“Enwhisteetkwa/Walk in Water: The Okanagan Version of the History of the Encounter Between Aboriginals and Settlers”

Abstract

The present essay is dedicated to reflecting upon Jeannette Armstrong’s Enwhisteetkwa Walk in Water, a picture book in which this Okanagan artist, writer and educator is committed to presenting counter-images to the official history of the encounter between Aboriginals and settlers. In fact, as Heather Glebe once pointed out in Cross Canada Writers’ Magazine, Jeannette Armstrong “... is committed to promoting cross-cultural understanding through literature...” (Glebe, 1990: 6), an understanding that brings all of us together, beyond our differences. This understanding and healthy syncretism is even more necessary for the well-being of humankind now at a time when the global economic crisis – and a crisis of values as a consequence (or is the former a consequence of the latter?) – is being felt deeply around the world. It is time for us to open one’s heart and mind to others, respect them and listen actively to their words, for “... it is the duty of each person to care for and take care of one another and seek to resolve conflicts among the people so that the process of life will not be interrupted” (George, “Life is the Gift of Nature but Beautiful Living is the Gift of Wisdom”, 1990: 193). Because these are discourses that matter, I will attempt to show the other side of the story in Enwhisteetkwa Walk in Water and discuss how children’s literature may be the way out of crisis, since it raises one’s awareness and promotes critical thinking.