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1 | RECOMMENDED INDIGENOUS TITLES | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
2 | Book Cover | Title / Author | Publisher / Year Published | Summary | Level | Notes / Themes / Genres | ISBN | |||||||||||||||||||
3 | When We Are Kind / Monique Gray Smith | Orca Book Publishers, 2020 | When We Are Kind celebrates simple acts of everyday kindness and encourages children to explore how they feel when they initiate and receive acts of kindness in their lives. | Preschool Cycle | Kindness Compassion Friendship Also available in French (Nous sommes gentils) | 9781459825222 | ||||||||||||||||||||
4 | What's My Super power/ by Aviaq Johnston (Author), Tim Mack (Illustrator) | Inhabitat 2017 | Nalvana feels like all of her friends have some type of superpower. She has friends with super speed (who always beat her in races), friends with super strength (who can dangle from the monkey bars for hours), and friends who are better than her at a million other things. Nalvana thinks she must be the only kid in town without a superpower. But then her mom shows Nalvana that she is unique and special, and that her superpower was right in front of her all along. | Preschool Cycle 1 | Kindness Compassion Friendship Aspects of Inuit Culture & Language | 978-1772271409 | ||||||||||||||||||||
5 | The Girl and the Wolf / Katherena Vermette | Theytus Books, 2019 | While picking berries with her mother, a little girl wanders too far into the woods. When she realizes she is lost, she begins to panic. A large grey wolf makes a sudden appearance between some distant trees. Using his sense of smell, he determines where she came from and decides to help her. Through a series of questions from the wolf, the little girl realizes she had the knowledge and skill to navigate herself--she just needed to remember that those abilities were there all along | Preschool Cycle | Fantasy & Folklore Independence Survival Animals | 9781926886541 | ||||||||||||||||||||
6 | Phyllis's Orange Shirt / Phyllis Webstad | Medicine Wheel Education, 2019 | Phyllis's Orange Shirt is an adaptaion of The Orange Shirt Story. When Phyllis was a little girl she was excited to go to residential school for the first time. Her Granny bought her a bright orange shirt that she loved and she wore it to school for her first day. When she arrived at school her bright orange shirt was taken away. This is both Phyllis Webstad's true story and the story behind Orange Shirt Day. | Preschool Cycle | Residential Schools Also available in French (Le chandail orange de Phyllis) | 9781989122242 | ||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Stand Like a Cedar / Nicola I. Campbell | Portage & Main, 2021 | When you go for a walk in nature, who do you see? What do you hear? Award-winning storyteller Nicola I. Campbell shows what it means to "stand like a cedar" on this beautiful journey of discovery through the wilderness. Learn the names of animals in the Nłeʔkepmxcín or Halq'emeylem languages as well as the teachings they have for us. | Preschool Cycle | Animals Nature Also available in French (Debout comme un grand cèdre) | 9781553799214 | ||||||||||||||||||||
8 | I Sang You Down from the Stars / Tasha Spillett-Sumner | Owlkids Books, 2021 | #OwnVoices love letter from an Indigenous mother to her new baby. The narrator gathers gifts for a medicine bundle in anticipation of her baby's birth; a fluffy white eagle plume, bunches of cedar and sage, a quilted star blanket, and a small stone from the river. When the baby arrives, the mother shares the bundle with her child and reveals the importance of each item inside. But when her family comes to meet the new arrival, she realizes the baby arrived with gifts of its own and that the baby is also a sacred bundle: a baby bundle. | Preschool Cycle | Mother and Child | 9781771474085 | ||||||||||||||||||||
9 | It's a Mitig! / Bridget George | Douglas & McIntyre, 2020 | Giizis--the sun--rises. What's hiding in the trees? It's a Mitig! guides young readers through the forest while introducing them to Ojibwe words for nature. From sunup to sundown, encounter an amik playing with sticks and swimming in the river, a prickly gaag hiding in the bushes and a big, bark-covered mitig. | Preschool Cycle, Primary Cycle 1 | Nature | 9781771622738 | ||||||||||||||||||||
10 | Fry Bread: a Native American Family Story / Kevin Noble Maillard | Roaring Book Press, 2019 | Told in powerful verse by debut author Kevin Noble Maillard, Fry Bread is an evocative story about family, history, culture, and traditions, new and old, illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Juana Martinez-Neal. | Preschool Cycle, Primary Cycle 1 | Family History Culture & Tradition Food | 9781626727465 | ||||||||||||||||||||
11 | Mii Maanda Ezhi-Gkendmaanh / This Is How I Know / Brittany Luby | Groundwood Books, 2021 | In this lyrical story-poem, written in Anishinaabemowin and English, a child and grandmother explore their surroundings, taking pleasure in the familiar sights that each new season brings. | Preschool Cycle, Primary Cycle 1 | Nature Seasons Also available in French (Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh / La Terre me parle: Un livre sur les saisons) | 9781773063263 | ||||||||||||||||||||
12 | Meennunyakaa - Blueberry Patch / Jennifer Leason | Theytus Books, 2019 | Based in Duck Bay, Manitoba, in the 1940s, an Elder shares his experience of packing up to go out to collect blueberries, a traditional gathering that took place every summer. He describes the journey and landscape with humor and such vivid imagery that readers will see themselves there with him, boarding the trail of wagons from surrounding communities and heading east toward the blueberry patch. | Preschool Cycle, Primary Cycle 1 | Family Tradition Food | 9781926886589 | ||||||||||||||||||||
13 | You Hold Me Up / Monique Gray Smith | Orca Book Publishers, 2017 | Encourages children to show love and support for each other and to consider each other's well-being in their everyday actions. | Preschool Cycle, Primary Cycle 1 | Empathy Respect Friendship Also available in French (Tu es là pour moi) | 9781459814479 | ||||||||||||||||||||
14 | We all play / Julie Flett | Greystone Books, 2021 | This book celebrates playtime and the connection between children and the natural world. | Preschool Cycle, Primary Cycle 1 | Animals & Nature Play | 9781771646079 | ||||||||||||||||||||
15 | I Am Loved / Kevin and Mary Qamaniq-Mason | Inhabit Media, 2020 | Pakak is in a new foster home, with new people, new food, and new smells. Feeling alone and uncertain, Pakak finds comfort in a secret shared with him by his anaanattiaq, his grandmother, and in the knowledge that he is loved no matter how far away his family may be.Written as a gift for Inuit children in care by foster parents Kevin and Mary Qamaniq-Mason, this book is lovingly imbued with cultural familiarities that will resonate with children who, like Pakak, are navigating the unknown. | Preschool Cycle, Primary Cycle 1 | Foster care Family Belonging Also available in French (Je suis aimé) | 9781772272819 | ||||||||||||||||||||
16 | Una Huna?: What Is This? / Susan Aglukark | Inhabit Media, 2018 | Ukpik loves living in her camp in the North with her family. When a captain from the south arrives to trade with Ukpik’s father, Ukpik is excited to learn how to use the forks, knives, and spoons he brings with him. At first, Ukpik enjoys teaching the other children how to use these new tools. But soon, she starts to wonder if they’ll need to use the new tools all the time, and if that means that everything in camp will change. After a conversation with her grandmother, Ukpik realizes that even though she will learn many new things, her love for her family and camp will never change. | Preschool Cycle, Primary Cycle 1 | Change New Experiences | 9781772272260 | ||||||||||||||||||||
17 | A Day With Yayah / Nicola I. Campbell | Tradewind Books, 2017 | Set in the Nicola Valley, British Columbia, in Canada's westernmost province, a First Nations family goes on an outing to forage for herbs and mushrooms. A grandmother passes down her knowledge of plant life and the natural world to her young grandchildren. | Preschool Cycle, Primary Cycle 1 | Grandparents Nature | 9781926890098 | ||||||||||||||||||||
18 | Sometimes I feel Like a Fox / Danielle Daniel | Groundwood Books, 2017 | In this introduction to the Anishinaabe tradition of totem animals, young children explain why they identify with different creatures such as a deer, beaver or moose. In a brief author's note, Danielle Daniel explains the importance of totem animals in Anishinaabe culture and how they can also act as animal guides for young children seeking to understand themselves and others. | Preschool Cycle, Primary Cycle 1 | Totems Animals Culture & Tradition Also available in French (Parfois je suis un renard) | 9781773061177 | ||||||||||||||||||||
19 | Thunder and the Noise Storms / Jeffrey and Shezza Ansloos | Annick Press, 2021 | Kids laughing, sneakers squeaking, balls bouncing--for Thunder, the sounds of the school day often brew into overwhelming noise storms. But when Thunder's mosom asks him what he hears on an urban nature walk, Thunder starts to understand how sounds like bird wings flapping and rushing water can help him feel calm and connected. | Preschool Cycle, Primary Cycle 1 | Autism Emotions & Feelings Nature Mindfulness | 9781773215587 | ||||||||||||||||||||
20 | Fishing with Grandma / Susan Avingaq and Maren Vsetula | Inhabit Media, 2016 | Adventure begins when Grandma takes her two grandchildren out for a trip to the lake. After showing the kids how to prepare for a fishing trip, Grandma and the kids enjoy a day of jigging in the ice for fish. Grandma shows them every step they need to know to complete a successful fishing trip, from what clothes to wear, to how to drill and clear holes in the ice, to how to make a traditional Inuit jigging rod. By the end of the day, the kids have a yummy meal of Arctic char, and they have also learned everything they need to know to go out on the lake on their own. | Preschool Cycle, Primary Cycle 1 | Grandparents Culture & Tradition Also available in French (À la peche avec grand-maman) | 9781772270846 | ||||||||||||||||||||
21 | Birdsong / Julie Flett | Greystone Books, 2019 | When Katherena and her mother move to a small town, Katherena feels lonely and out of place. But when she meets an elderly woman artist who lives next door, named Agnes--her world starts to change. Katherena and Agnes share the same passions for arts and crafts, birds, and nature. But as the seasons change, can Katherna navigate the failing health of her new friend? | Preschool Cycle, Primary Cycle 1 | Moving Friendship Emotions & Feelings Nature Seasons | 9781771644730 | ||||||||||||||||||||
22 | Kits, Cubs, and Calves: An Arctic Summer / Suzie Napayok-Short | Inhabit Media, 2020 | Akuluk is visiting her family in Nunavut and can’t wait to get out on her uncle’s boat for a ride into the powerful Arctic Ocean. Surrounded by her family, and with her trusty toy polar bear beside her, Akuluk experiences the beautiful sights, sounds, and animals that abound in the ocean and along the shore during the short Arctic summer—from a mother polar bear and her cubs to a family of belugas and tiny Arctic fox kits. As they encounter each animal, Akuluk’s aunt and uncles share with her how each species cares for its young, and how they protect their babies from the other animals who share their ecosystem. | Preschool Cycle, Primary Cycle 1 | Animals Nature Caring for the Environment | 9781772272741 | ||||||||||||||||||||
23 | Tanna's Owl / Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley | Inhabit Media, 2020 | When Tanna’s father brings home an abandoned owl, she is not eager to take care of the needy, ugly little bird. Tanna must wake at 4:00 a.m. to catch food for the owl. She must feed it, clean up after it, all while avoiding its sharp, chomping beak and big, stomping talons. After weeks of following her father’s instructions on how to care for the owl, Tanna must leave home for school. Her owl has grown. It has lost its grey baby feathers and is beginning to sprout a beautiful adult snowy owl coat. As she says good-bye to the owl, she is relieved not to have to care for it anymore, but also a bit sad. | Preschool Cycle, Primary Cycle 1 | Animals Nature Seasons Responsibility | 9781772272505 | ||||||||||||||||||||
24 | The Origin of Day and Night / Paula Ikuutaq Rumbolt | Inhabit Media, 2018 | In this Inuit tale, the actions of a hare and a fox change the Arctic forever by creating day and night. In very early times, there was no night or day and words spoken by chance could become real. When a hare and a fox meet and express their longing for light and darkness, their words are too powerful to be denied. Passed orally from storyteller to storyteller for hundreds of years, this beautifully illustrated story weaves together elements of an origin story and a traditional animal tale, giving young readers a window into Inuit mythology. | Preschool Cycle, Primary Cycle 1 | Inuit Folklore Animal Folklore | 9781772271805 | ||||||||||||||||||||
25 | Swift Fox All Along / Rebecca Thomas. | Annick Press, 2020 | When Swift Fox’s father picks her up to go visit her aunties, uncles, and cousins, her belly is already full of butterflies. And when he tells her that today is the day that she’ll learn how to be Mi’kmaq, the butterflies grow even bigger. Though her father reassures her that Mi’kmaq is who she is from her eyes to her toes, Swift Fox doesn’t understand what that means. Her family welcomes her with smiles and hugs, but when it’s time to smudge and everyone else knows how, Swift Fox feels even more like she doesn’t belong. | Preschool Cycle, Primary Cycle 1 | Family Identity Emotions & Feelings Also available in French (Wowgwis de la tête aux pieds) | 9781773214481 | ||||||||||||||||||||
26 | Awâsis and the World-Famous Bannock / Dallas Hunt | Portage & Main Press, 2018 | During an unfortunate mishap, young Awâsis loses Kôhkum's freshly baked world-famous bannock. Not knowing what to do, Awâsis seeks out a variety of other-than-human relatives willing to help. What adventures are in store for Awâsis? Awâsis and the World-Famous Bannock highlights the importance of collaboration and seeking guidance from one's community, while introducing the Cree words for different animals and baking ingredients. | Preschool Cycle, Primary Cycle 1 & 2 | Grandparents Food Also available in French (Awâsis et la délicieuse bannique) | 9781553797791 | ||||||||||||||||||||
27 | The Pencil / Susan Avingaq | Inhabit Media, 2019 | Susan and her sister, Rebecca, love watching their mother write letters to people in other camps. Their mother has one precious pencil, and she keeps it safe in her box for special things. One afternoon, Mom leaves the iglu to help a neighbour, and Susan, Rebecca, and their brother Peter are left with their father. They play all their regular games but are soon out of things to do—until Dad brings out the pencil! As Susan draws and draws, the pencil grows shorter and shorter. What will Mom think when she comes home? | Preschool Cycle, Primary Cycle 1 & 2 | Appreciation Responsibility | 9781772272161 | ||||||||||||||||||||
28 | Sus Yoo = The Bear's Medicine / Clayton Gauthier | Theytus Books, 2019 | A mother bear shares with her cubs how to be grateful for all they have in the natural world. The Bear's Medicine shows the interconnectedness of all things in the world they live in and how each season brings changes and blessings for the bears. It is a story of a mother's love for her children as she teaches them how to survive. | Preschool Cycle, Primary Cycle 1 & 2 | Animals Nature Seasons Interconnectedness | 9781926886572 | ||||||||||||||||||||
29 | I Lost My Talk / Rita Joe | Nimbus Publishing, 2019 | One of Rita Joe's most influential poems, "I Lost My Talk" tells the revered Mi'kmaw Elder's childhood story of losing her language while a resident of the residential school in Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia. An often quoted piece in this era of truth and reconciliation, Joe's powerful words explore and celebrate the survival of Mi'kmaw culture and language despite its attempted eradication. | Preschool Cycle, Primary Cycle 1 & 2 | Residential Schools Identity Poetry | 9781771088107 | ||||||||||||||||||||
30 | I'm Finding My Talk / Rebecca Thomas | Nimbus Publishing, 2021 | A response to Rita Joe's iconic poem "I Lost My Talk," and published simultaneously with the new children's book edition illustrated by Pauline Young, comes a companion picture book by award--winning spoken--word artist and Mi'kmaw activist Rebecca Thomas. A second--generation residential school survivor, Thomas writes this response poem openly and honestly, reflecting on the process of working through the destructive effects of colonialism. From sewing regalia to dancing at powwow to learning traditional language, I'm Finding My Talk is about rediscovering her community, and finding culture. | Preschool Cycle, Primary Cycle 1 & 2 | Residential Schools Identity Poetry | 9781774710067 | ||||||||||||||||||||
31 | Wolverine and Little Thunder: An Eel Fishing Story / Alan Syliboy | Nimbus Publishing, 2019 | Adventure featuring Little Thunder and Wolverine--a trickster, who is strong and fierce and loyal. The two are best of friends, even though Wolverine can sometimes get them into trouble. Their favourite pastime is eel fishing, whether it's cutting through winter ice with a stone axe or catching eels in traditional stone weirs in the summer. But that all changes one night, when they encounter the giant river eel--the eel that is too big to catch. The eel that hunts people! | Preschool Cycle, Primary Cycle 1 & 2 | Friendship Problem-solving | 9781771087278 | ||||||||||||||||||||
32 | Nibi's Water Song / Sunshine Tenasco | Scholastic Canada, 2019 | In Nibi's Water Song , an Indigenous girl on the search for clean water to drink. Though she is faced with repeated obstacles, Nibi's joyful and determined energy becomes a catalyst for change and action as her community, and then in widening circles the country and government, rally around her to make clean drinking water available for all. | Preschool Cycle, Primary Cycle 1 & 2 | Drinking Water Social Action Also available in French (Nibi a soif, très soif) | 9781443107891 | ||||||||||||||||||||
33 | On the Trapline / David A. Robertson | Tundra, 2021 | A boy and Moshom, his grandpa, take a trip together to visit a place of great meaning to Moshom. A trapline is where people hunt and live off the land, and it was where Moshom grew up. As they embark on their northern journey, the child repeatedly asks his grandfather, "Is this your trapline?" Along the way, the boy finds himself imagining what life was like two generations ago -- a life that appears to be both different from and similar to his life now. | Preschool Cycle, Primary Cycle 1 & 2 | Grandparents Culture & Tradition Also available in French (Ligne de trappe) | 9780735266681 | ||||||||||||||||||||
34 | We Are Water Protectors / Carole Lindstrom | Roaring Book Press, 2020 | When a black snake threatens to destroy the Earth and poison her people's water, one young water protectort takes a stand to defend Earth's most sacred resource. | Preschool Cycle, Primary Cycle 1 & 2 | Environment Water Conservation | 9781250203557 | ||||||||||||||||||||
35 | Spirit Bear: Fishing for Knowledge, Catching Dreams / Cindy Blackstock | First Nations Child & Family Caring Society of Canada, 2018 | Spirit Bear is off on another adventure! Follow him as he learns about traditional knowledge and Residential Schools from Uncle Huckleberry and his friend, Lak'insxw, before heading to Algonquin territory, where children teach him about Shannen's Dream. Spirit Bear and his new friends won't stop until Shannen's Dream of "safe and comfy schools" comes true for every First Nations student. | Primary | Residential Schools Child Welfare Also available in French (Spirit Bear: pêcher le savoir, attraper des rêves) | 9781775191421 | ||||||||||||||||||||
36 | Spirit Bear: Honouring Memories, Planting Dreams / Cindy Blackstock | First Nations Child & Family Caring Society of Canada, 2019 | Spirit Bear is on his way home from a sacred ceremony when he meets Jake, a friendly dog, with a bag full of paper hearts attached to wood stakes. Jake tells Spirit Bear that school children and residential school survivors will plant the hearts when a big report on residential schools called the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC for short) is shared. The TRC will have Calls to Action so we can all help end the unfairness and make sure this generation of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children grow up healthy and proud! | Primary | Residential Schools Child Welfare Also available in French (Spirit Bear: Rendre hommage aux souvenirs, semer des rêves) | 9781775191490 | ||||||||||||||||||||
37 | We Dream Medicine Dreams / Lisa Boivin | Portage & Main Press, 2021 | When a little girl dreams about a bear, her grandfather explains how we connect with the knowledge of our ancestors through dreams. Bear, Hawk, Caribou, and Wolf all have teachings to share to help us live a good life. But when Grampa gets sick and falls into a coma, the little girl must lean on his teachings as she learns to say goodbye. | Primary Cycle 1 | Grandparents Emotions & Feelings Death Animals Dreams | 9781553799870 | ||||||||||||||||||||
38 | Ekospi Ka Ki Pekowak - When We Were Alone / David Alexander Robertson | Portage & Main Press, 2020 | A young girl notices things about her grandmother that make her curious. Why does her grandmother have long, braided hair and beautifully coloured clothing? Why does she speak Cree and spend so much time with her family? As she asks questions, her grandmother shares her experiences in a residential school, when all of these things were taken away. | Primary Cycle 1 | Grandparents Residential Schools Also available in French (Quand on était seuls) | 9781553799054 | ||||||||||||||||||||
39 | Ga's - The Train / Jodie Callaghan | Second Story Press, 2020 | Ashley meets her great-uncle by the old train tracks near their community in Nova Scotia. Ashley sees his sadness, and Uncle tells her of the day years ago when he and the other children from their community were told to board the train before being taken to residential school where their lives were changed forever. They weren't allowed to speak Mi'gmaq and were punished if they did. There was no one to give them love and hugs and comfort. Uncle also tells Ashley how happy she and her sister make him. They are what give him hope. Ashley promises to wait with her uncle by the train tracks, in remembrance of what was lost. | Primary Cycle 1 & 2 | Residential Schools | 9781772602005 | ||||||||||||||||||||
40 | When We Had Sled Dogs: A Story from the Trapline - ācimowin ohci wanihikīskanāhk / Ida Tremblay and Miriram Körner | Your Nickel's Worth Publishing, 2019 | When We Had Sled Dogs: A Story from the Trapline ācimowin ohci wanihikīskanāhk takes readers young and old on a journey into the past when dog teams were part of the traditional way of life in Northern Saskatchewan. | Primary Cycle 1 & 2 | Culture & Tradition Sled Dogs | 9781988783390 | ||||||||||||||||||||
41 | Stolen Words / Melanie Florence | Second Story Press, 2017 | The story of the beautiful relationship between a little girl and her grandfather. When she asks her grandfather how to say something in his language - Cree - he admits that his language was stolen from him when he was a boy. The little girl then sets out to help her grandfather find his language again. This sensitive and warmly illustrated picture book explores the intergenerational impact of the residential school system that separated young Indigenous children from their families. The story recognizes the pain of those whose culture and language were taken from them, how that pain is passed down, and how healing can also be shared. | Primary Cycle 1 & 2 | Residential Schools Grandparents Language Also available in French (Les mots volés) | 9781772600377 | ||||||||||||||||||||
42 | A Walk on the Tundra / Rebecca Hainnu | Inhabit Media, 2018 | A Walk on the Tundra follows Inuujaq, a little girl who travels with her grandmother onto the tundra. There, Inuujaq learns that these tough little plants are much more important to Inuit than she originally believed. | Primary Cycle 1 & 2 | Grandparents Nature | 9781772271850 | ||||||||||||||||||||
43 | The Orange Shirt Story / Phyllis Webstad | Medicine Wheel Education, 2017 | When Phyllis Webstad (nee Jack) turned six, she went to the residential school for the first time. On her first day at school, she wore a shiny orange shirt that her Granny had bought for her, but when she got to the school, it was taken away from her and never returned. This is the true story of Phyllis and her orange shirt. It is also the story of Orange Shirt Day (an important day of remembrance for First Nations and non First Nations Canadians). | Primary Cycle 1 & 2 | Residential Schools Also available in French (L'histoire du chandail orange) | 9780993869495 | ||||||||||||||||||||
44 | When I Was Eight / Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret-Olemaun Pokiak-Fenton | Annick Press, 2013 | Fatty Legs for younger readers. Olemaun is eight and knows a lot of things. But she does not know how to read. Ignoring her father's warnings, she travels far from her Arctic home to the outsiders' school to learn. The nuns at the school call her Margaret. They cut off her long hair and force her to do menial chores, but she remains undaunted. Her tenacity draws the attention of a black-cloaked nun who tries to break her spirit at every turn. But the young girl is more determined than ever to learn how to read. | Primary Cycle 1 & 2 | Nonfiction Residential Schools Also available in French (Quand j'avais huit ans) | 9781554514915 | ||||||||||||||||||||
45 | Not My Girl / Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret-Olemaun Pokiak-Fenton | Annick Press, 2014 | Two years ago, Margaret left her Arctic home for the outsiders' school. Now she has returned and can barely contain her excitement as she rushes towards her waiting family--but her mother stands still as a stone. This strange, skinny child, with her hair cropped short, can't be her daughter. "Not my girl!" she says angrily. Margaret's years at school have changed her. Now ten years old, she has forgotten her language and the skills to hunt and fish. She can't even stomach her mother's food. Her only comfort is in the books she learned to read at school. | Primary Cycle 1 & 2 | Nonfiction Residential Schools Sequel to When I Was Eight | 9781554516254 | ||||||||||||||||||||
46 | Jigging for Halibut With Tsinii / David A. Robertson | Portage & Main Press, 2021 | Based on Haida artist Robert Davidson's own experiences with Tsinii (his grandfather), this tender story highlights intergenerational knowledge and authentic learning experiences. Off the northern tip of Haida Gwaii, a boy goes fishing with Tsinii, his grandfather. As they watch the weather, jig for halibut, and row with the tides, the boy realizes there's more to learn from Tsinii than how to catch a fish. | Primary Cycle 1 & 2 | Grandparents Culture & Tradition | 9781553799818 | ||||||||||||||||||||
47 | Coyote Tales / Thomas King | Groundwood Books, 2017 | Two tales, set in a time “when animals and human beings still talked to each other". In Coyote Sings to the Moon, Old Woman and the animals sing to the moon each night. Coyote attempts to join them, but his voice is so terrible they beg him to stop. He is crushed and lashes out — who needs Moon anyway? In Coyote’s New Suit, mischievous Raven wreaks havoc when she suggests that Coyote’s toasty brown suit is not the finest in the forest, thus prompting him to steal suits belonging to all the other animals. | Primary Cycle 1 & 2 | Animals | 9781554988334 | ||||||||||||||||||||
48 | Shi-Shi-Etko / Nicola I. Campbell | Groundwood Books, 2005 | In just four days young Shi-shi-etko will have to leave her family and all that she knows to attend residential school. She spends her last days at home treasuring the beauty of her world -- the dancing sunlight, the tall grass, each shiny rock, the tadpoles in the creek, her grandfather's paddle song. Her mother, father and grandmother, each in turn, share valuable teachings that they want her to remember. And so Shi-shi-etko carefully gathers her memories for safekeeping. | Primary Cycle 1 & 2 | Residential Schools | 9780888996596 | ||||||||||||||||||||
49 | Shin-Chi's Canoe / Nicola I. Campbell | Groundwood Books, 2008 | Sequel to Shi-Shi-Etko tells the story of two children's experience at residential school. Shi-shi-etko is about to return for her second year, but this time her six-year-old brother, Shin-chi, is going, too. As they begin their journey in the back of a cattle truck, Shi-shi-etko tells her brother all the things he must remember: the trees, the mountains, the rivers and the salmon. Shin-chi knows he won't see his family again until the sockeye salmon return in the summertime. | Primary Cycle 1 & 2 | Residential Schools | 9780888998576 | ||||||||||||||||||||
50 | Nibi Emosaawdang - The Water Walker / Joanne Robertson | Second Story Press, 2019 | The story of a determined Ojibwe Grandmother (Nokomis) Josephine-ba Mandamin and her great love for Nibi (water). Nokomis walks to raise awareness of our need to protect Nibi for future generations, and for all life on the planet. She, along with other women, men, and youth, have walked around all the Great Lakes from the four salt waters, or oceans, to Lake Superior. The walks are full of challenges, and by her example Josephine-ba invites us all to take up our responsibility to protect our water, the giver of life, and to protect our planet for all generations. | Primary Cycle 1 & 2 | Environment Water Conservation Also available in French (Nokomis et la marche pour l'eau) | 9781772601008 | ||||||||||||||||||||
51 | Go Show the World: A Celebration of Indigenous Heroes / Wab Kinew | Tundra, 2018 | Celebrating the stories of Indigenous people throughout time, Wab Kinew has created a powerful rap song, the lyrics of which are the basis for the text in this beautiful picture book, illustrated by the acclaimed Joe Morse. Including figures such as Crazy Horse, Net-no-kwa, former NASA astronaut John Herrington and Canadian NHL goalie Carey Price, Go Show the World showcases a diverse group of Indigenous people in the US and Canada, both the more well known and the not- so-widely recognized. | Primary Cycle 1 & 2 | Nonfiction Biography Indigenous Leaders | 9780735262928 | ||||||||||||||||||||
52 | Kamik: An Inuit Puppy Story / Donald Uluadluak | Inhabit Media, 2012 | When Jake finally gets a puppy to call his own, all he can think about is the fast, strong sled dog that his puppy will become. But Kamik is far from an obedient sled dog. He won't listen, he tracks mud all over the house, and he's a lot more work than Jake ever thought a puppy could be! But after a visit with his grandfather, who raised many puppies of his own while living out on the land, Jake learns that Inuit have been raising puppies just like Kamik to be obedient, resourceful, helpful sled dogs for generations. | Primary Cycle 1 & 2 | Culture & Tradition Sled Dogs Also available in French (Kamik: le chiot inuit) | 9781927095119 | ||||||||||||||||||||
53 | Missing Nimâmâ / Melanie Florence | Scholastic Canada, 2021 (new edition) | Kateri is a young Cree girl, growing up in the care of her grandmother. We see her reaching important milestones: her first day of school, first dance, first date, wedding, first child. Her mother is absent, but not gone, watching her child growing up without her. Told in alternating voices of child and mother, Missing Nimâmâ is a story of love, loss, and acceptance, showing the human side of a national tragedy. | Primary Cycle 2 & 3 | Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women Emotions & Feelings Also available in French (Sans Nimâmâ) | 9781443190046 | ||||||||||||||||||||
54 | I Can Make This Promise / Christine Day | HarperCollins, 2019 | All her life, Edie has known that her mom was adopted by a white couple. So, no matter how curious she might be about her Native American heritage, Edie is sure her family doesn't have any answers. Until the day when she and her friends discover a box hidden in the attic--a box full of letters signed "Love, Edith," and photos of a woman who looks just like her. Suddenly, Edie has a flurry of new questions about this woman who shares her name. | Primary Cycle 2 & 3 | Family Identity Adoption | 9780062871992 | ||||||||||||||||||||
55 | Siha Tooskin Knows series / Charlene and Wilson Bearhead: Siha Tooskin Knows the Gifts of His People (plus 7 more titles) | Portage & Main Press, 2020 | The Siha Tooskin Knows series uses vivid narratives and dazzling illustrations in contemporary settings to share stories about an 11-year-old Nakota boy. | Primary Cycle 2 & 3 | Culture & Tradition Identity | 9781553798347 | ||||||||||||||||||||
56 | Fatty Legs: a True Story / Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret-Olemaun Pokiak-Fenton | Annick Press, 2020 | Eight-year-old Margaret Pokiak has set her sights on learning to read, even though it means leaving her village in the high Arctic. Faced with unceasing pressure, her father finally agrees to let her make the five-day journey to attend school, but he warns Margaret of the terrors of residential schools. At school Margaret soon encounters the Raven, a black-cloaked nun with a hooked nose and bony fingers that resemble claws. She immediately dislikes the strong-willed young Margaret. Intending to humiliate her, the heartless Raven gives gray stockings to all the girls -- all except Margaret, who gets red ones. In an instant Margaret is the laughingstock of the entire school. In the face of such cruelty, Margaret refuses to be intimidated and bravely gets rid of the stockings. Although a sympathetic nun stands up for Margaret, in the end it is this brave young girl who gives the Raven a lesson in the power of human dignity. | Primary Cycle 2 & 3 | Memoir Residential Schools 10th anniversary edition Also available in French (Les bas du pensionnat) | 9781773213514 | ||||||||||||||||||||
57 | A Stranger At Home / Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret-Olemaun Pokiak-Fenton | Annick Press, 2011 | Traveling to be reunited with her family in the arctic, 10-year-old Margaret Pokiak can hardly contain her excitement. It's been two years since her parents delivered her to the school run by the dark-cloaked nuns and brothers. Coming ashore, Margaret spots her family, but her mother barely recognizes her, screaming, "Not my girl." Margaret realizes she is now marked as an outsider. And Margaret is an outsider: she has forgotten the language and stories of her people, and she can't even stomach the food her mother prepares. However, Margaret gradually relearns her language and her family's way of living. Along the way, she discovers how important it is to remain true to the ways of her people--and to herself. | Primary Cycle 2 & 3 | Memoir Residential Schools Sequel to Fatty Legs Also available in French (Étrangère chez moi) | 9781554513628 | ||||||||||||||||||||
58 | Dear Canada: These Are My Words / Ruby Slipperjack | Scholastic Canada, 2016 | Violet Pesheens is struggling to adjust to her new life at Residential School. She misses her Grandma; she has run-ins with Cree girls; at her “white” school, everyone just stares; and everything she brought has been taken from her, including her name—she is now just a number. But worst of all, she has a fear. A fear of forgetting the things she treasures most: her Anishnabe language; the names of those she knew before; and her traditional customs. A fear of forgetting who she was. Her notebook is the one place she can record all of her worries, and heartbreaks, and memories. And maybe, just maybe there will be hope at the end of the tunnel. | Primary Cycle 2 & 3 | Residential Schools Also available in French (Cher journal: Les mots qu'il me reste) | 9781443133180 | ||||||||||||||||||||
59 | Powwow: A Celebration through Song and Dance / Karen Pheasant-Neganigwane | Orca Book Publishers, 2020 | Journey through the history of powwow culture in North America, from its origins to the thriving powwow culture of today. As a lifelong competitive powwow dancer, Karen Pheasant-Neganigwane is a guide to the protocols, regalia, songs, dances and even food you can find at powwows from coast to coast, as well as the important role they play in Indigenous culture and reconciliation. | Primary Cycle 2 & 3 | Nonfiction Culture & Tradition | 9781459812345 | ||||||||||||||||||||
60 | Treaty Words: For As Long As the Rivers Flow / Aimée Craft | Annick Press, 2021 | The first treaty that was made was between the earth and the sky. It was an agreement to work together. We build all of our treaties on that original treaty. On the banks of the river that have been Mishomis's home his whole life, he teaches his granddaughter to listen--to hear both the sounds and the silences, and so to learn her place in Creation. Most importantly, he teaches her about treaties--the bonds of reciprocity and renewal that endure for as long as the sun shines, the grass grows, and the rivers flow. | Primary Cycle 2 & 3 | Nonfiction Grandparents Indigenous Rights | 9781773214962 | ||||||||||||||||||||
61 | Mighty Muskrats Mystery Series / Michael Hutchinson: The Case of Windy Lake (2019) The Case of the Missing Auntie (2020) The Case of the Burgled Bundle (2021) The Case of the Rigged Race (forthcoming) | Second Story Press, 2019-2022 | The Mighty Muskrats Mystery Series follows four cousins who investigate happenings in their community, the Windy Lake First Nation, while collecting clues on their adventures. | Primary Cycle 2 & 3 | Mystery Fiction Environment Civil Rights Indigenous Rights | 9781772600858, 9781772601176, 9781772601664 | ||||||||||||||||||||
62 | Aggie and Mudgy: The Journey of Two Kaska Dena Children / Wendy Proverbs | Heritage House, 2021 | Based on the true story of the author's biological mother and aunt, this middle-grade novel traces the long and frightening journey of two Kaska Dena sisters as they are taken from their home to attend residential school. | Primary Cycle 2 & 3 | Residential Schools Grandparents | 9781772033755 | ||||||||||||||||||||
63 | I Am Not a Number / Jenny Kay Depuis and Kathy Kacer | Second Story Press, 2016 | When eight-year-old Irene is removed from her First Nations family to live in a residential school she is confused, frightened, and terribly homesick. She tries to remember who she is and where she came from, despite the efforts of the nuns who are in charge at the school and who tell her that she is not to use her own name but instead use the number they have assigned to her. When she goes home for summer holidays, Irene's parents decide never to send her and her brothers away again. But where will they hide? And what will happen when her parents disobey the law? | Primary Cycle 2 & 3 | Residential Schools Also available in French (Je ne suis pas un numéro) | 9781927583944 | ||||||||||||||||||||
64 | The Mothers of Xsan series / Hetxw'ms Gyetxw (Brett D. Hudson): The Sockeye Mother, The Grizzly Mother, The Eagle Mother, The Frog Mother, The Wolf Mother, The Raven Mother (forthcoming) | Portage & Main Press, 2017-2022 | Mothers of Xsan is a collection of stories that connects the world to the matrilineal society of the Gitxsan people of the Pacific Northwest Interior of British Columbia. Through an unmistakably unique style of storytelling, each book showcases the depth and importance of the knowledge that has been gathered since time immemorial. Stories of life-cycle, connection to the land and language are told from the perspective of the Mothers of Xsan. | Primary Cycle 2 & 3 | Nonfiction Nature Animals | 9781553797395, 9781553797760, 9781553798590, 9781553799016, 9781553799788, 9781774920039 | ||||||||||||||||||||
65 | Sharing Our Truths - Tapwe / Henry Beaver | Fifth House Publishers, 2019 | Join the authors as they lead the children and parents through important cultural experiences, tell stories, and share their wisdom and truths with compassion. Learn the protocols for building a tipi, trapping a beaver, laying the grandfather stones for a fire, smudging, and harvesting salt from the Salt Plains in Wood Buffalo National Park In Cree, tapwe means "it is so," or "the truth." | Primary Cycle 2 & 3 | Nonfiction Culture & Tradition | 9781927083529 | ||||||||||||||||||||
66 | Speaking Our Truth / Monique Gray Smith | Orca Book Publishers, 2017 | Canada's relationship with its Indigenous people has suffered as a result of both the residential school system and the lack of understanding of the historical and current impact of those schools. Healing and repairing that relationship requires education, awareness and increased understanding of the legacy and the impacts still being felt by Survivors and their families. Guided by acclaimed Indigenous author Monique Gray Smith, readers will learn about the lives of Survivors and listen to allies who are putting the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission into action. | Primary Cycle 2 & 3 | Nonfiction Residential Schools Reconciliation | 9781459815834 | ||||||||||||||||||||
67 | The Mask That Sang / Susan Currie | Second Story Press, 2016 | Cass and her mom have always stood on their own against the world. Then Cass learns she had a grandmother, one who was never part of her life, one who has just died and left her and her mother the first house they could call their own. But with it comes more questions than answers: Why is her Mom so determined not to live there? Why was this relative kept so secret? And what is the unusual mask, forgotten in a drawer, trying to tell her? | Primary Cycle 2 & 3, Secondary Cycle 1 | Identity Indigenous Masks Genealogy | 9781772600131 | ||||||||||||||||||||
68 | Turtle Island: The Story of North America's First People / Eldon Yellowhorn | Annick Press, 2017 | Unlike most books that chronicle the history of Native peoples beginning with the arrival of Europeans in 1492, this book goes back to the Ice Age to give young readers a glimpse of what life was like pre-contact. The title, Turtle Island, refers to a Native myth that explains how North and Central America were formed on the back of a turtle. Based on archeological finds and scientific research, we now have a clearer picture of how the Indigenous people lived. Using that knowledge, the authors take the reader back as far as 14,000 years ago to imagine moments in time. | Primary Cycle 3, Secondary | Nonfiction History | 9781554519446 | ||||||||||||||||||||
69 | What the Eagle Sees: Indigenous Stories of Rebellion and Renewal / Eldon Yellowhorn | Annick Press, 2019 | In this brilliant follow up to Turtle Island, esteemed academic Eldon Yellowhorn and award-winning author Kathy Lowinger team up again, this time to tell the stories of what Indigenous people did when invaders arrived on their homelands. What the Eagle Sees shares accounts of the people, places, and events that have mattered in Indigenous history from a vastly under-represented perspective--an Indigenous viewpoint. | Primary Cycle 3, Secondary | Nonfiction History | 9781773213286 | ||||||||||||||||||||
70 | The Misewa Saga series / David A. Robertson Book 1: The Barren Grounds Book 2: The Great Bear Book 3: The Stone Child (forthcoming) | PRH Canada Young Readers, 2020-2022 | Morgan and Eli are Indigenous children who discover a portal at their foster home to another world, Askī; there they discover talking animal beings who connect them to traditional ways, as well as help them deal with the challenges in the real world. | Primary Cycle 3, Secondary | Fantasy Fiction Identity | 9780735266100, 9780735266131, 9780735266162 | ||||||||||||||||||||
71 | The Ghost Collector / Allison Mills | Annick Press, 2019 | Shelly and her grandmother catch ghosts. In their hair. Just like all the women in their family, they can see souls who haven't transitioned yet; it's their job to help the ghosts along their journey. When Shelly's mom dies suddenly, Shelly's relationship to ghosts--and death--changes. Instead of helping spirits move on, Shelly starts hoarding them. But no matter how many ghost cats, dogs, or people she hides in her room, Shelly can't ignore the one ghost that's missing. Why hasn't her mom's ghost come home yet? | Primary Cycle 3, Secondary | Ghosts Grief Loss | 9781773212968 | ||||||||||||||||||||
72 | Borders / Thomas King | HarperCollins Canada, 2021 | On a trip to visit his older sister, who has moved away from the family home on the reserve to Salt Lake City, a young boy and his mother are posed a simple question with a not-so-simple answer. Are you Canadian, the border guards ask, or American? "Blackfoot." And when border guards will not accept their citizenship, mother and son wind up trapped in an all-too-real limbo between nations that do not recognize who they are. | Primary Cycle 3, Secondary | Graphic Novel Identity | 9781443460675 | ||||||||||||||||||||
73 | Dreaming in Indian: Contemporary Native American Voices / edited by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale. | Annick Press, 2016 | Whether discussing the transformative power of art or music, the lasting trauma of residential schools, growing up poor, or achieving success, the contributors to this remarkable anthology all have something in common: a rich Native heritage that has informed who they are. | Primary Cycle 3, Secondary | Anthology Identity | 9781554516865 | ||||||||||||||||||||
74 | The Gnawer of Rocks / Louise Flaherty | Inhabit Media, 2017 | While everyone is busy preparing for the coming winter, two girls wander away from their camp, following a path of strange, beautiful stones. Each stone is lovelier than the last, and the trail leads them farther and farther away from camp. But what starts out as a peaceful afternoon on the land, quickly turns dangerous when the girls find themselves trapped in the cave of Mangittatuarjuk - the Gnawer of Rocks! Based on a traditional Inuit legend, this graphic novel introduces readers to a dark and twisted creature that haunts the Northern landscape and preys on unsuspecting children... | Secondary | Inuit Folklore Monsters Also available in French (La croqueuse de pierre) | 9781772271652 | ||||||||||||||||||||
75 | How I Survived: Four Nights on the Ice / Serapio Ittusardjuat | Inhabit Media, 2020 | After his snowmobile breaks down halfway across the sea ice on a trip back from a fishing camp, Serapio Ittusardjuat recounts the traditional skills and knowledge he leaned on to stay alive.This harrowing first-person account of four nights spent on the open sea ice--with few supplies and no water--shows young readers the determination and strength necessary to survive in the harsh Arctic climate, even when the worst occurs. | Secondary | Graphic Nonfiction Memoir Survival | 9781772272727 | ||||||||||||||||||||
76 | Good For Nothing / Michel Noel | Groundwood Books, 2004 | The year is 1959, and fifteen-year-old Nipishish returns to his reserve in northern Quebec after being kicked out of residential school, where the principal tells him he's a good-for-nothing who, like all Indians, can look forward to a life of drunkenness, prison and despair. The reserve, however, offers nothing to Nipishish. He remembers little of his late mother and father. In fact, he seems to know less about himself than the people at the band office. He must try to rediscover the old ways, face the officials who find him a threat, and learn the truth about his father's death. | Secondary | Residential Schools Identity | 9780888996169 | ||||||||||||||||||||
77 | Dreaming in Color / Melanie Florence | Orca Book Publishers, 2020 | Jennifer McCaffrey has been working hard on her art for years and is thrilled when she is accepted to a prestigious art school. The school is everything she always thought it would be, mostly. There is one group of kids who seem to resent her and say she only got in because of her skin color. Jen, who loves to create new pieces of artwork that incorporate her Indigenous heritage, finds herself a target when the group tells her to stop being "so Indian". The night before the big art show at school, Jen's beading art project is defaced. Jen has to find a way not to let the haters win. | Secondary | Racism Prejudice Bullying Indigenous Art Orca Sounding series (hi-lo) | 9781459825864 | ||||||||||||||||||||
78 | He Who Dreams / Melanie Florence | Orca Book Publishers, 2017 | When John discovers dancing, he finds himself facing ridicule from his soccer teammates and hostility from the dancers at the cultural center. To dance at the Pow Wow, he must learn to balance his responsibilities, confront his fears and embrace both the Irish and the Cree sides of his heritage. | Secondary | Bullying Biculturalism Orca Sounding series (hi-lo) | 9781459811027 | ||||||||||||||||||||
79 | Dakwäkãda Warriors / Cole Pauls. | Conundrum Press, 2019 | Artist Cole Pauls wanted to reclaim the Southern Tutchone language he had learned as a youth while performing in the traditional song and dance group the Dakhka Khwaan Dancers, based in Whitehorse (YT). So, he created a comic about two Earth Protectors saving the Earth from evil pioneers and cyborg sasquatches. But he also went to his elders and asked them to translate his comic into the two dialects of Southern Tutchone. The resulting work is an allegory of colonialization done in an accessible format, a whimsical young adult graphic novel which helps to revitalize the language. | Secondary | Graphic Novel Colonization Tutchone Language Superheroes Good & Evil | 9781772620412 | ||||||||||||||||||||
80 | If I Go Missing / Brianna Jonnie with Nahanni Shingoose | James Lorimer & Company, 2019 | Combining graphic fiction and non-fiction, this young adult graphic novel serves as a window into one of the unique dangers of being an Indigenous teen in Canada today. The text of the book is derived from excerpts of a letter written to the Winnipeg Chief of Police by fourteen-year-old Brianna Jonnie -- a letter that went viral and was also the basis of a documentary film. In her letter, Jonnie calls out the authorities for neglecting to immediately investigate missing Indigenous people and urges them to "not treat me as the Indigenous person I am proud to be," if she were to be reported missing. | Secondary | Graphic Nonfiction & Graphic Novel Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women Also available in French (Si je disparais) | 9781459414518 | ||||||||||||||||||||
81 | Righting Canada's Wrongs: Residential Schools: The Devastating Impact on Canada's Indigenous Peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Findings and Calls for Action / Melanie Florence | James Lorimer & Company, 2015 | Canada's residential school system for aboriginal young people is now recognized as a grievous historic wrong committed against First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples. This book documents this subject in a format that will give all young people access to this painful part of Canadian history. | Secondary | Nonfiction Residential Schools | 9781459408661 | ||||||||||||||||||||
82 | Walking in Two Worlds / Wab Kinew | PRH Canada Young Readers, 2021 | Bugz is caught between two worlds. In the real world, she's a shy and self-conscious Indigenous teen who faces the stresses of teenage angst and life on the Rez. But in the virtual world, her alter ego is not just confident but dominant in a massively multiplayer video game universe. Feng is a teen boy who has been sent from China to live with his aunt, a doctor on the Rez, after his online activity suggests he may be developing extremist sympathies. Meeting each other in real life, as well as in the virtual world, Bugz and Feng immediately relate to each other as outsiders and as avid gamers. | Secondary | Video Gamers Virtual Reality Identity Friendship | 9780735269002 | ||||||||||||||||||||
83 | Those Who Run in the Sky / Aviaq Jonston and Toma Feizo Gas | Inhabit Media, 2017 | A coming-of-age story that follows a young shaman named Pitu as he learns to use his powers and ultimately finds himself lost in the world of the spirits. | Secondary | Inuit Mythology Survival Coming-of-Age | 9781772271218 | ||||||||||||||||||||
84 | Powwow Summer / Nahanni Shingoose | James Lorimer & Company, 2019 | River is teased about her Indigenous heritage as a young girl, and she struggles with her identity. When she travels to spend the summer with her Indigenous father and grandmother, she finds out what it means to be an "urban Indian." On her family's nearby reserve, she learns about the lives of Indigenous people. River discovers a deep respect for and connection with the land and her cultural traditions. The highlight of her summer is attending the annual powwow with her new friends. After the powwow, River drinks too much and posts photos online that anger people, and she has her right to identify as an Indigenous person called into question. | Secondary | Biculturalism Identity Family Culture & Tradition | 9781459414150 | ||||||||||||||||||||
85 | Indian Horse / Richrd Wagamese | Douglas & McIntyre, 2012 | Saul Indian Horse has hit bottom. His last binge almost killed him, and now he's a reluctant resident in a treatment centre for alcoholics, surrounded by people he's sure will never understand him. But Saul wants peace, and he grudgingly comes to see that he'll find it only through telling his story. With him, readers embark on a journey back through the life he's led as a northern Ojibway, with all its joys and sorrows. | Secondary | Residential Schools Hockey Racism Prejudice | 9781553654025 | ||||||||||||||||||||
86 | Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada / The Royal Canadian Geographical Society, Canadian Geographic | Canadian Geographic, 2018. | The Royal Canadian Geographical Society, in partnership with Canada's national Indigenous organizations, has created a groundbreaking four-volume atlas that shares the experiences, perspectives, and histories of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. It's an ambitious and unprecedented project inspired by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action. The volumes contain more than 48 pages of reference maps, content from more than 50 Indigenous writers; hundreds of historical and contemporary photographs and a glossary of Indigenous terms, timelines, map of Indigenous languages, and frequently asked questions. | Secondary | Nonfiction 4 volumes Also available in French (Canadian Geographic atlas des peuples autochtones du Canada) | 9780986751622 | ||||||||||||||||||||
87 | My Indian / Mi'sel Joe and Sheila O'Neill | Breakwater Books, 2021 | In 1822, William Epps Cormack sought the expertise of a guide who could lead him across Newfoundland in search of the last remaining Beothuk camps on the island. In his journals, Cormack refers to his guide only as "My Indian." Now, almost two hundred years later, Mi'sel Joe and Sheila O'Neill reclaim the story of Sylvester Joe, the Mi'kmaw guide engaged by Cormack. In a remarkable feat of historical fiction, My Indian follows Sylvester Joe from his birth (in what is now known as Miawpukek First Nation) and early life in his community to his journey across the island with Cormack. | Secondary | Historical Fiction Newfounland & Labrador | 9781550818789 | ||||||||||||||||||||
88 | The Reckoner Series / David A. Robertson: Vol. 1: Strangers (2017) Vol. 2: Monsters (2018) Vol. 3: Ghosts (2019) | Portage & Main Press, 2017-2019. | The Reckoner trilogy, from Governor General Award-winning author David A. Robertson, follows 17-year-old Cole Harper as he reluctantly returns home to save his ravaged community and face his troubled past in this supernatural mystery. With the help of his friends, Cole encounters unexplained supernatural phenomena, trickster spirits, and ghosts. Robertson's debut young adult series expertly tackles many relatable issues faced by youth today, such as bullying, trauma, and clinical anxiety, and will resonate with and enthrall readers, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous. | Secondary | Paranormal Fiction | 9781553796763, 9781553797487, 9781553797623 | ||||||||||||||||||||
89 | Orange Shirt Day / Orange Shirt Society | Medicine Wheel Education, 2020 | Orange Shirt Day is observed annually on September 30th to honour residential school survivors and their families, and to remember those who did not make it. This book explores the historical impact on Indigenous people in order to create champions who will walk a path of reconciliation through Orange Shirt Day, promoting the message that Every Child Matters. | Secondary | Nonfiction Residential Schools | 9781989122433 | ||||||||||||||||||||
90 | Surviving the City series / Tasha Spillett: Vol. 1: Surviving the City (2018) Vol. 2: From the Roots Up (2020) | Portage & Main Press, 2028-2020 | Vol 1: Miikwan and Dez are best friends. Miikwan is Anishinaabe; Dez is Inninew. Together, the teens navigate the challenges of growing up in an urban landscape. - they're so close, they even completed their Berry Fast together. However, when Dez's grandmother becomes too sick, Dez is told she can't stay with her anymore. With the threat of a group home looming, Dez can't bring herself to go home and disappears. Miikwan is devastated, and the wound of her missing mother resurfaces. Will Dez's community find her before it's too late? Will Miikwan be able to cope if they don't? | Secondary | Graphic Novel Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women Identity Runaway Teenagers | 9781553797562, 9781553798989 | ||||||||||||||||||||
91 | Elatsoe / Darcie Little Badger | Levine Querido, 2020 | Elatsoe lives in an alternate contemporary America shaped by the ancestral magics and knowledge of its Indigenous and immigrant groups. She can raise the spirits of dead animals--most importantly, her ghost dog Kirby. When her beloved cousin dies, all signs point to a car crash, but his ghost tells her otherwise: He was murdered. Who killed him and how did he die? With the help of her family, her best friend Jay, and the memory great, great, great, great, great, great grandmother, Elatsoe, must track down the killer and unravel the mystery of this creepy town and its dark past. | Secondary | Paranormal Fiction Mystery Fiction Apache Mythology Magic | 9781646140053 | ||||||||||||||||||||
92 | Moonshot: the Indigenous Comics Collection (3 volumes) / edited by Hope Nicholson | Inhabit Education, 2021 | MOONSHOT: The Indigenous Comics Collection brings together dozens of creators from North America to contribute comic book stories showcasing the rich heritage and identity of indigenous storytelling. From traditional stories to exciting new visions of the future, this collection presents some of the finest comic book and graphic novel work on the continent. | Secondary | Graphic Novel Anthology | 9781774503690, 9781774505328, 9780228706229 | ||||||||||||||||||||
93 | The Marrow Thieves series / Cherie Dimaline: Book 1: The Marrow Thieves Book 2: Hunting By Stars | Cormorant Books, 2017 PRH Canada Teen, 2021 | Book 1: Humanity has nearly destroyed its world through global warming, but now an even greater evil lurks. The Indigenous people of North America are being hunted and harvested for their bone marrow, which carries the key to recovering something the rest of the population has lost: the ability to dream. In this dark world, Frenchie and his companions struggle to survive as they make their way up north to the old lands. For now, survival means staying hidden - but what they don't know is that one of them holds the secret to defeating the marrow thieves. | Secondary | Dystopian Fiction Dreams Survival Also available in French (Pilleurs de rêves) | 9781770864863, 9780735269651 | ||||||||||||||||||||
94 | On the Side of the Angels / Jose Amaujaq Kusugak | Inhabit Education, 2020 | Jose Kusugak had a typical Arctic childhood, growing up playing games, enjoying food caught by hunters, and watching his mother preparing skins. But he was one of the first generation of Inuit children who were taken from their homes and communities and sent to live in residential schools. In this moving and candid memoir, Jose tells of his experiences at residential school and the lifelong effects it had on him. | Secondary Cycle 1 | Memoir Residential Schools | 9781774502037 | ||||||||||||||||||||
95 | Fire Song / Adam Garnet Jones | Annick Press, 2018 | Shane is still reeling from the suicide of his kid sister, Destiny. How could he have missed the fact that she was so sad? He tries to share his grief with his girlfriend, Tara, but she's too concerned with her own needs to offer him much comfort. What he really wants is to be able to turn to the one person on the rez whom he loves--his friend, David. Things go from bad to worse as Shane's dream of going to university is shattered and his grieving mother withdraws from the world. Worst of all, he and David have to hide their relationship from everyone. Shane feels that his only chance of a better life is moving to Toronto, but David refuses to join him. When yet another tragedy strikes, the two boys have to make difficult choices about their future together. | Secondary Cycle 2 | Suicide Grief LGBTQ+ | 9781554519774 | ||||||||||||||||||||
96 | A Girl Called Echo series / Katherena Vermette: Vol. 1: Pemmican Wars Vol. 2: Red River Resistance Vol. 3: Northwest Resistance Vol. 4: Road Allowance Era | Highwater Press, 2017-2021 | Featuring compelling illustrations, a female main character, and the contemporary foster care system, this series follows Echo as she discovers her Métis heritage firsthand while slipping back and forth through time. | Secondary Cycle 2 | Graphic Novel Historical | 9781553796787, 9781553797470, 9781553798316, 9781553799306 | ||||||||||||||||||||
97 | Will I See? / David A. Robertson | Portage & Main Press, 2016 | May, a young teenage girl, traverses the city streets, finding keepsakes in different places along her journey. When May and her kookum make these keepsakes into a necklace, it opens a world of danger and fantasy. While May fights against a terrible reality, she learns that there is strength in the spirit of those that have passed. But will that strength be able to save her? A story of tragedy and beauty, Will I See illuminates the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women. | Secondary Cycle 2 | Graphic Novel Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women | 9781553796749 | ||||||||||||||||||||
98 | #NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Women / edited by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale | Annick Press, 2017 | #Not Your Princess presents an eclectic collection of poems, essays, interviews, and art that combine to express the experience of being a Native woman. Stories of abuse, humiliation, and stereotyping are countered by the voices of passionate women making themselves heard and demanding change. Sometimes angry, often reflective, but always strong, the women in this book will give teen readers insight into the lives of women who, for so long, have been virtually invisible. | Secondary Cycle 2 | Nonfiction Anthology Indigenous Women Life Experiences | 9781554519583 | ||||||||||||||||||||
99 | This Place: 150 Years Retold / Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm | Portage & Main Press, 2019 | 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. Each story includes a timeline of related historical events and a personal note from the author. | Secondary Cycle 2 | Graphic Novel Anthology History | 9781553797586 | ||||||||||||||||||||
100 | The 500 Years of Indigenous Resistance Comic Book: Revised and Expanded / Gord Hill | Arsenal Pulp Press, 2021 | Graphic portrayal of Indigenous resistance to the European colonization of the Americas, beginning with the Spanish invasion under Christopher Columbus and ending with the Six Nations land reclamation in Ontario in 2006. | Secondary Cycle 2 | Graphic Novel History Colonization Revised and Expanded | 9781551528526 | ||||||||||||||||||||