Immerse yourself in books informing and celebrating the cultures and contributions of the First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples of Canada
Plongez-vous dans des livres qui informent et célèbrent les cultures et les contributions des peuples des Premières nations, des Inuits et des Métis du Canada.
In a dynamic poetry collection of dry wit and powerful commentary, bush camp features a roster of strikingly original characters and Marvin Francis’s trademark subversive wordplay to describe the physical rigors of a railroad camp as well as the complex demands of the urban reserve. Poems splash out on the page in a wildly creative exploration of the clash of rural and urban, First Nation and majority cultures. Poetry. Turnstone Press
Gritty and fresh, Marvin Francis’s long poem, city treaty, tackles the tough issues of cultural assimilation and the challenges faced by a traditional community trying to locate itself in the urban context. His poetry breaks linguistic conventions and leaps off the page. Poetry. Turnstone Press
In this brave first book, Lucy Haché transports the reader with her personal revelationson self-awareness and identity. Masterfully illustrated with stunning and meteorologicallyaccurate cloud drawings by artist Michael Joyal. Poetry. At Bay Press. In the second installation of the Overhead Series, Stars, Lucy Haché once again transports the reader with intimate revelations on identity by exploring her personal and ancestral relationship with the sky and stars. Masterfully illustrated by artist Michael Joyal, his evocative astronomic drawings contribute to the overall sensory and transcendent experience. Poetry. At Bay Press
This is a story about the fur trade and First Nations, and the development of northern Canada, seen and experienced not only through Leonard Flett’s eyes, but also through the eyes of his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. The lives of indigenous people in remote areas of northern Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan in the 1960s and 1970s are examined in detail and provides an insight into the dying days of the fur trade and the rise of a new retail business tailored to First Nations. Non-fiction, memoir. Enfield and Wizenty
Illustrated by Natasha Donovan, this engaging looks at how the animals, people, and seasons within an ecosystem are intertwined. To the Gitxsan people of Northwestern British Columbia, the grizzly is an integral part of the natural landscape. Together, they share the land and forests that the Skeena River runs through, as well as the sockeye salmon within it. Follow mother bear as she teaches her cubs what they need to survive on their own. Children. HighWater Press
Dans la plus pure tradition des mémoires, Gabriel Dumont, le général de Louis Riel, parle pour rectifier la version officielle des faits, souvent exagérée ou fausse. Au-delà de l’épopée de la Résistance des Métis du Nord-Ouest de 1885, c’est le rôle de Gabriel Dumont et son héroïsme supérieur qui ressortent. De nouveaux documents ont été ajoutés à cette réédition. Dans des extraits de témoignages recueillis par l’abbé Gabriel Cloutier en 1886, d’autres combattants prennent la parole pour offrir leur perspective et, indirectement, un aperçu du courage et de la résilience des femmes métisses. Les Éditions du Blé
This is a great story, told in a unique voice that blends the spirit of Aboriginal storytelling and culture with a playful take on parent-child relationships. It does so in an imaginative and delightful way, with all kinds of things for kids to explore and take from the illustrations. The playful font enhances everything. Children. Peanut Butter Press.
Honouring the Strength of Indian Women: Plays, Stories, Poetry by Vera Manuel, edited by Michelle Coupal, Deanna Reder, Joanne Arnott, and Emalene A. Manuel
This critical edition delivers a unique and comprehensive collection of the works of Ktunaxa-Secwepemc writer and educator Vera Manuel (1948-2010), daughter of prominent Indigenous leaders Marceline Paul and George Manuel. A vibrant force in the burgeoning Indigenous theatre scene, Vera was at the forefront of residential school writing and did groundbreaking work as a dramatherapist and healer. Non-fiction. University of Manitoba Press
Ikwe is a new colouring book by Anishinaabe artist Jackie Traverse. Featuring brand new works, the stunning images in IKWE celebrate the spiritual and ceremonial aspects of women and their important role as water protectors. Fernwood Publishing
Indianland is a rich and varied poetry collection. The poems are written from a female and Indigenous point of view and incorporate Anishinaabemowin throughout. Time is cyclical in this collection, moving from present day back to first contact and forward again. Themes of sexuality, birth, memory, and longing are explored; images of blood, plants, and petroglyphs reoccur; and touchstone issues in Indigenous politics are addressed (Elijah Harper, Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, forced sterilizations, Oka). Winner of the Pat Lowther Memorial Award 2018. Poetry. ARP Books
In this deeply engaging oral history, Doug Williams, Anishinaabe elder, teacher and mentor, recounts the history of the Michi Saagiig Nisnaabeg in Ontario, tracing through personal and historical events, and challenging existing historical narratives of the the region. Edited collaboratively with Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, the book presents a fascinating perspective in the singular voice of Williams, whose rare body of knowledge spans back to the 1700s. With this wealth of knowledge, wit and storytelling prowess, Williams recounts key moments of his personal history, connecting them to the larger history of the Anishinaabeg and other Indigenous communities. Non-fiction. ARP Books
Écrit en français et anglais / written in French and English. Nanabozho, le filou des légendes des peuples anishnabègues tombe amoureux d’une demoiselle nommée Daywayganatig. Celle-ci, pour sa part, est éprise de Gabriel, un jeune voyageur canadien-français. Pour gagner le coeur de sa bien-aimée, Nanabozho, le joueur de tours, confrontera son rival à son incapacité à survivre dans le pays des autochtones. Lequel des deux gagnera le coeur de sa bienaimée ? 9e à 12e : GUIDE D’APPRENTISSAGE INTERACTIF (PDF). Les Éditions du Blé. Nanabozho, the Anishinabe trickster, falls in love with a young woman, Daywayganatig. She, however, is smitten with the French-Canadian Gabriel. In an effort to win the affections of his beloved, Nanabozho sets out to demonstrate that Gabriel doesn’t have what it takes to survive in the land of indigenous peoples. Which of the two will Daywayganatig chose? 9-12 GRADES : LEARNING GUIDES (PDF). Les Éditions du Blé
Night Moves by Richard Van Camp
As a window into the magic and potential of the Northwest Territories, Richard Van Camp’s fourth short story collection continues to explore the incredible lives of indigenous characters introduced in The Lesser Blessed, Angel Wing Splash Pattern, The Moon of Letting Go, and Godless but Loyal to Heaven. If this is your first time to Fort Simmer and Fort Smith, welcome. If it’s another visit, come on in: we’ve left the lights on for you. Short stories, fiction. Enfield and Wizenty
Nitinikiau Innusi: I Keep the Land Alive by Tshaukuesh Elizabeth Penashue, edited by Elizabeth Yeoman
Nitinikiau Innusi began as a diary written in Innu-aimun by Labrador Innu cultural and environmental activist Tshaukuesh Elizabeth Penashue. She led the Innu campaign against NATO’s low-level flying and bomb testing on Innu land during the 1980s and ’90s, and was a key respondent in a landmark legal case in which the judge held that the Innu had the “colour of right” to occupy the Canadian Forces base in Goose Bay, Labrador. Over the past twenty years she has led walks and canoe trips in nutshimit, “on the land,” to teach people about Innu culture and knowledge. In her memoir, Tshaukuesh records day-to-day experiences, court appearances, and interviews with reporters. Non-fiction. University of Manitoba Press
Northern Wildflower is the beautifully written and powerful memoir of Catherine Lafferty. With startling honesty and a distinct voice, Lafferty tells her story of being a Dene woman growing up in Canada’s North and her struggles with intergenerational trauma, discrimination, poverty, addiction, love, and loss. Focusing on the importance of family ties, education, spiritualism, cultural identity, health, happiness, and the courage to speak the truth, Lafferty’s words bring cultural awareness and relativity to Indigenous and non-Indigenous readers alike, giving insight into the real issues many Indigenous women face and dispelling misconceptions about what life in the North is like. Non-fiction, Memoir. Fernwood Publishing.
Ohpikiihaakan-ohpihmeh (Raised somewhere else): A 60s Scoop Adoptee’s Story of Coming Home by Colleen Cardinal, foreword by Raven Sinclair (Ótiskewápíwskew)
This book delves into the personal and provocative narrative of Colleen Cardinal’s journey growing up in a non- Indigenous household as a 60s Scoop adoptee. Cardinal speaks frankly and intimately about instances of violence and abuse throughout her life, but this book is not a story of tragedy. It is a story of empowerment, reclamation and, ultimately, personal reconciliation. Non-fiction, memoir Fernwood Publishing
Picking up where Kuehl’s acclaimed Portraits of the North left off, Portraits of the Far North pages follow the artist as he crosses the 60th parallel into Nunavut and the Far North, to meet the few Inuit Elders who still remember the days when their people lived entirely off the bounty of the land. The astonishing graphite pencil drawings and accompanying stories within are the result of Kuehl’s travels in Nunavut over thirteen years, hundreds of interviews with Elders, and thousands of hours at the drawing board. VIDACOM
Picking up where Pemmican Wars left off, Red River Resistance sees Echo Desjardins adjusting to her new home, finding friends, and learning about Métis history. One ordinary afternoon in class, Echo finds herself transported through time to the banks of the Red River in the summer of 1869. All is not well in the territory, as Canadian surveyors have arrived and Métis families, who have lived there for generations, are losing access to their land. As the Resistance takes hold, Echo fears for her friends and the future of her people in the Red River Valley. Illustrated by Scott B. Henderson and coloured by Donovan Yaciuk. Graphic novel. HighWater Press
Dans Riel, patriote, Robert Freynet nous transporte par le neuvième art au Canada de la Confédération. L’auteur met en scène le drame tragique de la vie du controversé chef métis Louis Riel, fondateur de la province du Manitoba et l’un des Pères de la Confédération canadienne. L’intrigue et l’émotion sont au rendez-vous dans ce récit concis et authentique situé au 19e siècle. Sur une toile de fond aux dimensions internationales, un homme se tient debout, un peuple se rallie, un pays est forgé. Bande dessinée, à partir de 12 ans. Les Éditions des Plaines
Rooster Town: The History of an Urban Métis Community, 1901–1961 by Evelyn Peters, Matthew Stock, and Adrian Werner
Rooster Town was a Métis community on the outskirts of southwest Winnipeg that endured from 1901 to 1961. Peters, Stock, and Werner document the story of a community rooted in kinship, culture, and historical circumstance, whose residents existed unofficially in the cracks of municipal bureaucracy, while navigating the legacy of settler colonialism and the demands of modernity and urbanization. Non-fiction. University of Manitoba Press
she walks for days inside a thousand eyes: a two-spirit story by Sharron Proulux-Turner
she walks for days inside a thousand eye: a two-spirit story creatively juxtaposes first-person narratives and traditional stories with the voices of contemporary two-spirit women, voices taken from nature, and the teachings of Water, Air, Fire and Mother Earth. The author restores the reputation of two-spirit woman that had been long under attack from Western culture as she re-appropriates the lives of these individuals from the writings of Western anthropologists and missionaries. Poetry. Turnstone Press
In remote communities of the north, people celebrate the first signs of the coming spring with a community picnic. This is a simple yet touching tale of young Iskotew and her growing excitement for the change is seasons is Illustrated by Christie Rice. K – Grade 4, Children. Pemmican Publications
Structures of Indifference: An Indigenous Life and Death in a Canadian City by Mary Jane Logan McCallum and Adele Perry
Structures of Indifference examines an Indigenous life and death in a Canadian city and what it reveals about the ongoing history of colonialism. At the heart of this story is a thirty-four-hour period in September 2008. During that day and half Brian Sinclair, a middle-aged, non-Status Anishinaabeg resident of Manitoba’s capital city, arrived in the emergency room of the Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg’s major downtown hospital, was left untreated and unattended to, and ultimately died from an easily treatable infection. His death reflects a particular structure of indifference born of and maintained by colonialism. Non-fiction. University of Manitoba Press. WINNER of the Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for Non-Fiction at the 2019 Manitoba Book Awards and the Indigenous History Prize at the Canadian Historical Association’s 2019 annual meeting
This Place: 150 Years Retold
Explore the past 150 years through the eyes of Indigenous creators in this groundbreaking graphic novel anthology. Beautifully illustrated, these stories are an emotional and enlightening journey through Indigenous wonderworks, psychic battles, and time travel. See how Indigenous peoples have survived a post-apocalyptic world since Contact. Stories by Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm, Sonny Assu, Brandon Mitchell, Rachel and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley, David A. Robertson, Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair, Jen Storm, Richard Van Camp, Katherena Vermette, Chelsea Vowel | illustrated by Tara Audibert, Kyle Charles, GMB Chomichuk, Natasha Donovan, Scott B. Henderson, Ryan Howe, Andrew Lodwick, Jen Storm | colour by Scott A. Ford, Donovan Yaciuk. Graphic novel. HighWater Press
A friendship between a man and a teenage boy is forged in tragedy. High school teacher Derek Justin seeks solace after the death of his wife and instant son in a car accident. Student Alex Lightoller needs a safe home after suffering tragedy of his own. They become friends, but Alex risks greater suffering when his girlfriend, Amy, is a drug addict. Trust and friendship save the day, but not without a price. Fiction. Pemmican Publications
With verve and wit, and drawing upon years of teaching Metis courses at the University of Manitoba and the University of Saskatchewan, Shore combs the threads of history to explore and explain many aspects that have mystified the general public, from the origins of a nation through the fur trade to the importance of the Red River settlement in Manitoba to Metis proliferation in Canada. Non-fiction. Pemmican Publications
Joyfully Illustrated by Kimberly McKa, thisy book begins where I Don’t Like Bugs! = J’aime paa lii biibiits! concluded. Two children bring us through the delights of Winter, again with simultaneous translation of the Métis language of Mitchif. Children ages 3-6. Pemmican Publications
