When you take something from the earth you must always give something back. From the Kwantlen First Nation village of Squa'lets comes the tale of Th'owxiya, an old and powerful spirit that inhabits a feast dish of tempting, beautiful foods from around the world. But even surrounded by this delicious food, Th'owxiya herself craves only the taste of children. When she catches a hungry mouse named Kw'atel stealing a piece of cheese from her dish, she threatens to devour Kw'atel's whole family, unless she can bring Th'owxiya two child spirits. Ignorant but desperate, Kw'atel sets out on an epic journey to fulfill the spirit's demands. With the help of a sqeweqs, two spa: th, and a sasq'ets, Kw'atel endeavours to find gifts that would appease Th'owxiya and save her family.

A play.

Intro -- Characters -- Setting -- Th'owxiya -- Introduction Storytelling -- Th'owxiya Whorl -- Forest Whorl -- Sqeweqs Whorl -- Wings Whorl -- Kw'at'el Whorl -- Raven Whorl -- Storytelling -- Feast -- Feast Song -- Storytelling Finale -- Study Guide -- 1. Synopsis -- Origins of the Story -- 2. Supporting Stories -- "A Little Fish" By Joseph A. Dandurand -- "Two" By Joseph A. Dandurand -- The Wild Woman of the Woods -- Hansel and Gretel (Grimms' Fairy Tale) -- 3. Q & A with Playwright Joseph A. Dandurand -- What does this story mean to you? -- What is your background? Tell us about the traditions of music and storytelling in First Nations culture. -- Tell us about the characters in the play. -- Tell us about the setting in the play. -- 4. Connections -- Themes -- Arts Education Curriculum Connection K-7 -- Social Responsibility Connection K-7 -- First Peoples' Principles of Learning -- 5. Activities -- Reviewing Th'owxyia: The Hungry Feast Dish -- Discuss the Theme of Respect for the Environment -- Playing with Song and Story -- Masks and Puppets -- Geography -- Have Fun with Drama Games: Pantomime -- Have Fun with Drama Games: Mirrors Have Fun with Drama Games: What Are You Doing? -- Researching and Reflecting on First Nations Culture -- 6. Pacific Northwest First Nations -- Kwantlen First Nation History -- 7. Appendix -- Vocabulary -- Pantomime Suggestions -- Websites for Reference -- Acknowledgements -- About the Author.