"The Salmon Twins" by author and illustrator Caroll Simpson is an excellent example of a traditional style legend written by an individual who doesn't come from an Aboriginal background, and is yet worth reading (which is rare!). This story is a completely made up tale, which Simpson acknowledges openly in the back and front of the book. According to an authority on Aboriginal themed reviews, Oyate.org (2015), this is an absolute must when it comes to writing a story in the style or format of a traditional Indigenous legend. Simpson also acknowledges all of the sources that she pulled from in order to piece together the drawings and theme of her story - from books about Totem Poles to resources on the myths and legends of the North Pacific Coast of America. This recognition of sources is crucial as it gives the reader an idea about the authenticity of the material - it is not entirely fictional, but contains realistic elements of local First Nations subjects and demonstrates the author has researched and is diligent about representing the Aboriginal community as best as she can.
Basically, this "legend" tells the story of a pair of twins who must learn to share in order to save their people, after they are turned into a two headed sea-serpent by the great Thunderbird. The twins encounter a killer whale, a dogfish, a sea wolf and other creatures on their learning journey.
Lastly, the reason "The Salmon Twins" can be considered an acceptable book to read to children is that the author is given a very positive review on Strongnations.com , which is a publisher of credible Indigenous books. The review states that Simpson has loved and respected First Nations culture for many years. The review also says that Simpson is knowledgeable about the areas in which she writes and has traditional Aboriginal skills of making moccasins.
In sum, while Simpson may not be biologically from a First Nation community, her connectedness and love for the culture makes her a decent author of Aboriginal literature for children.
References:
Simpson, C. (2012). The salmon twins. Victoria, British Columbia: Heritage House Publishers.
Strongnations.com. (2015). Strong nations: We bring Indigenous books into your lives. Available online at http://www.strongnations.com/
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