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Dancing With the Cranes
Dancing with the Cranes gives an understanding of birth, life and death. Chi's momma is soon to have a baby, but Chi is having a hard time being happy about it. Chi misses Temma (her grandma), who has passed away. Chi's momma and daddy help ease the pain of losing Temma and help Chi to understand life and death as a part of nature. Chi soon finds herself feeling comforted, knowing Temma will always be a part of her and looking forward to the new baby who will be a part of their lives.
24 pages, Paperback
First published January 10, 2005
37 people want to read
About the author
Jeannette Armstrong
19 books24 followersJeannette Armstrong (1948) was born and raised on the Penticton Indian Reserve, one of eight Syilx (Okanagan) reserves located in both Canada and the United States. She is a fluent speaker of the Syilx language, Nsyilxcn, and is a knowledge keeper of plant medicines, Syilx traditions, and cultural protocols. She is a writer, poet, teacher, and artist, and is a strong voice in Indigenous environmental ethics.
Armstrong has been writing since she was fifteen years old and has had many of her short stories and poems published in journals and anthologies. In 1986, Armstrong published her first novel, Slash – a story about a young Okanagan man finding his culture after a life of racism and violence. In 1991, Armstrong published a book of poetry titled Breath Tracks. She published her second novel, Whispering in Shadows, in 2000 – a story about an Okanagan woman navigating her cultural knowledges through colonial surroundings while also engaging in environmental activism across the continent.
Armstrong holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Victoria and a PhD from the University of Greifswald, Germany. She also has been granted honorary doctorates from St. Thomas University in New Brunswick, and the University of British Columbia Okanagan. She has been working as an Assistant Professor of Indigenous Studies with the Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences at UBC Okanagan. In 2013 she was appointed a Canada Research Chair in Okanagan Indigenous Philosophy to research, document, categorize and analyze Okanagan Syilx oral literature in Nsyilxcn.
Armstrong has been writing since she was fifteen years old and has had many of her short stories and poems published in journals and anthologies. In 1986, Armstrong published her first novel, Slash – a story about a young Okanagan man finding his culture after a life of racism and violence. In 1991, Armstrong published a book of poetry titled Breath Tracks. She published her second novel, Whispering in Shadows, in 2000 – a story about an Okanagan woman navigating her cultural knowledges through colonial surroundings while also engaging in environmental activism across the continent.
Armstrong holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Victoria and a PhD from the University of Greifswald, Germany. She also has been granted honorary doctorates from St. Thomas University in New Brunswick, and the University of British Columbia Okanagan. She has been working as an Assistant Professor of Indigenous Studies with the Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences at UBC Okanagan. In 2013 she was appointed a Canada Research Chair in Okanagan Indigenous Philosophy to research, document, categorize and analyze Okanagan Syilx oral literature in Nsyilxcn.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 21, 2008
Review: Dancing with the Cranes
Armstrong, J. (2004)., illustrator Hall, R. Dancing with the Cranes. Penticton, B.C. : Theytus
Books Ltd.
Why book was chosen
I chose Dancing with the Cranes mainly because it was about a child who was grieving for her Grandmother. I am interested in the presentation of the grief process to children and Dancing with the Cranes is unique in this way. Dancing with the Cranes is part of the "Caring for Me" series.
Summary/Overview of book
A young girl named "Chi" lives with her mother who is going to have a baby. "Chi" has recently lost her Grandma (Temma) she has passed away. "Chi" has learned teachings from her "Temma", and she is connected to her in a very special way. "Chi" is very close to shutting out
her family. Set in the spring, she takes a walk to the lake and says "hello" to the birds for the first time in the season but the memory of her Temma is overwhelming and sadness envelops Chi.
She watches for the cranes, which is something she loved to do with her Temma. Chi receives several lessons from her mother and father about the circle of life. The family forms a circle around "Chi" and they all participate in watching for the cranes. The comfort and strength give "Chi" a link to her beloved "Temma" in a way that only comes from a deep understanding of nature and the cyclic nature of life and death.
Specific quotes from text
"Her momma said, "Come on Chi", you are going to be a big sister soon and you will have to move faster that that when your brother or sister arrives."
"Chi dressed slowly without looking at her momma. Instead of washing up in the sink she went
to the door saying, " I'm going down to the lake to wash up for breakfast."
"She thought of last year. How she and her Temma had come there to watch the birds and how the geese had come close as they sat very still...None of them paid any attention to her. She felt
sad."
"I miss my Temma. Why did she have to die? Why can't she come back like the cranes do? Why
does anybody have to die?"
"Her momma lifted her chin and looked into her eyes and continued in a soft voice, "All people
must die sometime because new people always come."
"Momma, I hear them! I hear the cranes! Look, there they are!" They stood with their heads
turned up to the sky. The sounds grew louder and louder, and the grey smudge grew and grew
into thousands of black dots as they came directly overhead. Then her momma began to sing the
same wonderful song her Temma had sung and the cranes began to circle right over them."
"Daddy You're here!"... Her Daddy began to sing, too... Then Chi felt so happy she couldn't help
but sing too...They sang and danced a round dance together, with Chi' sandwiched between."
My questions, inferences, visual images, thoughts, reactions, feelings, opinions
I think this story is amazing! It was beautifully written and made me shed a few tears. I thought of the loss of my parents and realized that I had not grieved losing them. I was a child when I lost them, so now I can deeply understand that connection to them and accept that losing them was a part of life. Even as I type this part of my review, I feel like a huge emptiness was filled and that the little girl in me, who lost her parents, is going to be okay.
Re evaluating the story with reference to values, ideals, beliefs, and/or institutions of Aboriginal
peoples
Dancing with the Cranes has within its story deep teachings about loss and grief. The pain and anger of the loss of Chi's Temma was noticed right from the start. The deep feelings of sorrow, pain, and sadness is overwhelming for Chi to handle, too much for Chi to handle alone.
The communication between mother and daughter was beautiful and sensitive. Aboriginal knowledge and the connectedness to the earth and nature and time is a belief embedded in the Medicine Wheel. Only until one (Chi) takes the action and connects to her core issue, which was
love Chi did accept her Temma's passing. The Creator gave the gift of love back to all in that connectedness.
My transformed thoughts: What is not written in the story but now I am thinking about...
I am wondering if I explained the values and the connectedness accurately. However; I
wish I'd had books like these to read, when I was a child. Sometimes I feel like our elders and
caregivers are afraid to talk about death. I suggest that perhaps, like myself, they have lived their
life with unexpressed grief too overwhelming to handle alone. I think that Dancing with the
Cranes will help children talk about their losses as well as help them to express in words their
feelings about their loss and grief and question life and death.
Marie
Armstrong, J. (2004)., illustrator Hall, R. Dancing with the Cranes. Penticton, B.C. : Theytus
Books Ltd.
Why book was chosen
I chose Dancing with the Cranes mainly because it was about a child who was grieving for her Grandmother. I am interested in the presentation of the grief process to children and Dancing with the Cranes is unique in this way. Dancing with the Cranes is part of the "Caring for Me" series.
Summary/Overview of book
A young girl named "Chi" lives with her mother who is going to have a baby. "Chi" has recently lost her Grandma (Temma) she has passed away. "Chi" has learned teachings from her "Temma", and she is connected to her in a very special way. "Chi" is very close to shutting out
her family. Set in the spring, she takes a walk to the lake and says "hello" to the birds for the first time in the season but the memory of her Temma is overwhelming and sadness envelops Chi.
She watches for the cranes, which is something she loved to do with her Temma. Chi receives several lessons from her mother and father about the circle of life. The family forms a circle around "Chi" and they all participate in watching for the cranes. The comfort and strength give "Chi" a link to her beloved "Temma" in a way that only comes from a deep understanding of nature and the cyclic nature of life and death.
Specific quotes from text
"Her momma said, "Come on Chi", you are going to be a big sister soon and you will have to move faster that that when your brother or sister arrives."
"Chi dressed slowly without looking at her momma. Instead of washing up in the sink she went
to the door saying, " I'm going down to the lake to wash up for breakfast."
"She thought of last year. How she and her Temma had come there to watch the birds and how the geese had come close as they sat very still...None of them paid any attention to her. She felt
sad."
"I miss my Temma. Why did she have to die? Why can't she come back like the cranes do? Why
does anybody have to die?"
"Her momma lifted her chin and looked into her eyes and continued in a soft voice, "All people
must die sometime because new people always come."
"Momma, I hear them! I hear the cranes! Look, there they are!" They stood with their heads
turned up to the sky. The sounds grew louder and louder, and the grey smudge grew and grew
into thousands of black dots as they came directly overhead. Then her momma began to sing the
same wonderful song her Temma had sung and the cranes began to circle right over them."
"Daddy You're here!"... Her Daddy began to sing, too... Then Chi felt so happy she couldn't help
but sing too...They sang and danced a round dance together, with Chi' sandwiched between."
My questions, inferences, visual images, thoughts, reactions, feelings, opinions
I think this story is amazing! It was beautifully written and made me shed a few tears. I thought of the loss of my parents and realized that I had not grieved losing them. I was a child when I lost them, so now I can deeply understand that connection to them and accept that losing them was a part of life. Even as I type this part of my review, I feel like a huge emptiness was filled and that the little girl in me, who lost her parents, is going to be okay.
Re evaluating the story with reference to values, ideals, beliefs, and/or institutions of Aboriginal
peoples
Dancing with the Cranes has within its story deep teachings about loss and grief. The pain and anger of the loss of Chi's Temma was noticed right from the start. The deep feelings of sorrow, pain, and sadness is overwhelming for Chi to handle, too much for Chi to handle alone.
The communication between mother and daughter was beautiful and sensitive. Aboriginal knowledge and the connectedness to the earth and nature and time is a belief embedded in the Medicine Wheel. Only until one (Chi) takes the action and connects to her core issue, which was
love Chi did accept her Temma's passing. The Creator gave the gift of love back to all in that connectedness.
My transformed thoughts: What is not written in the story but now I am thinking about...
I am wondering if I explained the values and the connectedness accurately. However; I
wish I'd had books like these to read, when I was a child. Sometimes I feel like our elders and
caregivers are afraid to talk about death. I suggest that perhaps, like myself, they have lived their
life with unexpressed grief too overwhelming to handle alone. I think that Dancing with the
Cranes will help children talk about their losses as well as help them to express in words their
feelings about their loss and grief and question life and death.
Marie
October 2, 2008
great lesson for children who are going to be taking on the role of big sister/brother.
October 9, 2021
This read was found from the Coloring Colorado website, under American Indian Heritage. This is a lovely narrative about the significance of life and death. Temma is going to give birth to a younger sister, and she is not looking forward to it. Her grandmother died recently, and she is still mourning her loss and pondering why she had to die. Her parents instilled in her the belief that death is an inevitable part of life and that her grandmother would always be there in spirit. She is more at ease now that she knows this, and she is beginning to enjoy having a baby sister. A strength in this book is how realistic the issues are in comparison to ones that we face in everyday life. I found the overall storyline to be very interesting because I can relate to the storyline of losing a loved one and struggling to cope with the loss while also knowing that they will be there for you even if you can't see them. This book will be useful in my classroom when I am teaching students about different cultures that others might have.
October 30, 2021
This read was found under Colorin Colorado under American Indian Heritage. This a lovely book talking about the significance of birth, life and death. Chi mom is having a baby soon and Chi is having a hard time being happy for her younger sister. Chi grandma Temma had just passed away as well. Chi's mom and dad try to ease the pain of that death is part of our society. Chi finally realizes that Temma and the little sister who will soon be born will always be apart of her life. The strength of this story is that all children go through the death of a loved one. I can relate to this story very much. Understanding what coping is at a very young age can be tough, I was 9 years old when my grandma had past away. It can be very tough on the younger children who do not have the understanding of death of a close family member. I would use this in my classroom to show the students the different cultures that are in our world.
March 12, 2018
This is a beautiful story of the meaning of life and death. Temma is about to have a little sister on the was and she is not excited at all about it. Recently, her grandma passed away and she is still dealing with that and does not understand why she had to die. Her parents teach her that death is a part of living and that her grandma will always be with her in spirit. She feels more at ease knowing that and is starting to be happy about having a baby sister.
December 18, 2018
This book will be useful for me when teaching my students about different cultures that others may have. I really liked how it shows realistic issues one will face in life. This book explains birth, life, and death in a very simple manner. I think the illustrations are quite nice. Also, I can relate to the story of losing loved ones and having a difficult time dealing with the loss but also knowing that they will be there for you even if you can not see them.
October 16, 2018
A story of a young girl who is struggling to understand the life cycle. She is grieving the loss of her Grandmother and is nervous about her mother’s pregnancy. This is beautifully illustrated and is filled with love and compassion and tenderness.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews