The Bee Mother

The “Mothers of Xsan” series continues with this seventh book describing the life cycles of insect mothers key to Gitxsan culture: the bumblebee, the yellow jacket wasp and the honeybee. Profiles show their different needs for nesting sites, from hollow trees to paper hives. These small creatures might escape notice much of the time, but this story points out how vital they are to the land: as pollinators, as pest controllers, as a source of honey—and a source of food for non-human animals such as bears and birds. Most active throughout the summer months, their development reaches completion in sync with Gitxsan activities as they reap a wild harvest of food from rivers and berries from the land in the fall. The bees represent hope for the next growing season as none of this would happen without these insects in the ecosystem.

Once again, the illustrations are stunningly rendered in vivid color with closeup views of Nox Ap, the yellow jackets and bumblebee. The insects in golds and browns show brilliant contrast with the forest vegetation greens and floral colors. Formline drawings add another layer of interest to the indigenous focus. Vocabulary that might require extra definition for readers is tucked into small inserts on the pages where the terms are used. As with the previous titles in the series, The Bee Mother concludes with the brief historical notes about the Gitxsan and their Moons.

The books in the “Mothers of Xsan” series are a fascinating way to bring the natural life so intertwined with an indigenous nation (and all our lives) to our attention and enjoyment.