Little Badger and the Fire Spirit: Kanata Classics Edition

Part of the ground-breaking Kanata Classics list, with a new introduction by the author, Little Badger and the Fire Spirit, initially published in 1977, is Maria Campbell's recreation of a classic traditional story about how humans first acquired fire.

Eight-year-old Ahsinee is overjoyed that she gets to visit her grandparents and spend the whole summer in their little log house. Every night, she asks her Mooshoom for a story, and one evening, she asks for the story of fire. With a puff of his pipe, he tells the story of Little Badger and Grey Coyote.

Long ago, when the people and animals all spoke one language, Grey Coyote helped a young blind boy named Little Badger and taught him about the earth and the world around him. When Little Badger's people needed heat from the freezing cold, he set off with Grey Coyote's guidance to find the dangerous and elusive fire spirit in the heart of a mountain.

A heartwarming and charming tale of bravery, compassion, and friendship, this reissue of a 1977 classic is filled with beautiful new art, bringing to life the teachings and wisdom of one of our most respected Elders.

Author: Maria Campbell
Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
Published: 07/14/2026
Pages: 112
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.26lbs
Size: 8.11h x 5.41w x 0.61d
ISBN13: 9780771023507
ISBN10: 0771023502
BISAC Categories:
- Fiction | Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island
- Fiction | Indigenous | Oral Storytelling & Teachings
- Fiction | Friendship

About the Author
MARIA CAMPBELL is a Métis writer, playwright, filmmaker, scholar, teacher, community organizer, activist, and Elder. Halfbreed is regarded as a foundational work of Indigenous literature in Canada. She has authored several other books and plays, and has directed and written scripts for a number of films. She has also worked with Indigenous youth in community theatre and advocated for the hiring and recognition of Indigenous People in the arts. She has mentored many Indigenous artists during her career, established shelters for Indigenous women and children, and run a writers' camp at the national historical site at Batoche, where every summer she produces commemorative events on the anniversary of the battle of the 1885 North-West Rebellion. Maria Campbell is an officer of the Order of Canada and holds five honorary doctorates.