The importance of family, connection to the land and grieving is being explored in Tscwinúcw-k, a new children's book penned by a Tsq̓éscen̓ First Nation member.
Stanley Daniels, also known as Tult in Secwepemctsín, is a long-time South Caiboo resident who wrote Tscwinúcw-k to explore grief, loss and a young boy's connection to his ancestors through the lens of the Secwepmec culture. Daniels said this is his first time writing a book but its a process he found rewarding.
"Tscwinúcw-k means we made it through the night, or we survived the night, in Secwepemctsín. It's typically a morning greeting but in my book I make the connection between that morning greeting and why we survive the night," Daniels explained. "It's through the connection to our ancestors in the stars, watching over us."
Daniels was born and raised in the Tsq̓éscen̓ First Nation and has been active in it for several years. A former band councillor, Daniels is currently a full-time student working towards getting his Master of Education with an Indigenous education focus at the University of British Columbia. He noted a lot of the work they do revolves around stories and sharing indigenous perspectives and worldviews.
In May of 2024, Daniels said he was approached by a friend whose mother had passed away in 2023. His friend's family had been dealing with a massive amount of grief, especially their young son who didn't understand where his grandmother had gone. This friend asked him to write a book about grief and loss from a Secwepmec perspective as a way to explain to their son where their grandmother was. He agreed telling his friend he would try his best.
As part of his work as a student, Daniels said he does a lot of research and academic writing so he knew how to write. The challenge was using those skills to produce a child-friendly manuscript. Daniels remarked he felt a sense of relief in taking on the project, noting he wasn't contained by the guidelines of academic writing.
Tscwinúcw-k follows the story of Malakai, a young boy who has lost his grandmother he was very close with and the struggle and questions he faces. Throughout the book, his mother teaches him about the star people, his ancestors, who watch over him.
"She says Kye7e (grandmother) is not gone she's actually with us in the stars. When you're missing her a lot all you have to do is just look up at the stars and she is there watching you," Daniels said. "It's kind of the normalization that grief and loss are part of our everyday lives and that we didn't just get here by chance. We made it here because of our ancestor's strength, tradition, culture and language."
Daniels said the book is set in the modern day in a community called Sparkling Valleys, which was directly inspired by Canim Lake and the Tsq̓éscen̓ First Nation. He noted that a strong connection to the land is an important part of both Secwepmec culture and the book.
After he sent the story to his friend's family as a video, Daniels said he showed it to one of his professors at UBC. They recommended he consider publishing it and he took their advice He especially enjoyed working with an editor and publisher to make it the best book possible.
"This is my first book, so it's really exciting," Daniels remarked. "It was a huge process because I am a full-time student and at the time of publishing I was working full-time as well implementing our children and family laws for Tsq̓éscen̓ First Nation."
Despite the added workload, Daniels remarked he was able to work closely with TellWell Publishing and an illustrator they hired to design and lay out his book. He noted he provided the illustrator with several local photos of Canim Lake and members of the Tsq̓éscen̓ First Nation as inspiration for the book.
While his book is written for and aimed at children, Daniels said he feels it has a universality that will appeal to adults as well. He notes we all have to deal with death, grief and loss, even if those are topics we don't usually talk about.
"I imagine the book being able to be a path to this conversation. Saying that 'I am hurting, that I am in pain' and asking 'what I can do and how can I address that?' What sort of comfort can this story bring not only to students but also adults as well?" Daniels asked.
Daniels said he is still waiting for the physical copies of his book to arrive but noted it is already available digitally on Amazon. He also plans to distribute his books to Nuthatch Books and bookstores in Kamloops and Williams Lake.
At the end of this publishing process, however, Daniels said he's most proud of the fact that when he shared the story with his friend's family it helped them process their grief.
"The response from my nephew, just being able to have some relief and comfort in knowing his grandmother is never going to be gone from his life. To have that relief from having this story told, there are no words that can describe the gratitude I have for that kind of experience," Daniels said. "It's something I wish I had as a young person."
