Sheila Thompson's realistic photo essay Cheryl Bibalhats/Cheryl's Potlatch (Vanderhoof: Yinka Dene Language Institute, 1991) is a bilingual children's book about an Carrier girl's naming ceremony and the 1988 potlatch in her honour at the Margaret Patrick Memorial Centre in Burns Lake. The Carrier text is by Dorothy Patrick. Cheryl's excitement increases as her family collects gifts of flour and sugar, blankets and towels to be distributed to the guests. Her pride is evident as she describes the purpose of the ceremony, the importance of honouring traditions, and the relevance of community and clan. A member of the Caribou Clan of the Lake Babine Band, Cheryl was adopted by Sheila Thompson's parents. Thompson, a teacher from Alberta since 1974, received permission from Carrier elders to document how the tradition of the potlatch has successfully evolved into a contemporary rite. Thompson and Dorothy Patrick also collaborated on The Spirit of the Coast Salish (1990), an educational text.

BOOKS:

Thompson, Sheila & Dorothy Patrick. The Spirit of the Coast Salish (Vancouver: Creative Curriculum Inc., 1990).

Thompson, Sheila. Cheryl Bibalhats/Cheryl's Potlatch (Vanderhoof: Yinka Dene Language Institute, 1991).

[BCBW 2005] "First Nations"