NWT - At age 11, Sheyenne Jumbo is already a published author. The Grade 7 Charles Tetcho student co-authored Come and Learn With Me with Yellowknife author Mindy Willett. The following is an extra Q & A between Jumbo and News/North arts editor Daron Letts, covering the ups and downs of working on a book.

NEWS/NORTH: How does it feel to be a published author at such a young age?
Sheyenne Jumbo: I am very proud of publishing Come Learn With Me book and I feel cool to know my cultural values and I feel more mature and more confident in my writing skills. I don’t have any plans now to publish more of my writing as it is just a hobby I have of writing for now.

N/N: What sorts of things did you do to help Mindy with the book?
SJ: It was team work; with Mindy Willett, Tessa McIntosh, my family, me, (and) my teachers from my community. The sorts of things I did to help Mindy with the book was edit the photos and draft of the book, explore the land and practise my cultural activities out on the land. For example, we picked cranberries and I studied different types of herbal medicine from the land. I gave her ideas about what she might include in the book; was to put my story “Clean Socks” in the book. The ideas that I share with Mindy was the things in my life that I enjoy doing with my family, for example, going camping out on the land and staying in tents.

N/N: What was the most fun you had working on this book?
SJ: The most fun I had on working on this book was exploring the community cultural Lands. For example, setting rabbit snares and checking them by walking on walking trails and picking cranberries.

N/N: What was the hardest part about working on this book?
SJ: The hardest part of the working on this book was editing movement with camera for a perfect photo shot with Tessa McIntosh.

N/N: What did you learn by working on this book?
SJ:What I learn by working on this book is the different types of Herbal Medicine and how to make Birch bark basket.

N/N: What do you enjoy about writing?
SJ: I enjoy writing because I enjoy making the stories, the character, main idea, conflict and the theme. I write because I makes me calm and relax and I get to share my stories with young people and it makes me feel proud.

N/N: Your stories Clean Socks and The Giant Who Formed Trout Lake are very imaginative and creative and fun to read. How do you come up with such unique ideas to write about?
SJ: Robert Munch inspires me to keep writing because he wrote so many books I can’t even count them, the ones that he has written.

N/N: What do you think makes your family, your community and your culture such cool subjects for a book?
SJ: Because we have many different cultural skills we have in the community to past on to the children of the next generation.  

N/N: If you could write a book about anything in the world, what would you choose to write about?
SJ: If I could write a book about anything in the world, I would choose to write about ponies and horses because my younger sister loves to read about ponies and horses so I will dedicate the book to her and all her friends in the community.  

N/N: Why do you think it is important for young people in the NWT to see books that feature photographs, people and stories from the North?
SJ: It is important because I want to know more about my culture, where my ancestors, Great-great grand parents, grandparents, aunties and Uncle came from and keep the culture and traditions alive by passing it to the younger generation and keep writing Northern books.

N/N: What advice would you offer to other young people your age in the NWT who enjoy writing like you do?
SJ: Encourage young people to write a book about their own Culture in the NWT.

N/N: Is there anything I forgot to ask that you would like to say?
SJ: I would like to (say) thank you to Mindy Willet, Tessa Mintosh, my family and all the cultural teachers in my community who help me; make this book possible and thank you for the interview... Mahsi Cho!