Additional information
by Roche Sappier (Author)
Bilingual edition-English and French.
The "Land of the Wabanki", (or Red EARTH) as this is called, is the land nearest to the sunrise and to the "Eastern Gate" where the sun first touches the earth. This is where the name of "Wabanoag" or the "People of the Dawn" originates. These Eastern Woodland Tribes including the Mi'kmaqs the Maliseet, the Penobscot and the Passamaquoddy dwell here and consider these lands holy and sacred.
In the beginning, or "Bee-chad-doo" (a long time ago) according to the oral Aboriginal traditions, "Za-zeus" the Creator God made spirits and souls as companions to him. They lived in the world of spirit and were able to see and influence the physical world. Many of the spirits that were created were benevolent, beautiful, obedient and eager to do the bidding of their creator and Great Spirit.
"Glooscap" was the first spirit being created by Za-zeus. He came from the dust and the water of the Earth Mother named Kskit-Gum and was the great cultural hero of many of the eastern woodlands tribes and peoples. Glooscap, short for "Gell-wuz-zid-ski-dub" or very good man, was an incredibly powerful being and shapeshifter who could assume, by mere thought, any shape or size. He was full of divine wisdom and knowledge of everything. Ageless as the earth, he had immense stature and power and was part man, part animal, part plant, part mineral, and pure spirit. He was able to perform wondrous miracles as he came to the aid of the weak and the helpless.
Glooscap may be compared to other aboriginal and non-aboriginal cultural heroes such as "Orenda" of the Iroquois, Kchi-Manitou of the Ojibway, Thor of the Vikings and Osiris of the Egyptians. Considered by many tribes and peoples to be the fountainhead of all good things, it is in his honor that the aboriginal peoples of this land "smoke the pipe of peace". To many of the eastern woodland tribes he was the Son of God.
This book is dedicated to the Wabanaki/Maliseet Myths and Legends of Creation which have been passed down by oral tradition from one generation to the next for thousands of years. They encapsulate many stories and tales regarding the peoples of the North American Eastern Seaboard and their mystical beginnings. It is about magic and the strength of the undying Aboriginal Spirit within.
