s ▁death ▁in ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁a ▁multi - n ational ▁group ▁of ▁educ ators ▁and ▁transl ators ▁established ▁" Project ▁U - e - pe ker " ▁with ▁the ▁intention ▁of ▁making ▁more ▁A inu ▁fol kt ales ▁available ▁in ▁English . ▁They ▁have ▁produced ▁English ▁versions ▁of ▁two ▁of ▁Kay ano ' s ▁books ▁under ▁the ▁titles ▁The ▁A inu : ▁A ▁Story ▁of ▁Japan ' s ▁Original ▁People ▁( T utt le ▁Publishing ▁ 2 0 0 4 ) ▁and ▁The ▁A inu ▁and ▁the ▁Fox ▁( R IC ▁Publications ▁ 2 0 0 6 ). ▁Future ▁projects ▁include ▁picture book ▁English ▁versions ▁of ▁the ▁y uk ar ▁recorded ▁in ▁, ▁an ▁anth ology ▁of ▁stories ▁from ▁the ▁A inu ▁or al ▁tradition ▁which ▁were ▁first ▁put ▁into ▁writing ▁and ▁translated ▁into ▁the ▁Japanese ▁language ▁by ▁Ch iri ▁Y uk ie ▁( 1 9 0 3 - 1 9 2 2 ), ▁the ▁nie ce ▁of ▁K ann ari ▁M ats u , ▁an ▁in valu able ▁assistant ▁to ▁K inda ichi ▁until ▁she ▁died ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 9 . ▁ ▁Books ▁which ▁relate ▁the ▁ep ic ▁songs ▁of ▁the ▁A inu ▁in ▁English ▁include ▁Ch iri ▁Y uk ie ' s ▁A inu ▁Shin ' y ō sh ū , ▁translated ▁by ▁Sarah ▁M . ▁Str ong ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁and ▁Benjamin ▁Pet erson ▁of ▁Project ▁Ok ik irm ui ▁in