Celebrating Indigenous Stories + Creators
As Seen on CTV Your Morning
On Thursday, June 13th I dropped by CTV Your Morning to share a list of adult and kids’ titles that celebrate Indigenous stories and culture. See my picks below, or watch the segment at the 2.11.23 mark here.
Picture Books (Ages 3-7)
Crow Helps a Friend is the latest book in the Coast Salish Tales series, featuring art, culture and language from the traditional Coast Salish Territory. This particular story is about a friendship between a wood duck and a crow. The book includes a glossary of Huk’q’umi’num’ words and introduces the basic shapes of Coast Salish art.
I am a Rock is a celebration of the northern landscape. When a child wonders what his pet rock would say if it could talk, his mother takes the opportunity to imagine the seasons, the landscape, and the wildlife as seen from the rock’s perspective. This charming celebration of the north would make an excellent bedtime story and comes with a glossary and pronunciation guide of Inuktitut words.
In Metis Like Me, a group of children share and explore all the ways they celebrate their heritage. This is a warm, empathetic reminder that not everyone is connected to their heritage in the same way, but that it’s never to late to explore your roots. The book includes a recipe for bannock and a glossary of Michif words. The beadwork on the dust jacket has a special raised texture, emulating traditional beadwork.
Circle of Love is a child’s experience at an intertribal community centre. The child’s feelings are centred, and the book is structured into a series of events and how they make the child feel—learning jingle steps makes them feel motivated, the food offering makes them feel honoured, when they hear the welcome song, the feel connected. The book includes a diverse range of individuals and families and the phrase “love is love” is repeated, making this a fantastic book to share for Pride as well. The back matter includes an activity and a note on the history of intertribal community centres and two-spirit people.
Middle Grade (Ages 9-12)
The Kodiaks: Home Advice Advantage is the first book in a new middle grade series by award-winning Cree author David A. Robertson. Alex is adjusting to being the kid in the big city of Winnipeg, having moved from Norway House Cree Nation. He isn’t thrilled about the move, but things look up when he joins the local hockey team, introducing him to new friends (and some challenges) and allows him to excel at the sport that he loves.
Adult
Medicine Wheel for the Planet is a gorgeous blend of personal observation, field work and sacred stories with the aim of finding a better path towards ecological healing. This hopeful and inspiring call to action combines Western science with an Indigenous worldview and is a must-read for fans of Braiding Sweetgrass and those interested in the environment.
Coexistence is a collection of spare, elegant short stories featuring a diverse cast of Indigenous characters living in contemporary Canada, including a number of queer perspectives. Billy-Ray Belcourt imbues everyday stories with radiance and meaning, in the same way the late Alice Munro turned the lives of everyday people into art.
Prairie Edge is a novel about two cousins who decide to make a major political statement by moving a herd of bison from a provincial park to downtown Edmonton. This rich novel explores themes of activism, land back, reconciliation and identity and unfolds with the pace of a thriller.