mistikwaskihk kitipêyimikonaw
mistikwaskihk kitipêyimikonaw
We Belong to the Drum
We Belong to the Drum
Embedded Files
May - June 2026
May - June 2026
In our spring StoryWalk title, Nikosis is learning what it means to belong through love, culture, and the steady heatbeat of the drum.
From We Belong To The Drum. Text copyright © 2023 by Sandra Lamouche, illustrations copyright © 2023 by Azby Whitecalf. Reproduced with permission from Orca Book Publishers.
When powwow music fills his daycare, something shifts in Nikosis! Surrounded by care and curiosity, he doesn’t have to change who he is: he can be himself.
In We Belong to the Drum, Sandra Lamouche shares a story inspired by her son’s early experience, where hearing the drum created a powerful sense of connection and acceptance. Grounded in nêhiyawêwin (the Plains Cree language) and the drum as the heartbeat of Mother Earth, the story reminds us of how important it is for children to see who they are reflected, welcomed, and celebrated.
As you walk, notice the rhythms in and around you! And as you do, we hope you feel the sense of belonging that carries through every step of Nikosis’s journey.
Additional Information & Resources
SANDRA LAMOUCHE is a nêhiyaw iskwêw (Cree woman) from the Bigstone Cree Nation in northern Alberta. She is a wife, mother of two boys with braids, champion women’s hoop dancer, award-winning educator and two-time TEDx speaker. She has a master of Arts in Canadian and Indigenous studies and is also the author of We Belong to the Drum / mistikwaskihk kitipêyimikonaw. Sandra and her family live in Blackfoot Territory (Treaty 7) in southern Alberta.
AZBY WHITECALF is a Plains Cree character designer and illustrator based out of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Treaty 6 Territory. They have a bachelor's degree in visual communication (character design) from the Alberta University of the Arts. An important part of their practice is creating accurate and positive representations of Indigenous Peoples and cultures and exploring what it is to portray Indigenous people in a way that captures their multidimensional identities. They are the illustrator of Buffalo Wild! Azby enjoys working with bright colours, strong contrast and fun shapes.
Poster for Printing: Plains Cree Words for Family
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