"Askiwina" is a Cree word that refers to the passage of time, roughly meaning "over the years." This book travels from the past to the present. It gives the reader a glimpse of our past and our beliefs, in the hope that this will help people understand the present. These stories are not mine. I am only a storyteller. The stories belong to our people and have been handed down to me through my father and other elders. An elder once described her life on a reserve close to a city. The city grew up to the reserve boundaries but her people remained. "I'm still here," she told me. That comment sums up First Nations in Canada. we're still here.

Doug Cuthand is a journalist and an independent film producer/director. His numerous features and columns in daily newspapers and other print media have made his a respected voice for the aboriginal community.