Icelander shares the wisdom of traditional Anishinaabeg teacher Garry Raven

Image from the Seven Teachings and More poster

The University of Manitoba’s Department of Icelandic Language & Literature, the Icelandic Collection, and the Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Culture introduce: Garry “Morning Star” Raven’s Seven Teachings and More: Anishinaabeg share their traditional teachings with an Icelander, collected by Björk Bjarnadóttir and illustrated by Gerald Foster.

Where: Iceland Reading Room, 3rd. floor, Elizabeth Dafoe Library, University of Manitoba
When: February 12th, 2015, at 4:30pm
All are welcome – free admission

Presenters

Björk Bjarnadóttir, environmental-ethnologist from Iceland

From the University of Manitoba:
Jefferey Taylor, Dean, Faculty of Arts
Peter Kulchyski, Professor, Native Studies
Birna Bjarnadóttir, Head, Department of Icelandic Language & Literature

Chair: Warren Cariou, Canada Research Chair and Director, Centre for Creative Writing and Oral Culture.

Garry Raven (1945-2010) lived for most of his life on his property Raven’s Creek at the Hollow Water reserve in Manitoba. He was a traditional teacher and taught at universities, schools, businesses and corporations, traveled all over the world, and participated in creating one of the exhibitions at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian of Washington, DC.

Björk Bjarnadóttir is an environmental-ethnologist. Her interest in ancient cultures and the environment led her to Canada where she worked with Garry Raven and other First Nations people. She now lives in Iceland on a small organic farm with her partner Tómas Atli Ponsi, her cat Moli and around sixty thousand bees.

KIND Publishing, at the University of Manitoba’s Icelandic Department, is honoured to publish The Seven Teachings and More, conversations with Garry Raven collected by Björk Bjarnadóttir, contributions by Raymond Raven and Flora Ruck.

Connected by their own cultures’ ancient roots in song, dance, ceremony and craft, Icelander Björk Bjarnadóttir documents the teachings of traditional Anishinaabeg teacher Garry Raven of Hollow Water, Manitoba. In his teachings Raven used his Anishinaabe heritage and history. Through interviews and medicine wheels The Seven Teachings and More is about how individuals can reclaim their responsibilities to themselves, to others and to Mother Earth.