Flight of the hummingbird

Credit: Douglas & McIntyre

This is the video accompaniment to the book “Flight of the hummingbird,” which we reviewed in the Summer issue of Granville.

The parable of a hummingbird that takes small steps toward achieving a big goal has its origins with the Haida people of the Pacific Northwest and the Quechan people of South America. It forms the basis for this slim volume illustrated by Vancouver-based artist Michael Yahgulanaas in his contemporary “Haida manga” comic book style.

Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas produced this short insightful clip highlighting the main character (Dukdukdiya). Animated in the same ‘haida manga’ style, the animals are displaced after their forest catches fire. Dukdukdiya carries single drops of water to the raging fire, doing what she can herself to fight the flames. Small in length but huge in feeling, this video is only the beginning of the message.