and informative story.

A coinsidance that I liked her story so much ? Probably not, we both write about the Mi'kmaq but in different eras. Other coincidences ...it would appear that we are in the same age group; Elizabeth paints watercolors, so do  I ; she worked as a teacher, surprise, surprise, I did too. Of course, The Spruce Gum Box is a beautifully crafted story, the kind that lingers a long time after you've read it, a keeper kind of story, that you want to revisit time and again.

I haven't met Elizabeth, but feel that should we meet we would find we have much more in common. 

Elizabeth writes a blog and I find her ideas and stories refreshing. The posts contain nuggets of wisdom which stay with you, much like the characters who appear in her novel, The Spruce Gum Box. 

It's a pleasure knowing you, Elizabeth, let's keep in touch.

Pat Cher 

Author Mi'kmaq Song