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Illustrated by Dozay (Arlene) Christmas

The human need to belong is very powerful, so much so that we often sacrifice parts of who we are in order to be accepted. This is the tale of a young cougar, Ajig, who makes this sacrifice - and pays dearly. A curious and adventurous cougar, Ajig decides to build a new home in a strange forest. When he finds that all of the animals in the forest are afraid of him, Ajig agrees to stop behaving like a cougar so that he can make friends. But when Ajig tries to return to his birthplace, he learns that he is no longer welcome. Lost between two worlds, the young cougar becomes a "ghost cat." This beautifully illustrated book, written in both Mi'kmaw and English, reflects the experiences of First Nations peoples' assimilation into the Euro-Canadian school system, but speaks to everyone who is marginalized or at risk.

Originally from the Listuguj First Nation, Michael (Mickey) James Isaac is the eldest of six children and father of five wonderful children -- Mikey, Mitchell, Mallory, Vanessah and Sasha. He has lots of lived experiences including fourteen years in law enforcement and a number of years with various federal departments in Ottawa, the last of which was the Canadian Security Intelligent Service (CSIS). Mike obtained an M.Ed. in administration from St. Francis Xavier University and taught for more than six years within the Cape Breton Victoria Regional School Board. After two years as a student service consultant with the Nova Scotia Department of Education he returned to his home community and is now a Student Support Coordinator with the Listuguj Education Directorate.