Created for a Y/A audience of readers, Antoine Mountain follows up his previous memoir From Bear Rock Mountain with the book Child of Morning Star: Embers of an Ancient Dawn. The book is a poetic collection of stories that draws on his travels and knowledge as a Dene artist and a lifelong student of history. In it, Mountain weaves stories about people and art and the moments when our world manages to pause just briefly enough that we can see the roots of our communal humanity. Each part of this book corresponds to the four directions of the Medicine Wheel and offers insight into history, social conditions, community, and the spiritual. Child of Morning Star looks towards the future and the promise of tomorrow.

Antoine Mountain is from the Radelie Koe/Fort Good Hope area of the Dene Nation in Northwest Territories, Canada. He is a Dene artist, painter, and activist who focuses on depicting the Dene way of life, his love for the land, and the spiritualism of his faith. He has attended the Ontario College of Arts and Design for a Bachelor of Fine Arts, holds a Master’s in Environmental Studies from York University, and is currently doing a PhD in Indigenous Studies at Trent University. Mountain’s appreciation for his art and community is reflected in his continuous exploration of his visual practice and his intention to use his voice and art to ensure that today’s youth do not forget their Dene cultural roots and identity.