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Geared toward young readers, this monolingual children's book teaches about opposites. Readers follow engaging and whimsical skunks through a variety of day-to-day situations and learn how to say them in Chickasaw. Koni's illustrations make the Chickasaw phrases easy to understand and learn and allow children and their families to be immersed in the language. Koni features a Chickasaw language glossary and is available in paperback or board book versions.
About the author
Donna Courtney Welch (Fochik Hilha, "Dancing Star") is an award-winning Chickasaw artist. A native Oregonian, Welch moved to Oklahoma in 2016, with her family, to connect more closely to her native ancestry and tribe. Though she dabbles in a number of mediums, including pencil sketches and sewing, her primary art form involves transforming gourds into unique vessels bearing traditional Southeastern designs. Her gourds often serve as functional pieces, in addition to being exquisite works of art. Steffani A. Cochran is a Chickasaw citizen who has devoted over two decades of public service to promoting and defending tribal sovereignty in Indian Country. She was named the 2011 Chickasaw Nation Dynamic Woman of the Year. Cochran holds a bachelor's degree in political science/public affairs from Oklahoma State University, a juris doctorate from American University, and a master's degree in public administration from George Mason University. She resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Kari A.B. Chew is a Chickasaw citizen and postdoctoral fellow for the NeȾolṉew̱ "one mind, one people" Indigenous Language Research Partnership at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada. She began learning Chikashshanompa' in 2008 as an intern for the Chickasaw Nation. She holds a degree in Native American Studies from Dartmouth College, a master's degree in Chickasaw linguistics from UCLA and a doctorate in indigenous language education from the University of Arizona. Sherrie Begay (Fani' Iskanno'si, "Little Squirrel") grew up hearing Chickasaw spoken by her father, Ben Courtney, and has had a lifelong passion for studying the Chickasaw language. She is a certified Chickasaw language teacher and currently teaches live online classes to students from all across the United States, in cooperation with the Chickasaw Nation's language revitalization program.
