Travels in the Shining Island: The Story of James Evans and the Invention of the Cree Syllabary Alphabet - Softcover

In 1842 at York Factory, the English-born missionary James Evans built a lightweight tin canoe that glittered and shone in the sunlight. Wherever he went, Native peoples called the canoe his "Shining Island" or "His Island of Light."

Travels in the Shining Island chronicles important events in the life of the extraordinary Methodist missionary, James Evans (1801-1846). It was Evans who created a written alphabet in native languages that remains in use to the present time. Truly the first printer/publisher in the Canadian Northwest, his story is one of incredible courage, perseverance and unwavering faith.

"Using clay, lead and hand-carved wood to make characters, and soot, oil and animal blood for ink, he created a unique literary tradition that has become a central part of Northern Aboriginal culture."

- Queen’s Quarterly

Roger Burford Mason moved with his wife and son from England to Toronto in 1988. Since then he has published two collections of short stories, a collection of travel essays, two biographies, and a book about Canada. He has written for many Canadian, U.S., and British magazines and newspapers, and has broadcast on a number of Canadian radio stations. He is the editorial director of a group of business publications, and a contributing editor of Canadian Notes & Queries.