Local Hand Directory
Janis Fairbanks
Author.
a Fond du Lac history book
Janis Fairbanks
a Fond du Lac history book
I am a member of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and involved in preserving and revitalizing the Ojibwe language. I was the first coordinator of the Anishinaabemowin Ojibwe Language Program for Fond Du Lac Reservation and continue to serve on the language advisory board. I also serve on the editorial advisory board for Thunderbird Press (Animikii Mazina’iganan) and mentors a writer ’ group.
I am working on a Fond du Lac history book, another book about my grandmother - this one about the history of her allotment - and also helping tribal members write their own stories.
Sugar Bush Babies - Stories of My Ojibwe Grandmother
The book is a tribute to Grandma, that's what it is. All those stories and everything she taught me - she's still with me. You know how some Christians would say WWJD (What Would Jesus Do)? Mine is kind of like WWGD? What Would my Grandma Do? She taught me so many things. Whatever the topic is, if I've got a question about it, I can go back in my mind and find the answer from something she told me.
There are tales told at nighttime or during thunderstorms; lessons in Native medicine; stories of Grandma’s recollections of boarding school, Daddy’s days as a lumberjack, and Mother’s special powers; memories of wash days and dancing, of powwows and Girl Scout camp, of snaring rabbits, selling lilacs, and attending the circus. A lyrical memoir, Sugar Bush Babies conveys the eloquence of women speaking and sharing through generations and the lasting power of tradition.
