Jesse Rae Archibald-Baker wrote The Star Poems to engage Oral Tradition from a contemporary perspective, combining spiritual and scientific understandings of the cosmos and the quantum foundations of reality. This collection explores the black hole of history for Indigenous People, including residential schools, the loss of a father, and the painful reality of youth suicide. Inspired by Wilfred Buck’s Tipiskawi Kisik: Night Sky Star Stories, Archibald-Baker’s Star Woman tells of Grandmother Spider helping her find purpose. In this way, the author informs readers of the vital role Indigenous women play in reclaiming Traditional Knowledge to keep their people together.
This bilingual narrative is written in both English and Cree, preserving cultural identity, heritage, and Traditional Knowledge.

Other End Matter: Glossary, notes
Images: None
Contributor Affiliation: Jesse Rae Archibald-Baker (Cree, Métis, and Scottish)
Bibliography: Yes
Index: No

Evaluator: Debra H., Elementary School Teacher, Indigenous Books for Schools

Jesse Rae Archibald-Barber is from Regina, oskana kâ-asastêki (Regina, Saskatchewan), and is of Cree, Métis, and Scottish heritage. A professor of Indigenous Literatures at the First Nations University of Canada, his publications include stories and poems in The Malahat Review, The Canadian Journal of Native Studies, MBC Magazine, and mitewâcimowina: Indigenous Science Fiction and Speculative Storytelling. He also edited the award-winning anthology kisiskâciwan: Indigenous Voices from Where the River Flows Swiftly, and co-edited Performing Turtle Island: Indigenous Theatre on the World Stage.

Jesse Archibald-Barber's profile page