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An excerpt of Fernwood's Fall 2010 book How the Cougar Came to be Called the Ghost Cat. An English/Mi'kmaw children's book.A Mi’kmaw children’s story, this is the tale of a young cougar who decides to give up being a cougar in order to make new friends. But when he becomes homesick and decides that he needs other cougars, he discovers that they no longer accept him. Lost between two worlds, the young cougar decides to hide himself from everyone and becomes the ghost cat. How The Cougar came to be called the Ghost Cat is an allegory for colonialism and Mi’kmaw children’s loss of identity and place when they were forced into the Euro-Canadian school system. This story reminds us that we must learn to accept and honour differences so that no one becomes invisible.
Citation preview
long ago a young cougar by the name of Ajig wandered
away from his family. He soon became lost in a strange
and beautiful forest.
Sa’q to’q eykis petalu teluisit Ajik toq e’napni’kk wikma.
Keska’s piluey kisoqey ta’n maw wultek.
as Ajig walked, he began to feel alone and scared.
He wondered who would take care of him. Just then
he spotted an otter resting near a crystal blue lake.
ajik poqji we’kwata’sit ta’n alika’jek. Ankite’t ta’n wen
ankweyatal nike’. Jijuaqa nemital kiwnikal elisinlitl kikjuk
qospemk.
ajig approached the otter. She became frightened and
slid into the safety of the lake. Ajig continued to look into
the lake in hopes of her return. But he saw only the sad
reflection of his face.
Ta’nju kikjiteskuatl kiwnikal, jipaqateskuatl aq siaw
kwetapiet qospemk. Ajik elapis qospem aq ajipjutoq
apija’slin. Pasik nemisit ewlapu’jink.
ajig did not give up hope. He continued to walk, enjoying the
warmth of the sun on his golden coat. Alongside a pond, he
came upon a beaver gathering branches to repair his lodge.
As soon as the beaver noticed the young cougar he jumped
into the safety of his home. Ajig felt a pain near his heart.
No one wanted to meet him.
mu Ajik entuk ajipjutuaqn. Siawlika’s mita welpisit na’kuset.
Welteskuatl kopital etli-tantoql kumu’jl wjit wi’k. Ta’njiw kopit
nemiajek Ajikal, kwetapiet mita wesmuktuatl petalual. Ajik
paska’sik wkkamlamun mita mu ketu’-wulteskuaql wen.
ajig was still hopeful that he would meet someone
who would want to be his friend. Just then he
came upon two deer standing in a clearing. As he
approached, the deer leaped back into the safety of
the thick forest. Ajig was puzzled. Why were all the
animals running away from him? All he wanted was
to be welcomed and to have friends.
me’ Ajik ajipjutoq wulteskuatal na’tuen ta’n tu
witaptitaq. Jijuaqa nemiaji tapusijik lentukk kaqmijik.
Ta’nju kikjuteskuaj lentukk, wesinkwatki’kk kisoqe’k.
Pa’qilaik Ajik. Koquey waisisk wesumuktuatitl?
Ajik pasik menuweket sua’luksin aq wula’muksin.