June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada and National Indigenous Peoples Day is June 12. Honouring the history, heritage and cultures of Indigenous Peoples is always important, with a special spotlight through June. Celebrate #OwnVoices and deepen understanding and relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people with these books for kids, teens and adults.
Awâsis and the World-Famous Bannock by Dallas Hunt
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? Ages 3-5.
This Is What I've Been Told = Mii Yi Gaa-Bi-Wiindmaagooyang by Juliana Armstrong
It's been said when teachings are passed down from one generation to the next, good things can happen. In this story of language preservation, author/illustrator and Anishnaabemowin language teacher Juliana Armstrong illuminates a number of Anishnaabemowin words along with their cultural connections, passed down from her Ojibway ancestors. Ages 6-8.
Drum From The Heart by Ren Louie
When he is gifted a handmade drum by his mother, Ren learns the teachings of the drum that she also passes down to him. Ren discovers that through this special drum, he is able to connect to his culture and find a confidence in his voice to joyfully share in singing the traditional songs of his Nuu-chah-nulth Nation. Ages 6-8.
The Circle Of Caring And Sharing by Theresa "Corky" Larsen-Jonasson
When two foxes who are best friends have a fight, it upsets the whole community of animals. Kokom the Owl knows just what to do and brings together all the animals, holding a Sharing Circle. Ages 7-12.
Surviving the City Vol. 2: From the Roots Up by Tasha Spillett and Natasha Donovan
In the second installment in this graphic novel series, friendship and social justice are key themes as a teen comes into her own as a Two-Spirit person with support from a friend, learning how colonization fueled the oppression of Two-Spirit people. Ages 12+.
The Night Wanderer by Drew Hayden Taylor
An Indigenous twist on gothic thrillers, this coming of age story follows a sixteen year-old facing challenging family dynamics, trouble with her boyfriend and, to make matters more difficult, a mysterious new boarder in her home whom she discovers to be a vampire. Ages 12+.
Pemmican Wars by Katherena Vermette, Scott B. Henderson, and Donovan Yaciuk
The first in a series by a Governor General Award winner, this graphic novel features a lonely, teenage Métis girl who is adjusting to life with a new foster family when she is whisked back in time to the Saskatchewan prairie during the Pemmican Wars. Ages 12+.
Those Who Dwell Below by Aviaq Johnston
In the epic sequel to Those Who Run in the Sky, readers return to a richly detailed world of Inuit mythology as a young shaman seeks out an angry sea goddess in an effort to aid a starving community. Ages 12+.
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
After witnessing a murder, a young woman goes undercover on an Ojibwe reservation with the aim of protecting her community in this suspenseful mystery. This novel won the Best Young Adult category for the 2022 Edgar Allan Poe Award competition. Ages 14+.
Lire le livre électronique en français avec Cantook.
Fire Song by Adam Garnet Jones
After facing setbacks and the suicide of a young family member, two Indigenous gay teenagers debate what their futures will look like if they remain on their Anishinaabe reserve or relocate to Toronto. This novel delivers an unflinching depiction of the difficult issues impacting people living on reserves and is based on the author’s award-winning film Fire Song. Ages 14+
Strangers by David A. Robertson
Prodded into action by supernatural forces, Cole Harper returns to Wounded Sky First Nation to bring a murderer to justice in this YA mystery written by award-winning author David A. Robertson, a member of Norway House Cree Nation. Ages 15+.
The Removed: A Novel by Brandon Hobson
Drawing deeply on Cherokee folklore, The Removed seamlessly blends the real and spiritual to excavate the deep reverberations of trauma--a meditation on family, grief, home, and the power of stories on both a personal and ancestral level.
The Prairie Chicken Dance Tour by Dawn Dumont
The Prairie Chicken dance troupe is all set for a fifteen-day trek through Europe, performing at festivals and cultural events. But then the performers all come down with the flu. And John Greyeyes, a retired cowboy who hasn't danced in fifteen years, finds himself abruptly thrust into the position of leading a hastily-assembled group of replacement dancers. As the gang makes its way from one stop to another, absolutely nothing goes as planned and the tour becomes a string of madcap adventures.
We Are the Middle of Forever: Indigenous Voices from Turtle Island on the Changing Earth edited by Stan Rushworth and Dahr Jamail
An innovative work of research and reportage, We Are the Middle of Forever places Indigenous voices at the centre of conversations about today's environmental crisis. The book draws on interviews with people from different North American Indigenous cultures and communities, generations, and geographic regions, who share their knowledge and experience, their questions, their observations, and their dreams of maintaining the best relationship possible to all of life.
Amplifying Indigenous Voices in Business: Indigenization, Reconciliation, and Entrepreneurship by Priscilla Omulo
Amplifying Indigenous Voices in Business is for organizations and allies who would like to make a positive difference by learning how to amplify Indigenous voices, Indigenize businesses, and support Indigenous entrepreneurship, all in the bigger spirit of reconciliation.
Kuei, je te salue: conversation sur le racisme by Deni Ellis Béchard and Natasha Kanapé Fontaine
Comment cohabiter si notre histoire commune est empreinte de honte, de blessures et de colère? Comment faire réaliser aux Blancs le privilège invisible de la domination historique? Comment guérir les Autochtones des stigmates du génocide culturel ?
Di-bayn-di-zi-win (To Own Ourselves): Embodying Ojibway-Anishinabe Ways by Jerry Fontaine and Don McCaskill
A collaboration exploring the importance of the Ojibway-Anishinabe worldview, use of ceremony, and language in living a good life, attaining true reconciliation, and resisting the notions of indigenization and colonization inherent in Western institutions.
Me Tomorrow: Indigenous Views on the Future by Drew Hayden Taylor
First Nations, Métis and Inuit artists, activists, educators and writers, youth and elders come together to envision Indigenous futures in Canada and around the world. Discussing everything from language renewal to sci-fi, this collection is a powerful and important expression of imagination rooted in social critique, cultural experience, traditional knowledge, activism and the multifaceted experiences of Indigenous people on Turtle Island.
We Had a Little Real Estate Problem: The Unheralded Story of Native Americans in Comedy by Kliph Nesteroff
Acclaimed comedy historian Kliph Nesteroff focuses on one of comedy's most significant and little-known stories: how, despite having been denied representation in the entertainment industry, Native Americans have influenced and advanced the art form.
