Move aside Goldilocks, a Vancouver-based company is hoping Kalkalilh will take your place or at least that of the bears.
This month, digital creative studio Rival Schools unveiled an interactive e-book app based on indigenous stories, including the Squamish Nation's tale of Kalkalilh.
"We wanted to do something a bit different," designer Crystal Lee said.
Skwxwu7mesh (Squamish) legends say Kalkalilh was a giant women who roamed the forest at night. She was on the hunt for naughty children who snuck out of bed to play. Once found, she'd toss them into a huge basket and haul them to her home in the mountains. There she'd have them for dinner.
"All the stories have a sense of adventure in which the children get into some kind of trouble, but learn a valuable lesson," Lee said.
The tale is translated in the nation's language by Skwxwu7mesh Chief Ian Campbell. The stories are also available in French and Spanish, with the hope that the technology will spread the Coast Salish language into more people's homes, Lee said.
"Basically we wanted to make sure it reached a wide audience."
Three years ago, the Skwxwu7mesh was declared critically endangered by the First Peoples' Heritage, Language and Culture Council. At the time a study on the status of B.C. first nations' languages stated only 10 people were fluent in Skwxwu7mesh.
The new app, which can be used on an iPad and other mobile devices, is already making waves online, Lee said. Launched on Aug. 1, the stories were selected as the "editor's choice" on iTunes app store. By the end of the first half of the day it was launched there were 850 downloads. Besides the Squamish Nation tale, the digital media includes stories from the Cree and Halq'emeylem nations.
"The reaction has been fantastic," Lee said.
For more information visit www.brambleberrytales.com.
