Grade 9-12
Resources
Books
#NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American WomenWhether looking back to a troubled past or welcoming a hopeful future, the powerful voices of Indigenous women across North America resound in this book. In the same style as the best-selling Dreaming in Indian, #NotYourPrincess 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.
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21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian ActBased on a viral article, 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act is the essential guide to understanding the legal document and its repercussion on generations of Indigenous Peoples, written by a leading cultural sensitivity trainer.
Since its creation in 1876, the Indian Act has shaped, controlled, and constrained the lives and opportunities of Indigenous Peoples, and is at the root of many enduring stereotypes. Bob Joseph's book comes at a key time in the reconciliation process, when awareness from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities is at a crescendo. Joseph explains how Indigenous Peoples can step out from under the Indian Act and return to self-government, self-determination, and self-reliance - and why doing so would result in a better country for every Canadian. He dissects the complex issues around truth and reconciliation, and clearly demonstrates why learning about the Indian Act's cruel, enduring legacy is essential for the country to move toward true reconciliation. |
A Concise History of Canada's First NationsA Concise History of Canada's First Nations, second edition, is a revised, streamlined edition of the award-winning Canada's First Nations: A History of Founding Peoples from Earliest Times, designed to make First Nations' history more accessible to a broader readership. This edition contains a new final chapter covering Prime Minister Stephen Harper's 2008 apology to residential school survivors, the Caledonia land dispute in Ontario, and the First Nations Governance Act. In addition to more than 70 maps and illustrations, it includes numerous boxes highlighting specific subjects, review questions, an extensive glossary of important names and terms, and a list of useful websites.
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A Gril Called Echo, Vol. 1Echo Desjardins, a 13-year-old Métis girl, is struggling with her feelings of loneliness while separated from her mom and adjusting to a new school. Then an ordinary day in Mr. Bee’s history class turns extraordinary, and Echo’s life will never be the same. During Mr. Bee’s lecture, Echo finds herself transported to another time and place—a bison hunt on the Saskatchewan prairie—and back again to the present. In the following weeks, Echo slips back and forth in time. She visits a Métis camp, travels the old fur-trade routes, and experiences the perilous and bygone era of the Pemmican Wars. Pemmican Wars is the first graphic novel in A Girl Called Echo, a series by Katherena Vermette, Governor General Award–winning writer and author of The Seven Teaching Stories (HighWater Press).
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A National Crime: The Canadian Government and the Residential School SystemUsing previously unreleased government documents accessed during his work for the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, A National Crime was one of the first comprehensive studies of the history of residential schools, and it remains a powerful indictment of the racist and colonial policies that inspired and sustained them. A National Crime convincingly argues that, rather than bringing Indigenous children into what its planners called “the circle of civilization,” the schools more often provided an inferior education in an atmosphere of neglect, disease, and abuse.
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A World We Have Lost: Saskatchewan Before 1905A World We Have Lost examines the early history of Saskatchewan through an Aboriginal and environmental lens. Indian and mixed-descent peoples played leading roles in the story, as did the land and climate. Despite the growing British and Canadian presence, the Saskatchewan country remained Aboriginal territory. The region's peoples had their own interests and needs and the fur trade was often peripheral to their lives. Indians and Métis peoples wrangled over territory and resources, especially bison, and were not prepared to let outsiders control their lives, let alone decide their future. Native-newcomer interactions were consequently fraught with misunderstandings, sometimes painful difficulties, if not outright disputes.
By the early nineteenth century, a distinctive western society had emerged in the North-West, one that was challenged and undermined by the takeover of the region by young dominion of Canada. Settlement and development was to be rooted in the best features of Anglo-Canadian civilization, including the white race. By the time Saskatchewan entered confederation as a province in 1905, the world that Kelsey had encountered during his historic walk on the northern prairies had become a world we have lost. |
Aboriginal Law: Cases, Materials, and CommentaryThe third edition of Aboriginal Law contains more extensive and detailed commentary than earlier editions, and highlights the most important aspects of Canadian law affecting Aboriginal peoples. The author provides detailed information on and analysis of current law, referring to relevant court decisions, statutes, and land claims agreements. Key excerpts from major cases and materials are included. All major Supreme Court of Canada decisions on Aboriginal rights in the last four decades are referred to and most are excerpted. The addition of a detailed index makes this book easy to use, and the selected bibliography after each chapter assists readers with more in-depth research
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Purich.
Aboriginal Spirituality and Biblical TheologyThe dawning of the twenty-first century has witnessed a more global philosophical outlook among North Americans. A healthy curiosity has motivated investigations into wider parameters of philosophical thought, including Aboriginal spirituality. This book not only offers an in-depth look at First Nations’ theology, but parallels its key themes with Old Testament Hebraic thought, which comprises the roots of Christianity.
The first chapters of the book outline the common tribal histories of North American Indians and Old Testament Jews. Key doctrines central to both Aboriginal and Biblical theology are then compared and contrasted in language readily understood by the layman. These include the doctrine of God, anthropology, epistemology, soteriolgoy, deontology and eschatologoy. Parallels in the way spiritual leadership is viewed by Aboriginal Peoples, Hebrews and Christians are drawn, and the final chapter features a special case study of the Stoney Nation. |
(Ad)dressing Our Words: Aboriginal Perspectives on Aboriginal LiteratureThis critical anthology of essays by Aboriginal academics provides an in-depth analysis of the emerging body of literature by Aboriginal authors. The contributors study the works of their peers with an insightful understanding of the significance of contemporary literature within Aboriginal cultural paradigms. This critical anthology of essays by Aboriginal academics provides an in-depth analysis of the emerging body of literature by Aboriginal authors. The contributors study the works of their peers with an insightful understanding of the significance of contemporary literature within Aboriginal cultural paradigms.
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American Indian Myths and LegendsThis magnificent collection gathers 160 tales from 80 tribal gathers to offer a rich and lively panorama of the Native American mythic heritage. From all across the continent come tales of creation and love, of heroes and war, of animals, tricksters, and the end of the world. Alfonso Ortiz, an eminent anthropologist, and Richard Erdoes, an artist and master storyteller, Indian voices in the best folkloric sources of the nineteenth century to make this the most comprehensive and authentic volume of American Indian myths available anywhere.
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An Anthology of Canadian Native Literature in EnglishTwenty years after the publication of its groundbreaking first edition, this collection continues to provide the most comprehensive coverage of Canadian Native literature available in one volume. Emphasizing the importance of the oral tradition, the anthology offers a diverse selection ofsongs, short stories, poems, plays, letters, and essays crafted by exceptional writers from First Nation, Inuit, and Metis communities across Canada.
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ed.). Oxford Univ. Press.
An Overview of Aboriginal and Treaty Rights and Compensation for their BreachThe heart of this book deals with the complex question of compensation for the infringement of Aboriginal and treaty rights. The author begins with the Canadian law of expropriation but argues that, while these principles can provide guidelines for compensation, expropriation law is inadequate to address the issue fully. He then examines American jurisprudence and concludes that the American experience, which involves complex legal maneuverings and narrowly applied principles, has not always led to justice for Native Americans.
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Back on the Rez: Finding the Way HomeAfter living in the city for forty years, Mohawk writer Brian Maracle moved back to the Six Nations Grand River Territory. This is the vivid chronicle of his first year back on the rez, a community where your water comes from a well, heat from a woodstove, and food from a garden. Where family, friends, and casual acquaintances show up unannounced. It also looks into the deeply divided community where groups of traditionalists struggle to revitalize the longhouse religion and reclaim values. Where there are power brokers, cigarette hustlers, corruption and incompetence in the government-imposed band council.
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Behind Closed Doors: Stories from the Kamloops Indian Residential SchoolBehind Closed Doors features written testimonials from thirty-two individuals who attended the Kamloops Indian Residential School. The school was one of many infamous residential schools that operated from 1893 to 1979. The storytellers remember and share with us their stolen time at the school; many stories are told through courageous tears.
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Betty: The Helen Betty Osborne StoryHelen Betty Osborne, known as Betty to her closest friends and family, dreamed of becoming a teacher. She left home to attend residential school and later moved to The Pas, Manitoba, to attend high school. On November 13, 1971, Betty was abducted and brutally murdered by four young men. Initially met with silence and indifference, her tragic murder resonates loudly today. Betty represents one of almost 1,200 Indigenous women in Canada who have been murdered or gone missing. This is her story.
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Big BearBig Bear (1825—1888) was a Plains Cree chief in Saskatchewan at a time when aboriginals were confronted with the disappearance of the buffalo and waves of European settlers that seemed destined to destroy the Indian way of life. In 1876 he refused to sign Treaty No. 6, until 1882, when his people were starving. Big Bear advocated negotiation over violence, but when the federal government refused to negotiate with aboriginal leaders, some of his followers killed 9 people at Frog Lake in 1885. Big Bear himself was arrested and imprisoned. Rudy Wiebe, author of a Governor General’s Award–winning novel about Big Bear, revisits the life of the eloquent statesman, one of Canada’s most important aboriginal leaders.
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Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of PlantsDrawing on her life as an indigenous scientist, and as a woman, Kimmerer shows how other living beings - asters and goldenrod, strawberries and squash, salamanders, algae, and sweetgrass - offer us gifts and lessons, even if we've forgotten how to hear their voices. In reflections that range from the creation of Turtle Island to the forces that threaten its flourishing today, she circles toward a central argument: that the awakening of ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment andcelebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world. For only when we can hear the languages of other beings will we be capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learn to give our own gifts in return."
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Broken Circle: The Dark Legacy of Indian Residential SchoolsTheodore Fontaine lost his family and freedom just after his seventh birthday, when his parents were forced to leave him at an Indian residential school by order of the Roman Catholic Church and the Government of Canada. Twelve years later, he left school frozen at the emotional age of seven. He was confused, angry and conflicted, on a path of self-destruction. At age 29, he emerged from this blackness. By age 32, he had graduated from the Civil Engineering Program at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and begun a journey of self-exploration and healing.In this powerful and poignant memoir, Theodore examines the impact of his psychological, emotional and sexual abuse, the loss of his language and culture, and, most important, the loss of his family and community. He goes beyond details of the abuses of Native children to relate a unique understanding of why most residential school survivors have post-traumatic stress disorders and why succeeding generations of First Nations children suffer from this dark chapter in history.
Told as remembrances described with insights that have evolved through his healing, his story resonates with his resolve to help himself and other residential school survivors and to share his enduring belief that one can pick up the shattered pieces and use them for good. |
Children of the Broken TreatyChildren of the Broken Treaty exposes a system of apartheid in Canada that led to the largest youth-driven human rights movement in the country's history. The movement was inspired by Shannen Koostachin, a young Cree girl named by George Stroumboulopoulos as one of "five teenage girls in history who kicked ass."
All Shannen wanted was a decent education. She found an ally in Charlie Angus, who had not idea she was going to change his life and inspire others to change the country. Based on extensive documentation assembled from Freedom of Information requests, Angus establishes a dark, unbroken line that extends from the policies of John A. Macdonald to the government of today. He provides chilling insight into how Canada--through breaches of treaties and callous neglect--has deliberately denied First Nations children their basic human rights. |
Clearing a Path: New Ways of Seeing Traditional Indigenous ArtIn 2005, as part of the province's centennial celebrations, the Saskatchewan Arts Board contracted Sherry Farrell Racette and Carmen Robertson to curate an exhibition which would bring together a diverse group of contemporary artists working in traditional Indigenous media, all of whom had been recipients of the then nascent Traditional Artist Grant program. More than three years later, the exhibition continued to flourish and tour. This catalogue includes introductory essays by the curators, along with photographs of the exhibition pieces and artist statements from 21 participating artists.
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Clearing the Plains: Disease, Politics of Starvation, and the Loss of Aboriginal LifeThis new edition of Clearing the Plains has a forward by Pulitzer Prize winning author, Elizabeth Fenn, and explanations of the book’s influence by leading Canadian historians. Called “one of the most important books of the twenty-first century” by the Literary Review of Canada, it was named a “Book of the Year” by The Globe and Mail, Quill & Quire, the Writers’ Trust, and won the Sir John A. Macdonald Prize, among many others.
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Come Walk with MeIn 1983, the book In Search of April Raintree was published to great acclaim, heralding the voice of an important new writer, Beatrice Mosionier (then Culleton). With honesty and clarity, Mosionier explored the story of two Métis sisters as they struggle with loss, identity, and racism. Yet readers have long asked: how much of April’s story comes from the author’s own life? Come Walk With Me, Beatrice’s answer to that question, is a moving memoir that follows a bewildered three-year-old through a dramatic journey to adulthood. Recounting a life that, at times, parallels that of her most memorable fictional character, and at others, diverges from it, Mosionier searches to make sense of her losses―her sundered family, her innocence, and her dignity―only to triumph as a woman and writer, fulfilled artistically, politically, and personally.
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CorvusEighty years have passed since flash floods, droughts, and tornadoes have ravaged the North American landscape and mass migrations to the north have led to decade-long wars. In the thriving city of La Ronge, George Taylor and Lenore Hanson are lawyers who rarely interact with members of the lower classes from the impoverished suburb of Regis and the independently thriving Ashram outside the city. They live in a world of personalized Platforms, self-driving cars, and cutting edge Organic Recreational Vehicles (ORVs), where gamers need never leave their virtual realities.
Lenore befriends political dissenter and fellow war veteran Richard Warner, and George accidentally crash-lands his ORV near the mountain-sheltered haven of a First Nations community, they become exposed to new ways of thinking. As the lives of these near-strangers become intertwined, each is forced to confront the past before their relationships and lives unravel. Taking its title from the Latin name for the Trickster bird of First Nations, Norse, and Christian mythologies, Corvus examines the illusions of security we build through technology and presents a scathing satire of a world caught up in climate change denial and the glorification of war. |
Creating Community: A Roundtable on Canadian Aboriginal LiteratureCreating Community is a special book about imagination and challenge. We know that writers try to tell us things. We know that what they tell is culturally-based. But what exactly are Aboriginal authors trying to tell us? Fifteen authors and scholars discuss Aboriginal literature in it's unique Canadian context
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Cree Narrative Memory: From Treaties to Contemporary TimesNeal McLeod examines the history of the nêhiyawak (Cree People) of Western Canada from the massive upheavals of the 1870s and the reserve period to the vibrant cultural and political rebirth of contemporary times. Central to the text are the narratives of McLeod’s family, which give first hand examples of the tenacity and resiliency of the human spirit while providing a rubric for reinterpreting the history of Indigenous people, drawing on Cree worldviews and Cree narrative structures. In a readable style augmented with extensive use of the Cree language throughout, McLeod draws heavily on original research to examine on the Cree experience of the Canadian prairies.
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Cultural AppropriationIndigenous peoples have played an influential role in Canadian history and continue to do so today. From the past and into the future, Indigenous Life in Canada reveals the challenges Indigenous peoples face, celebrates their diverse cultures, and highlights the contributions they make in Canada.
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Cultural Teaching: First Nations Protocols and MethodologiesFirst Nations people begin ceremonies, feasts, songs, gatherings, healings and other occasions with traditional protocols and methodologies which have been passed on from generation to generation since time immemorial.
Cultural Teachings: First Nations Protocols and Methodologies provides introductory teachings so that readers will have an understanding of expected etiquettes when attending various ceremonies, feasts, songs, gatherings, healings and other cultural activities. |
Dream WheelsDream Wheels is a story about change. Moving from the Wild West Shows of the late 1880s to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas to a lush valley in the mountains, it tells the story of a people’s journey, a family’s vision, a man’s reawakening, a woman’s recovery, and a boy’s emergence to manhood.
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Dreaming in Indian: Contemporary Native American VoicesTruly universal in its themes, Dreaming In Indian will shatter commonly held stereotypes and challenge readers to rethink their own place in the world. Divided into four sections, ‘Roots,’ ‘Battles,’ ‘Medicines,’ and ‘Dreamcatchers,’ this book offers readers a unique insight into a community often misunderstood and misrepresented by the mainstream media.
Emerging and established Native artists, including acclaimed author Joseph Boyden, renowned visual artist Bunky Echo Hawk, and stand-up comedian Ryan McMahon, contribute thoughtful and heartfelt pieces on their experiences growing up Indigenous, expressing them through such mediums as art, food, the written word, sport, dance, and fashion. Renowned chef Aaron Bear Robe, for example, explains how he introduces restaurant customers to his culture by reinventing traditional dishes. And in a dramatic photo spread, model Ashley Callingbull and photographer Thosh Collins reappropriate the trend of wearing ‘Native’ clothing. Whether addressing the effects of residential schools, calling out bullies through personal manifestos, or simply citing hopes for the future, Dreaming In Indian refuses to shy away from difficult topics. Insightful, thought-provoking, and beautifully honest, this book will to appeal to young adult readers. An innovative and captivating design enhances each contribution and makes for a truly unique reading experience. |
Dying to Please You: Indigenous Suicide in Contemporary Canada“DYING TO PLEASE YOU is a ground breaking, paradigm-shifting book. It compels readers to rethink the definition of suicide, homicide, and treatment, as well as to grasp the political - and primary - cause of Indigenous suicide, rather than be distracted by psychiatric explanations. Moreover, it provides a clear alternative - albeit, a politically difficult one - as to how best to transform this ongoing tragedy. The authors make a convincing case that the “proper treatment” for the “Indian Suicide Problem” isn’t to send cheerleaders into our communities; it is the elimination of the system that is destroying our lives.’”
~Bruce E. Levine, Ph.D. Common Sense Rebellion (2001), Surviving America’s Depression Epidemic (2007), and Get Up, Stand Up (2011) |
UXL Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes Vol. 1-5An updated version of this award-winning set (originally published in 1998) offers in-depth historical, cultural, and current information on 107 Native American groups. Organized by region, each entry features a locator map, a fact box (origin of name, location, population, language family), a chronology, and information under the following subheads: introduction, history, religion, language, buildings, subsistence, clothing and adornment, healing practices, customs, oral literature, current tribal issues, and short biographies. This title brings together a vast array of information on these tribes that allows for a holistic profile of each group.
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Ensouling Our SchoolsIn an educational milieu in which standards and accountability hold sway, schools can become places of stress, marginalization, and isolation instead of learning communities that nurture a sense of meaning and purpose. In Ensouling Our Schools, author Jennifer Katz weaves together methods of creating schools that engender mental, spiritual, and emotional health while developing intellectual thought and critical analysis.
Kevin Lamoureux contributes his expertise regarding Indigenous approaches to mental and spiritual health that benefit all students and address the TRC Calls to Action. |
Everything You Need to Know About Cultural AppropriationCultural appropriation is a form of identity theft. It happens when someone adopts another culture's identifiable, tangible elements without honoring their cultural importance or significance. It includes everything from hairstyles to clothing to jewelry to musical style. Using historical context, current events, teen-friendly examples, and useful sidebars, this resource helps readers grasp the magnitude of the problem, including how they may be participating in appropriation without even knowing it. When teens better understand cultural appropriation, and become actively involved in helping reduce harm, they will be better able to connect meaningfully with other cultures.
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Fall From GraceFall from Grace from Wayne Arthurson marks the debut of Leo Desroches, one of the most unusual amateur detectives ever to appear in Canada or points south, this fast-paced, enthralling mystery is the story of a man who had everything, lost it all, and is trying to get it back.
Leo Desroches doesn't look like a native, but his mother was Cree, and he understands the problems of indigenous Canadians of the First Nations. Which is probably why the Edmonton newspaper decides he should be their Aboriginal Issues reporter. He has his own issues to deal with: the compulsive gambling that cost him his wife and children and the risk-taking that threatens to derail him every time he starts to get his life back together. But during a newspaper strike, Leo caught a break, getting hired as a reporter. Since then, he's managed to resist the urge to gamble. But he still hasn't stopped taking risks.... When he's assigned to cover the murder of a young native prostitute, it's just one more article...until the cop in charge lets him view the corpse, something the Edmonton police never do. Leo's article starts a chain of events that leads him to a much, much bigger story, one that could bring down the entire police department...if it doesn't get him killed. |
Fire SongShane 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. With deep insight into the life of Indigenous people on the reserve, this book masterfully portrays how a community looks to the past for guidance and comfort while fearing a future of poverty and shame. Shane’s rocky road to finding himself takes many twists and turns, but ultimately ends with him on a path that doesn’t always offer easy answers, but one that leaves the reader optimistic about his fate. |
First in Canada: An Aboriginal Book of Days First in Canada is a unique expression of the many accomplishments Indigenous Canadians have made to Canadian society. As beautiful as it is informative, this perpetual calendar is a glimpse of 10,000 years in 365 days!
Informative, innovative, and inspirational, First in Canada will take readers through one calendar year of Aboriginal history, providing visuals and details of past and contemporary achievements and challenges of First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples in Canada. It will appeal to those interested in Canadian history, to high school and university students, and to researchers looking to initiate projects on Aboriginal topics. Attractive and functional, this personal schedule book contains beautiful aboriginal works of art and will serve as a ready reminder of the importance of First Peoples to the ongoing cultural dynamic in Canada. Carefully researched by Jonathan Anuik, First in Canada is the first of its kind. |
First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples: Exploring Their Past, Present, and Future: Teacher's ResourceFirst Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples is a student-friendly, supplementary text intended for Law, Politics, and History courses at the grade 10–12 level that addresses issues relating to Aboriginal peoples. The text explores themes of globalization, citizenship, and nationalism from a First Peoples’ perspective. Students will recognize that a unique culture exists in their midst, a culture with its own rules, myths, and practices.
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First Nations People in CanadaJames S. Frideres' introduction to the current status of First Nations peoples considers often troubled relations with the federal government as well as their surprising resilience. Frideres' surveys pre- and post-contact and ends with recent court challenges; in spite of historical trauma and a century of extinguishment policies, First Nations people are flourishing across Canada. Frideres shows that understanding decades of misguided government policy helps make sense of sobering present indicators of health and welfare.
This fascinating assessment draws on all the most recent and most reliable data of First Nations peoples across Canada, both on reserve and in urban centres. The first chapter is a concise, accessible description of First Nations populations before and following contact with European settlers, where once thriving healthy nations across the country faced decimation from imported disease and cultural change. The history of government attempts to "manage" First Nations people via the Indian Act, treaties, and other forms of legislation dispossessed them of land, livelihood, and identity. Today, First Nations people continue to live with the effects of these misguided policies, too often isolated and marginalized from the rest of Canada. Chapters consider all the key indicators in their historical context, including education, health, and criminal justice. Two chapters also deal with the issue of rights: land rights and Aboriginal rights, both complicated topics that emerge from different cultural worldviews. As rights legislation evolves however, new opportunities for reconciliation have emerged. This accessible and up-to-date account of social demographics will be essential reading for students and scholars wishing to understand the full context of First Nations people in Canada. |
First Nations: Race, Class, and Gender RelationsFirst published in 1993, First Nations: Race, Class, and Gender Relations remains unique in offering systematically, from a political economy perspective, an analysis that enables us to understand the diverse realities of Aboriginal people within changing Canadian and global contexts. The book provides an extended analysis of how changing social dynamics, organized particularly around race, class, and gender relations, have shaped the life chances and conditions for Aboriginal people within the structure of Canadian society and its major institutional forms. The authors conclude that prospects for First Nations and Aboriginal people remain uncertain insofar as they are grounded in contradictory social, economic, cultural, and political realities.
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For King and Kanata: Canadian Indians and the First World WarThe first comprehensive history of the Aboriginal First World War experience on the battlefield and the home front./DIVDIV When the call to arms was heard at the outbreak of the First World War, Canada’s First Nations pledged their men and money to the Crown to honour their long-standing tradition of forming military alliances with Europeans during times of war, and as a means of resisting cultural assimilation and attaining equality through shared service and sacrifice. Initially, the Canadian government rejected these offers based on the belief that status Indians were unsuited to modern, civilized warfare. But in 1915, Britain intervened and demanded Canada actively recruit Indian soldiers to meet the incessant need for manpower. Thus began the complicated relationships between the Imperial Colonial and War Offices, the Department of Indian Affairs, and the Ministry of Militia that would affect every aspect of the war experience for Canada’s Aboriginal soldiers./DIVDIV In his groundbreaking new book, IFor King and Kanata/I, Timothy C. Winegard reveals how national and international forces directly influenced the more than 4,000 status Indians who voluntarily served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force between 1914 and 1919—a per capita percentage equal to that of Euro-Canadians—and how subsequent administrative policies profoundly affected their experiences at home, on the battlefield, and as returning veterans.
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Gallup Guides for Youth Facing Persistent Prejudice: Native North American IndiansDifferent skin colors, different languages, different religions, different abilities--these are all things that sometimes cause us to judge other people unfairly. Native North Americans have experienced hatred and misunderstanding over the years, from massacre and displacement to continuing stereotypes and poverty. Learn more about what prejudice means for Native North Americans today. "Gallup Guides for Youth Facing Persistent Prejudice: Native North American Indians" explores the history of prejudice against this group and what's being done today to fight discrimination and injustice. Read firsthand stories--and learn how to join the fight for tolerance and justice.
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K., Armstrong, J., Joe, J. B., & Beaver, S. M. (Eds.). (1991-2016).
Gatherings (Vols. 2-15). Theytus Books.
God and the IndianWhile panhandling outside a coffee shop, Johnny, a Cree woman who lives on the streets, is shocked to recognize a face from her childhood, which was spent in a residential school. Desperate to hear the man acknowledge the terrible abuse he inflicted on her and other children at the school, Johnny follows Anglican bishop George King to his office to confront him.
Inside King’s office, Johnny’s memories are fluid, shifting, and her voice cracks with raw emotion. Is the bishop actually guilty of what she claims, or has her ability to recollect been altered by poverty, abuse, and starvation experienced on the streets? Can her memories be trusted? Who is responsible for what? At its core, God and the Indian, by celebrated Aboriginal playwright Drew Hayden Taylor, explores the complex process of healing through dialogue. Loosely based on Death and the Maiden by Chilean playwright Ariel Dorfman, the play identifies the ambiguities that frame past traumatic events. Against the backdrop of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which has facilitated the recent outpouring of stories from residential school survivors across the country, the play explores what is possible when the abused meets the abuser and is given a free forum for expression. |
Good for NothingThe 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. |
GovernanceIndigenous peoples have played an influential role in Canadian history and continue to do so today. From the past and into the future, Indigenous Life in Canada reveals the challenges Indigenous peoples face, celebrates their diverse cultures, and highlights the contributions they make in Canada.
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Great Chiefs Volume 1 & 2A tribute to the courageous chiefs and warriors who fought to protect their people and preserve the Native way of life in the face of European expansion across North America: - Sequoyah, a Cherokee who invented a system of writing for his people - Sitting Bull, the powerful warrior and spiritual leader of the Lakota Sioux who doggedly fought white incursions on Sioux land - Chief Joseph, who led the Nez Perce on a heroic and doomed flight to freedom - Louis Riel, who was hanged as a traitor after fighting to protect Métis rights - Red Cloud, who fought with Sitting Bull to prevent settlers from crossing Sioux lands - Quanah Parker, the last great chief of the Comanche.
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Green Grass Running WaterWelcome to the town of Blossom-part myth, part hilariously off-kilter reality.Green Grass, Running Water is the story of five Blackfoot Indians whose existences connect in ways that are at once coincidental, comical and cosmic. This is a rich tale, weaving magical humour, revisionist history, nostalgia and myth into one bright whole.
Green Grass, Running Water's timeless appeal has kept it flying off bookstore shelves since it was published in 1993. Enhanced with a P.S. section, this edition introduces a new generation of readers to King's unique take on contemporary human experience. |
I Am AlgonquinThis book paints a vivid picture of the original peoples of North America before the arrival of Europeans. The novel follows the story of Mahingan and his family as they live the traditional Algonquin way of life in what is now Ontario in the early fourteenth century. Along the way we learn about the search for moose and the dramatic rare woodland buffalo hunt, conflicts with other Native nations, and the dangers of wolves and wolverines. We also witness the violent game of lacrosse, the terror of a forest fire, and the rituals that allow Algonquin boys to be declared full-grown men.
But warfare is also part of their lives, and signs point to a defining conflict between Mahingan’s nation, its allies the Omàmiwinini (Algonquin), Ouendat (Huron), and the Nippissing against the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois). The battle’s aftermath may open the door to future journeys by Mahingan and his followers. |
If I Go MissingIf I Go Missing is derived from excerpts of 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. Indigenous artist Neal Shannacappo provides the artwork. Through his illustrations, he imagines a situation in which a young Indigenous woman does disappear, portraying the reaction of her community, her friends, the police, and media.
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In the Shadow of EvilThis is the second novel by Beatrice Culleton Mosionier. This murder mystery is set in the foothills of the Rockies. The main character, Christine, is a Metis woman who struggles to deal with the sudden loss of her husband and child. Haunted by her own childhood of a broken family, sibling rivalry and foster homes, Christine's life suddenly unravels revealing the ghosts and events of her past. All is brought to a suspenseful and surprising conclusion.
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In This Together: 15 Stories of Truth & ReconciliationWhat is real reconciliation? This collection of essays from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous contributors from across Canada welcomes readers into a timely, healing conversation—one we've longed for but, before now, have had a hard time approaching.
These reflective and personal pieces come from journalists, writers, academics, visual artists, filmmakers, city planners, and lawyers, all of whom share their personal light-bulb moments regarding when and how they grappled with the harsh reality of colonization in Canada, and its harmful legacy. Without flinching, they look deeply and honestly at their own experiences and assumptions about race and racial divides in Canada in hopes that the rest of the country will do the same. Featuring a candid conversation between CBC radio host Shelagh Rogers and Chief Justice Sinclair, this book acts as a call for all Canadians to make reconciliation and decolonization a priority, and reminds us that once we know the history, we all have the responsibility—and ability—to make things better. |
Indian Ernie: Perspectives on Policing and LeadershipWhen he began his career with the Saskatoon Police in 1987, Ernie Louttit was only the city's third native police officer. Indian Ernie, as he came to be known on the streets, here details an era of challenge, prejudice, and also tremendous change in urban policing. Drawing from his childhood, army career, and service as a veteran patrol officer, Louttit shares stories of criminals and victims, the night shift, avoiding politics, but most of all, the realities of the marginalized and disenfranchised.
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Indian HorseSaul 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.
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Indigenous Relations: Insights, Tips, & Suggestions to Make Reconciliation a RealityA timely sequel to the bestselling 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act - and an invaluable guide for anyone seeking to work more effectively with Indigenous Peoples.
We are all treaty people. But what are the everyday impacts of treaties, and how can we effectively work toward reconciliation if we're worried our words and actions will unintentionally cause harm? Hereditary chief and leading Indigenous relations trainer Bob Joseph is your guide to respecting cultural differences and improving your personal relationships and business interactions with Indigenous Peoples. Practical and inclusive, Indigenous Relations interprets the difference between hereditary and elected leadership, and why it matters; explains the intricacies of Aboriginal Rights and Title, and the treaty process; and demonstrates the lasting impact of the Indian Act, including the barriers that Indigenous communities face and the truth behind common myths and stereotypes perpetuated since Confederation. |
Indigenous WritesIn Indigenous Writes, Chelsea Vowel initiates myriad conversations about the relationship between Indigenous peoples and Canada. An advocate for Indigenous worldviews, the author discusses the fundamental issues the terminology of relationships; culture and identity; myth-busting; state violence; and land, learning, law and treaties along with wider social beliefs about these issues. She answers the questions that many people have on these topics to spark further conversations at home, in the classroom, and in the larger community.
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Inuksuit: Silent Messengers of the ArcticThe mysterious stone figures known as inuksuit can be found throughout the circumpolar world. Built from whatever stones are at hand, each one is unique. Inuksuit are among the oldest and most important objects placed by humans upon the vast Arctic landscape and have become a familiar symbol of the Inuit and their homeland
In author Norman Hallendy’s forty years of travels throughout the Arctic, he developed deep and lasting friendships with a number of Inuit elders. Through them, he learned that inuksuit are a nuanced, complex and vital form of communication. Hallendy’s dramatic colour photos of many different kinds of inuksuit and objects of veneration capture not only a sense of wonder and power but reveal the unfamiliar Arctic landscape in all its magical beauty |
Just Ask Us: A Conversation with First Nations Teenage MomsJust Ask Us takes a comprehensive, first-hand look at First Nations teen mothers, offering ways to counteract the intractable cycle of poverty and turn reserve communities into places of hope for the next generation. Olsen explores issues of teenage sexuality and relationships, birth control, abortion, and violence. She examines aboriginal and non-aboriginal cultural attitudes and practices and how they affect the lives of young moms and their children. Her book weaves the threads of these young mothers' lives together with colours of desperation, enthusiasm, impossibility, and hope.
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Keeper 'n MeWhen Garnet Raven was three years old, he was taken from his home on an Ojibway Indian reserve and placed in a series of foster homes. Having reached his mid-teens, he escapes at the first available opportunity, only to find himself cast adrift on the streets of the big city.
Having skirted the urban underbelly once too often by age 20, he finds himself thrown in jail. While there, he gets a surprise letter from his long-forgotten native family. The sudden communication from his past spurs him to return to the reserve following his release from jail. Deciding to stay awhile, his life is changed completely as he comes to discover his sense of place, and of self. While on the reserve, Garnet is initiated into the ways of the Ojibway--both ancient and modern--by Keeper, a friend of his grandfather, and last fount of history about his people's ways. By turns funny, poignant and mystical, Keeper'n Me reflects a positive view of Native life and philosophy--as well as casting fresh light on the redemptive power of one's community and traditions. |
kisiskâciwan: Indigenous Voices from where the River Flows SoftlyThis groundbreaking anthology from territory that is now Saskatchewan, kisiskâciwan, includes rich oral narratives from Cree, Saulteaux, Nakoda, Dakota, Dene, and Metis cultures; early writings from Cree missionaries; speeches and letters by Treaty Chiefs; stories from elders; archival discoveries; and contemporary literary works in all genres.
Historically and culturally comprehensive, voices include Big Bear, Thunderchild, Louis Riel, Gabriel Dumont, Edward Ahenakew, Maria Campbell, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Rita Bouvier, Harold Johnson, Gregory Scofield, Warren Cariou, Louise Halfe, and many more. |
Legends of the EldersAboriginal legends are pictures in word-form of Aboriginal life, showing life from their point of view. Legends deal with religion, the origins of things, and acts of bravery performed by stout-hearted warriors. They convey a vast range of cultural knowledge including folkways, values and beliefs. This collection includes legends meant to entertain, teach or pass on moral values. There are four books in this series of legends. In addition, there is a teacher’s handbook to assist in the use of legends in the curriculum.
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Louis RielChampion of a people or traitorous rabble-rouser? Political visionary or religious lunatic? Louis Riel is one of the most ambiguous figures in Canadian history, a man who stood and fell for the Métis nation. Read about the fascinating western icon in this well-paced biography. The doomed struggle of Louis Riel and his Métis people against the new Canadian government is a story rich in drama and cultural change.
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Extraordinary Canadians: Louis Riel & Gabriel DumontLouis Riel, a controversial Métis mystic and visionary, fought for his people’s rights against an encroaching tide of white settlers. Hunter and Métis leader Gabriel Dumont, a man tested by warfare, was, in contrast, a pragmatic realist of the land. Celebrated novelist Joseph Boyden explores the tumultuous year when Riel and Dumont united the Métis while dividing a nation. Could Dumont have foreseen the impact on the Métis cause when he brought Riel home? While making rational demands of Sir John A. Macdonald, Riel seemed increasingly overtaken by a messianic mission. His controversial execution by the Canadian government in 1885 still reverberates today. Boyden, with his powerful narrative skill, creates an unforgettable portrait of two seminal Canadian figures who helped shape the country.
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Louis Riel v. Canada: The Making of a RebelThis book takes a look at Louis Riel from a historical perspective, examining the political and cultural ramifications of Riel's life for the citizens of Western Canada. As a revolutionary, as a religious prophet, and as a spokesman for the Metis people, Louis Riel changed the course of Canadian history.
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Louis Riel: A Comic Strip BiographyChester Brown reinvents the comic book medium to create a historical biography on Louis Riel. He crafts a compelling and meticulous retelling of the charismatic 19th-century Metis leader, regarded by some as a martyr and by others as a treacherous murderer. Canadian history at its best, Louis Riel: A Comic-Strip Biography is entertaining and accessible for all ages.
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Love Beyond Body, Space & Time: An Indigenous LGBT Sci-Fi AnthologyLove Beyond Body, Space, and Time is a collection of indigenous science fiction and urban fantasy focusing on LGBT and two-spirit characters. These stories range from a transgender woman undergoing an experimental transition process to young lovers separated through decades and meeting in their own far future. These are stories of machines and magic, love and self-love.
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Loyal till Death: Indians and the North-West RebellionLoyal till Death is the first comprehensive look at the Indian version of the North-West Rebellion. It brings to life many personalities - particularly those of the Indian leaders, whose voices have seldom been heard in conventional histories of the Canadian West. Combining oral history and exhaustive research, and illustrated with more than one hundred archival photographs, the book sheds new light on a greatly misunderstood aspect of our past.
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Manitowapow: Aboriginal Writings form the Land of WaterIn the middle of the continent, where waterways and rivers flow in and out of immense lakes, many different people have come, met, lived, and thrived. In Manitowapow: Aboriginal Writings from the Land of Water you will find their voices, reaching from across the millennia to the present day.
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Me FunnyA far-reaching exploration of the humour, wittiness and repartee dominant among the First Nations people of Canada, as witnessed, experienced and created directly by themselves, and with the inclusion of outside but reputable sources necessarily familiar with the Indigenous sense of humour as seen from an objective perspective. An irreverent, insightful take on our First Nations’ great gift to Canada, delivered by a stellar cast of contributor: Janice Acoose, Kristina Fagan, Karen Froman, Drew Hayden Taylor, Tomson Highway, Mirjam Hirch, Don Kelly, Thomas King, Lee Maracle, Louise Profeit-LeBlanc, Allan J. Ryan.
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Medicine RiverWhen Will returns to Medicine River, he thinks he is simply attending his mother's funeral. He doesn't count on Harlen Bigbear and his unique brand of community planning. Harlen tries to sell Will on the idea of returning to Medicine River to open shop as the town's only Native photographer. Somehow, that's exactly what happens. Through Will's gentle and humorous narrative, we come to know Medicine River, a small Albertan town bordering a Blackfoot reserve. And we meet its people: the basketball team; Louise Heavyman and her daughter, South Wing; Martha Oldcrow, the marriage doctor; Joe Bigbear, Harlen's world-travelling, storytelling brother; Bertha Morley, who has a short fling with a Calgary dating service; and David Plume, who went to Wounded Knee. At the centre of it all is Harlen, advising and pestering, annoying and entertaining, gossiping and benevolently interfering in the lives of his friends and neighbours.
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Medicine to Help Us: Traditional Metis Plant UseBased on Métis artist Christi Belcourt’s painting “Medicines to Help Us,” this innovative and vibrant resource honours the centuries-old healing traditions of Métis women. For this book, Christi Belcourt fuses her evocative artwork with Indigenous Traditional Knowledge and Western Science. With contributions from Métis Elders Rose Richardson and Olive Whitford, as well as key Michif phrases and terminology, Medicines to Help Us is the most accessible resource relating to Métis healing traditions produced to date.
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Men of Courage from our First NationsThe stories of these men are tales of courage, determination and honesty, often in the face of racism and adversity. Read about Larry Merculieff, who helped bring a once oppressed Aleutian people to a position of power and self-sufficiency, Frank Abraham, an Ojibwe Chief whose wisdom and honesty helped his tribe to rise from near financial failure, Raymond Cross, a Coyote leader who won a victory of compensation for the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara people, and Stanley Vollant, an Aboriginal surgeon who fulfilled a 100-year-old Innu tribal prophecy. This is an inspiring collection of biographies for young readers about men who have enriched the lives of many in their roles as doctors, chiefs, firemen, teachers, and community leaders.
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mitêwâcimowina: Indigenous Science Fiction and Speculative StorytellingMany strange tales woven and crafted to keep the reader glued to the book until its final page. Featuring cover art by award-winning artist Steven Paul Judd and the talents of Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm, Cherie Dimaline, Jesse Archibald-Barber, Damon Badger Heit, Tania Carter, Trevor Greyeyes, Brian Hudson, Rebecca Lafond, Lee Maracle, Neal McLeod, Duncan Mercredi, Daniel David Moses, Eden Robinson, Cathy Smith, Bill Stevenson, Drew Hayden Taylor and Richard Van Camp.
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MOONSHOT: The Indigenous Comics CollectionMOONSHOT: 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. MOONSHOT is an incredible collection that will amaze, intrigue and entertain!
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Morningstar: A Warrior's SpiritA powerful and moving story of one woman''s victory over abuse, poverty, and discrimination to recover her life, her self-esteem and the love of her son. Morningstar Mercredi was born and lived in the north - Fort Chipewayan and Fort McMurray in Alberta, Uranium City in Saskatchewan, and a number of small communities. Sexually abused from an early age, by family members and the boyfriends she turned to for consolation, she was promiscuous, alcoholic and a drug user by the time she was thirteen. She married when she was sixteen and had a son two years later. Everything was a struggle. Days and weeks of sobriety were followed by weeks and months of drinking and self-abuse. Then, when her son was four, things began to change. Morningstar found support, from the community, from her son, and from within herself, to be a good mother, find employment, keep relationships and reconnect with her family. Today, she is a strong and creative member of her community, and eager to tell her story of defeat and ultimate triumph. Sadly, the first part of this story is all too common, while the second is all too rare. But Morningstar is a shining example that it can be done. She is honest and self-critical in her descriptions of many attempts and repeated failures. She gives enormous credit to her son, for his constant love, his determination to be honest with her, and his unfailing confidence in her ability to succeed.
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Napi the TricksterAn enthralling collection of traditional Blackfoot stories revealing the frailty of mankind and the enduring power of narrative.
Napi, the Old Man of the Blackfoot Nation, appears prominently in mythology, sometimes as a quasi-Creator, sometimes a fool, and sometimes a brutal murderer. Although Napi is given credit for creating many of the objects and creatures on Earth, and indeed the Earth itself, the Blackfoot do not consider him to be god-like. Napi stories tell of this mythical figure creating the world and everything in it, but getting into trouble when he starts tinkering with his own creation. Perhaps for this reason, anthropologists have labelled him a trickster/creator. For thousands of years, people have gathered around the campfire and listened to stories of how Napi blundered and schemed his way through Blackfoot country. They laugh at how Napi was outwitted by a lame fox, how he tried to fly with the geese only to look down when he was told not to and fell to the earth. He makes a perfect subject for telling, listening, and enjoying-and for teaching. Reproduced by permission of Blackfoot Elders, these stories offer complex insight into an ancient and still-thriving culture through the figure of a flawed yet powerful creature-a mirror of humankind itself. |
Native American Myths and BeliefsReaders explore the rich worldview of the Native Americans through myths and legends. Tales originating from various tribes functioned in a number of important ways: they explained the story of creation, described the relationship of humans to the rest of the universe, and preserved the sacred history of the tribe. In addition, myths and storytelling helped Native Americans pass on knowledge related to hunting, fishing, farming, healing the sick, and dealing with conflict or disaster. This book also places their mythology in historical context, for example, connecting earth myths with the Native Americans real-life, tragic struggle to preserve their lands. Filled with colorful photographs and works of art, Native Americans beliefs are beautifully illustrated, including their reverence for animals and the earth.
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Native American Treatment and ResistenceThe romantic myth of America's frontier that many people encounter in the media is only part of the story of the nation's expansion in the nineteenth century. This book illustrates the push by European settlers and the federal government ever westward, and its effects on indigenous peoples. Through primary source historical images and the tragic narrative of broken treaties, relocations, and armed conflict, it brings the inspiring resistance and fight for self-determination of Native Americans into the hands of your readers. It also contextualizes these struggles with modern ones, including the American Indian Movement and ongoing tribal anti-pipeline protests.
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Native Leaders of CanadaThis collection of original biographies, published in English and French, profiles Canadian Aboriginal leaders whose accomplishments made possiblethe survival of their people and culture in the modern era. Written by some of Canada's most experienced native writers, journalists, and specialists in Native Studies, these books are superbly illustrated with archival and contemporary photographs. These unique volumes provide rare insights into the extraordinaryand sometimes tragic stories of Native leaders since Confederation. A panel of distinguished Native Advisors guided the publication of this original work.
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Native Poetry in Canada: A Contemporary AnthologyNative Poetry in Canada: A Contemporary Anthology is the only collection of its kind. It brings together the poetry of many authors whose work has not previously been published in book form alongside that of critically-acclaimed poets, thus offering a record of Native cultural revival as it emerged through poetry from the 1960s to the present. The poets included here adapt English oratory and, above all, a sense of play. Native Poetry in Canada suggests both a history of struggle to be heard and the wealth of Native cultures in Canada today.
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Nitassinan: The Innu Struggle to Reclaim Their HomelandThe Innu are losing their homeland. On all sidesfrom Sept-Iles to Kuujjaaq in Quebec, from Sheshatshit to Davis Inlet in Labrador, and along the north shore of the St. Lawrence Riverdevelopments of all kinds are proceeding without respect for Innu land rights. In recent years the number of NATO jet bombers flying at low levels over Nitassinans rivers, lakes and valleys has increased. Now one of North Americas largest nickel mines will be established at Voiseys Bay. Solvent abuse and alcoholism are stretching the fabric of the community. Despite all of this, the Innu people remain determined to safeguard Nitassinan for future generations.
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Nobody Cries at BingoIn Nobody Cries At Bingo, the narrator, Dawn, invites the reader to witness first hand Dumont family life on the Okanese First Nation. Beyond the sterotypes and clichés of Rez dogs, drinking, and bingos, the story of a girl who loved to read begins to unfold. It is her hopes, dreams, and indomitable humour that lay bear the beauty and love within her family. It is her unerring eye that reveals the great bond of family expressed in the actions and affections of her sisters, aunties, uncles, brothers, cousins, nieces, nephews, and ultimately her ancestors.
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Nudges from Grandfather: Honouring Indigenous Spiritual TechnologiesIs there a “next world”? Are loved ones who have died somehow still with us?
In 1938 the German Reich inflicted a wave of violent, all night attacks on several Jewish communities (Kristallnacht). Far away in Australia, William Cooper, a distinguished Elder of the Yorta Yorta Nation, led a little-known march to the German Consulate to deliver his letter protesting the violation of those human rights. How contemporary Jewish and Aboriginal communities re-connected with that protest is but one chapter in a book recounting true stories of many miraculous chains of events. Each chapter has its own story, each story its own theme, but common throughout are lessons on the reality of spiritual technologies: following steps of prayerful, contemplative action; acting with ceaseless energy; working mindfully with ancestors; and expressing gratitude for the emerging blessings. |
One Good Story, That OneOne Good Story, That One is steeped in native oral tradition, led off by a sly creation tale, introducing the traditional native trickster coyote. Weaving the realities of native history and contemporary life through the story, King recounts a parodic version of the Garden of Eden story, slyly pulling our leg and our funnybone.
A collection that is rich with strong characters, alive with crisp dialogue and shot through with the universal truths we are all searching for, One Good Story, That One is one great read. |
Only Drunks and Children Tell the TruthOnly Drunks and Children Tell the Truth is the emotional story of a woman’s struggle to acknowledge her birth family. Grace, a Native girl adopted by a White family, is asked by her birth sister to return to the Reserve for their mother’s funeral. Afraid of opening old wounds, Grace must find a place where the culture of her past can feed the truth of her present.
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papîyâhtakThrough the healing medicine of language, Rita Bouvier leads the reader into the world of the Métis and Cree to experience first hand the wisdom and generosity that she inherited in her birthright. Some of these poems are steeped in the tradition of the dramatic monologue; others are used as dialogue anchors to the rich oral traditions of First Nations people.
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Payepot and his PeoplePayepot and His People was first published serially by The Western Producer. In 1957 it was published in book form by the Saskatchewan History and Folklore Society.
Abel Watetch was a nephew of Chief Payepot and a veteran of World War I. As noted in the introduction to the 1957 edition, Watetch had earlier set down in "fine, clear handwriting" the previously unwritten history of his people, having "assembled many of the recollections of his kin to 'set the record right'," These writings were the basis of the story told here in Payepot and His People, supplemented by further recollections by Watetch and his friend, Chief Sitting Eagle Changing Position (Harry Ball), documented either on tape or through written correspondence. |
People of the Buffalo: How the Plains Indians LivedNo other group in North America has been more romanticized and stereotyped than the Plains Indiansthe Blackfoot, Plains Cree, Dakota, Kiowa and other grassland tribes. This book, with its authenticated drawings, tells how the Plains Indians lived: how they hunted buffalo, made their tepees, clothing and tools. It also explores their beliefs, ceremonies and feeling for family life.
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Douglas.
ProtestsIndigenous peoples have played an influential role in Canadian history and continue to do so today. From the past and into the future, Indigenous Life in Canada reveals the challenges Indigenous peoples face, celebrates their diverse cultures, and highlights the contributions they make in Canada.
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Racialized Policing: Aboriginal People's Encounters with the PoliceTaking on the controversial subject of racial profiling by Canadian police, this book explores how ethnicity and discrimination play out in institutional practices and systemic processes, exposing the ways in which policing is racialized. The volume draws on the historical records and contemporary cases of Aboriginal police relations such as the shootings of J. J. Harper and Matthew Dumas by Winnipeg police officers and the Starlight Tours in Saskatoon, as well as interviews conducted with Aboriginal people in Winnipeg's inner-city communities, examining how race and racism inform the routine practices of police officers and how they affect their encounters with Aboriginal people. Arguing that resolution requires a fundamental transformation in the structure and organization of policing, this bold analysis makes suggestions for reframing the role of police as well as their peacekeeping efforts.
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RavensongSet along the Pacific Northwest Coast in the 1950s, Ravensong tells the story of an urban Native community devastated by an influenza epidemic. Stacey, a 17-year-old Native girl, struggles with the clash between white society’s values and her family’s traditional ways, knowing that her future lies somewhere in between. Celia, her sister, has visions from the past, while Raven warns of an impending catastrophe before the two cultures reconcile. In this passionate story about a young woman’s quest for answers, author Lee Maracle speaks unflinchingly of the gulf between two cultures: a gulf that Raven says must be bridged. Ravensong is a moving drama that includes elements of prophecy, mythology, cultural critique, and humour. Featuring a preface by Lee Maracle and cover art by Métis artist Christi Belcourt, this revitalized edition is ideal for use in Literature and Gender and Women’s Studies programs.
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Red Sun: Gabriel Dumont, the Folk HeroRed Sun: Gabriel Dumont, the Folk Hero upturns generations of Eurocentric scholarship and properly restores Dumont’s indigeneity. In this timely book, Thompson presents the reader with the concept of Gabriel Dumont, the “Brayroo” and the “Valorous Worthy” who selflessly served his fellow Métis and other Indigenous peoples within the context of the Nehiyaw-Pwat (Cree-Assiniboine) alliance. Based on decades of research and on dozens of oral history interviews with Dumont family members and extended kin, the author deftly melds oral histories, legends and traditional stories which portray Gabriel Dumont in a new and refreshing light. This is an innovative, highly memorable book about the “greatest Métis hero of them all.”
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Reincarnation Beliefs of North American IndiansReincarnation Beliefs of North American Indians provides an in-depth, meticulously documented assortment of spiritual legends, beliefs and stories that offer a fascinating look into the rich and varied psychic life experiences of the American Indian. Stories from a cross-section of North American tribes include a Winnebago shaman's initiation, the Cherokee's Orpheus myth, the Hopi's "Journey to the Skeleton House," the Ghost Dance religion of the Lakota, and an Inuit man's life as numerous animals. References and resources are indexed in the back of the book.
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Reporting the ResistanceReporting the Resistance brings together two first-person accounts to give a view “from the ground” of the developments that shocked Canada and created the province of Manitoba. In 1869 and 1870, Begg and Hargrave were regular correspondents for (respectively) the Toronto Globe and the Montreal Herald.
While neither man was a committed supporter of the Metis or Louis Riel, each gives a more complex, and more sympathetic, view of the resistance than is commonly expected from the Anglophone community of Red River. They describe, often from very different perspectives, the events of the resistance, as well as give insider accounts of the social and political background. Largely unreprinted until now, this correspondence remains a relatively untapped resource for contemporary views of the resistance. These are the Red River’s own accounts, and are often quite different from the perspective of eastern observers. |
Reservation BluesOne day legendary bluesman Robert Johnson appears on the Spokane Indian reservation, in flight from the devil and presumed long dead. When he passes his enchanted instrument to Thomas-Builds-the-Fire-storyteller, misfit, and musician-a magical odyssey begins that will take them from reservation bars to small-town taverns, from the cement trails of Seattle to the concrete canyons of Manhattan. This is a fresh, luxuriantly comic tale of power, tragedy, and redemption among contemporary Native Americans.
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Residential Schools: With the Words and Images of the SurvivorsResidential Schools, with the Words and Images of Survivors, A National History Honours the survivors, the former students, who attended residential schools. Designed for ther Young Adult reader this accessible, 112 page history offers a first-person perspective of the residential school system in Canada, as it shares the memories of more than 70 survivors from across Canada as well as 125 archival and contemporary images (65 black & white photographs, 51 colour, some never before published). Written by Larry Loyie (Cree), a survivor of St Bernard Mision residential school in Grouard, AB, and co-authored by Constance Brissenden and Watne K. Spears (Mohawk), reflects the ongoing commitment of this team to express the truths about residential school experience and to honour the survivors whose voices are shared in this book
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Riel: A Life of RevolutionPublished to widespread critical acclaim, Riel: A Life of Revolution proved that an intimate and revealing portrait of one of our most enduring—and most isunderstood—legends could be an almost instant national bestseller. ‘Who is Louis Riel?’ Maggie Siggins asks, and comes up with some fascinating answers. Seen by many as an unrepentant traitor, a messianic prophet and a pathetic tyrant, Siggins uncovers the real Louis Riel—a complex man full of contradiction and angst, a charismatic visionary and poet, a humanitarian who gave up prestige and wealth to fight for the Métis people. Infused with atmosphere and detail, this fascinating portrait is illuminating in its accounts of the people and events that moulded the enigmatic rebel. Revealing a man passionate about forging an equitable and just relationship between native and white people, Riel: A Life of Revolution is more relevant today than ever before.
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Righting Canada's Wrongs: Residential SchoolsThrough historical photographs, documents, and first-person narratives from First Nations, Inuit, and Metis people who survived residential schools, this book offers an account of the injustice of this period in Canadian history. It documents how this official racism was confronted and finally acknowledged.
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Secret PathThe Secret Path is an animated film adaptation of Gord Downie's album and Jeff Lemire's graphic novel. Working with Downie's poetry and music, Lemire has created a powerful visual representation of the life of Chanie Wenjack. The film is divided into ten chapters, each a song from Downie's musical retelling of Chanie's story – from his escape from the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School, to his subsequent and heartbreaking death from hunger and exposure to the harsh weather. The final product is a uniquely immersive emotional experience - an insight into the life of a little boy who, as Gord has said, he never knew, "but will always love."
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Seven Fallen FeathersMore than a quarter of a century later, from 2000 to 2011, seven Indigenous high school students died in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The seven were hundreds of miles away from their families, forced to leave home and live in a foreign and unwelcoming city. Five were found dead in the rivers surrounding Lake Superior, below a sacred Indigenous site. Jordan Wabasse, a gentle boy and star hockey player, disappeared into the minus twenty degrees Celsius night. The body of celebrated artist Norval Morrisseau’s grandson, Kyle, was pulled from a river, as was Curran Strang’s. Robyn Harper died in her boarding-house hallway and Paul Panacheese inexplicably collapsed on his kitchen floor. Reggie Bushie’s death finally prompted an inquest, seven years after the discovery of Jethro Anderson, the first boy whose body was found in the water.
Using a sweeping narrative focusing on the lives of the students, award-winning investigative journalist Tanya Talaga delves into the history of this small northern city that has come to manifest Canada’s long struggle with human rights violations against Indigenous communities. |
SomedayThe story in Someday, though told through fictional characters and full of Taylor’s distinctive wit and humour, is based on the real-life tragedies suffered by many Native Canadian families. Anne Wabung’s daughter was taken away by children’s aid workers when the girl was only a toddler. It is Christmastime 35 years later, and Anne’s yearning to see her now-grown daughter is stronger than ever. When the family is finally reunited, however, the dreams of neither women are fulfilled. The setting for the play is a fictional Ojibway community, but could be any reserve in Canada, where thousands of Native children were removed from their families in what is known among Native people as the “scoop-up” of the 1950s and 1960s. Someday is an entertaining, humourous, and spirited play that packs an intense emotional wallop.
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Spirit Dance at MeziadinThe Nisga'a Treaty electrified the British Columbian and Canadian political landscapes like nothing else in recent times. Called "an absolutely shocking betrayal of democracy" by hotliner Rafe Mair and the "end of more than a century of degradation and despair" by Nisga'a leader Chief Joseph Gosnell, camps on either side of the issue were polarized - and many Canadians on both sides are still reeling from this hotly debated treaty.
Spirit Dance at Meziadin explores the issue of the Nisga'a Treaty in a concise, readable manner, highlighting with detail the history of the Nisga'a from pre-contact to present day. Journalist Alex Rose related the main tenets of the 1999 agreement, offering a thoroughly researched history of the Nisga'a journey, and an exhaustive and fair exploration of the issues that struck a controversial note throughout the country. |
Starlight Tour: The Last Lonely Night of Neil StonechildA teen’s suspicious death, a shocking police cover-up and a mother’s search for the truth.
With exclusive co-operation from the Stonechild family, Worme, and other key players, and information not yet revealed in the press coverage, The Starlight Tour is an engrossing and damning portrait of rogue cops, racism, obstruction of justice and justice denied, not only to a boy and his mother but to the entire country’s native community. |
Stolen Life: The Journey of a Cree WomanThis is a story about justice, and terrible injustices, a story about a murder, and a courtroom drama as compelling as any thriller as it unravels the events that put Yvonne Johnson behind bars for life, first in Kingston's Federal Prison for Women until the riot that closed it, and later in the Okimaw Ochi Healing Lodge in the Cypress Hills. But above all it is the unforgettable true story of the life of a Native woman who has decided to speak out and break the silence, written with the redeeming compassion that marks all Rudy Wiebe's writing, and informed throughout by Yvonne Johnson's own intelligence and poetic eloquence.
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Stories of the Road Allowance PeopleMaria Campbell’s highly-acclaimed Stories of the Road Allowance People is the quintessential collection of traditional Michif stories. Since it was first published in 1995, this treasured resource has given voice to Métis Elders and has informed both Métis and non-Métis about the traditional Michif worldview. The Gabriel Dumont Institute is honoured to offer this invaluable book in a new edition. With a new story and introduction by Maria Campbell, new artwork by Sherry Farrell Racette and a narration component in English and in Michif, Stories of the Road Allowance People provides readers with poignant retellings of Michif traditional stories handed down from lii vyeu—the Old People.
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Sugar Falls: A Residential School StoryA school assignment to interview a residential school survivor leads Daniel to Betsy, his friend's grandmother, who tells him her story. Abandoned as a young child, Betsy was soon adopted into a loving family. A few short years later, at the age of 8, everything changed. Betsy was taken away to a residential school. There she was forced to endure abuse and indignity, but Betsy recalled the words her father spoke to her at Sugar Falls ― words that gave her the resilience, strength, and determination to survive. Sugar Falls is based on the true story of Betty Ross, Elder from Cross Lake First Nation.
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Tales of the Mighty Code TalkersBased on the true stories of the Native American Code Talkers this incredible graphic novel features nine original stories by Native American artists and writers documenting the heroic tales of Code Talkers from World War I through Korea. The graphic novel also features a history of the Code Talkers and a lesson plan for teachers who wish to use the book to teach students about the struggle and accomplishments of these Native American heroes.
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Tecumseh: Shooting Star, Crouching PantherShawnee war chief Tecumseh dedicated his life to stopping American expansion and preserving the lands and cultures of North American Aboriginal peoples. He travelled relentlessly trying to build a confederation of tribes that would stop the territorial ambitions of the newly created United States of America.
Tecumseh tried both diplomacy and battle to preserve his Ohio Valley homelands. When he realized that neither could stop the American advancement, he turned to the British in Canada for help as the War of 1812 began. He and Isaac Brock, British geneal and Canadian hero, caputured Detroit early in the war and historians believe they would have gone on to more impressive battles had Brock not fallen at Queenston Heights in 1812. After the loss of Brock, some success was achieved against the Americans, notably in the woods at Fort Meigs, Ohio, in May 1813. But when the Americans won the decisive Battle of Lake Erie later that summer, the door to Canada was opened. Chased by his nemesis William Henry Harrison, Tecumseh and the British retreated, making a final stand at the Battle of Moraviantown. Tecumseh was killed in the battle. His death marked the end of First Nations resistence to American expansion south of the Great Lakes. A great leader, Tecumseh left an indelible mark on the history of both Canada and the United States. The story of his struggle to preserve a vanishing culture is one that remains relvant toda. One of the greatest tributes to Tecumseh came from his enemy, Harrison, who later became president of the United States. He called Tecumseh an "uncommon genius," who in another place, another time, could have built an empire. |
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time IndianBestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot.
Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings by Ellen Forney that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live. |
The Back of the TurtleWhen Gabriel Quinn, a brilliant scientist, abandons his laboratory and returns to Smoke River Reserve, where his mother and sister lived, he finds that almost everyone in the community has disappeared. Even the sea turtles are gone, poisoned by an environmental disaster known as The Ruin.
The fact is, Gabriel was the chief architect of the disaster and he has come to Smoke River to witness the destruction he created and to drown himself in the sea. But as he prepares to let the water take him, he sees a young girl in the waves. Plunging in, he saves her and is soon saving others. Who are these people, with their long black hair and almond eyes, who seem to have fallen from the sky? |
The Ballad of Nancy April ShawnadithitWhen a mishap delays Jessie at the end of a school day, she takes a shortcut home. But the shortcut turns into an adventure, as Jessie is transported through time and space, to early 19th-century Newfoundland. There she meets Shawnadithit who, as the last surviving member of the Beothuk, has witnessed the end of a once-great people.
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The BreakWhen Stella, a young Métis mother, looks out her window one evening and spots someone in trouble on the Break - a barren field on an isolated strip of land outside her house - she calls the police to alert them to a possible crime.
In a series of shifting narratives, people who are connected, both directly and indirectly, with the victim - police, family, and friends - tell their personal stories leading up to that fateful night. Lou, a social worker, grapples with the departure of her live-in boyfriend. Cheryl, an artist, mourns the premature death of her sister Rain. Paulina, a single mother, struggles to trust her new partner. Phoenix, a homeless teenager, is released from a youth detention centre. Officer Scott, a Métis policeman, feels caught between two worlds as he patrols the city. Through their various perspectives a larger, more comprehensive story about lives of the residents in Winnipeg's North End is exposed. |
The Chief MistahimaskwaOn her way to school one day, Sarah is relieved to find the book she’d dropped the day before – shortly after an encounter with a bear. But when she opens it, the story within, about the Cree chief Mistahimaskwa, comes alive. It takes Sarah back to the Saskatchewan Plains of 1832, where the young boy who would become the great chief first learns the ways of his people, to the final days of his life.
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The Elders Are WatchingWhen award-winning writer David Bouchard first saw the work of First Nations artist Roy Henry Vickers, he was struck by Vickers' reverence for nature and his understanding of Canada's rugged West Coast. They collaborated on The Elders Are Watching, which-now in its fifth printing-has delighted more than 100,000 readers in four languages. The artwork in this new edition has been restored to match the vibrancy of the originals.
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The Gift is in the Making: Anishinaabeg StoriesThe Gift Is in the Making retells previously published Anishinaabeg stories, bringing to life Anishinaabeg values and teachings to a new generation. Readers are immersed in a world where all genders are respected, the tiniest being has influence in the world, and unconditional love binds families and communities to each other and to their homeland. Sprinkled with gentle humour and the Anishinaabe language, this collection of stories speaks to children and adults alike, and reminds us of the timelessness of stories that touch the heart.
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The Gift of the HawkThe real gift of the hawk is, in fact, silence. Randy Lundy leads us away from words to the images he finds in nature, as the set of symbols with which to think about life, the world, our place in it. He uses insects, birds, flowers, the moon, the sun, even rock, as these totemic signposts to the real world.
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The Great Gift of TearsThis collection signals the arrival of original and fresh First Nations voices in Saskatchewan and Canadian theatre.
Together the four plays trace the long journey aboriginal people have made from pre-contact time to the present by recalling old myths in order to weave them into their lives today. While embodying pain, these plays give people the strength they need to celebrate all they have survived and all they stand for. |
The HillJared’s plane has crashed in the Alberta wilderness, and Kyle is first on the scene. When Jared insists on hiking up the highest hill in search of cell phone reception, Kyle hesitates; his Cree grandmother has always forbidden him to go near it. There’s no stopping Jared, though, so Kyle reluctantly follows. After a night spent on the hilltop—with no cell service—the teens discover something odd: the plane has disappeared. Nothing in the forest surrounding them seems right. In fact, things seem very wrong. And worst of all, something is hunting them.
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The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North AmericaThe Inconvenient Indian is at once a “history” and the complete subversion of a history—in short, a critical and personal meditation that the remarkable Thomas King has conducted over the past 50 years about what it means to be “Indian” in North America.
Rich with dark and light, pain and magic, this book distills the insights gleaned from that meditation, weaving the curiously circular tale of the relationship between non-Natives and Natives in the centuries since the two first encountered each other. In the process, King refashions old stories about historical events and figures, takes a sideways look at film and pop culture, relates his own complex experiences with activism, and articulates a deep and revolutionary understanding of the cumulative effects of ever-shifting laws and treaties on Native peoples and lands. This is a book both timeless and timely, burnished with anger but tempered by wit, and ultimately a hard-won offering of hope -- a sometimes inconvenient, but nonetheless indispensable account for all of us, Indian and non-Indian alike, seeking to understand how we might tell a new story for the future. |
The Land of Os: John RamsayWhen Richard's class from Big Spirit School takes a canoe trip, he and his classmates chance upon an ederly woman. She tells them the story of her grandfather, John Ramsay, of the Sandy Bar community on Lake Winnipeg. Ramsay's land was taken by the government and given to the new settlers from Iceland who arrived there in 1875. Yet many owed their survival to Ramsay, who helped them through freezing winters, hunger, and a devastating smallpox epidemic.
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The Man Who Ran Faster than EveryoneTom Longboat was a hero. A member of the Onondaga Nation, he was born on the Six Nations reserve in Oshwegen, near Brantford, Ontario. Despite poverty, poor training, and prejudice, Longboat went on to become one of the world’s best runners. In 1907, at the height of his fame, he won the Boston Marathon and ran in the 1908 Olympic Marathon. Longboat was one of the best-known people of his day, and certainly the most prominent member of the Six Nations. Throughout his career he had to race against opponents, as well as rumors of illegal running activities. Nevertheless, he maintained his dignity, and his achievements still inspire people who understand the great pleasure of running, and running fast.
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The Marrow ThievesJust when you think you have nothing left to lose, they come for your dreams.
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. |
The Night Wanderer: A Graphic NovelNewcomers to the Otter Lake native reserve don’t go unnoticed for long. So it’s no surprise that 16-year-old Tiffany’s curiosity is piqued when her father rents out her room to a complete stranger.
But little do Tiffany, her father, or even her insightful Granny Ruth suspect the truth about their guest. The mysterious Pierre L’Errant has a dreadful secret. After centuries roaming Europe as a brooding vampire, he has returned home to reclaim his Native roots before facing the rising sun and certain death. Meanwhile, Tiffany is deeply troubled—she doubts her boyfriend is being faithful, has escalating disputes with her father, and her estranged mother is starting a new life with somebody else. Fed up and heartsick, Tiffany threatens drastic measures and flees into the bush. There, in the midnight woods, a chilling encounter with L’Errant changes everything as Pierre introduces Tiffany to her proud Native heritage. For Pierre, though, destiny is fixed at sunrise. |
The Olmecs: America's First CivilizationThe Olmecs of southern Mexico are America's oldest civilization and Mesoamerica's "Mother Culture." Long famous for their colossal heads carved from giant boulders, the Olmecs have fascinated the public and archaeologists alike since the 1940s when National Geographic magazine reported the initial explorations of their centers. Despite well-publicized discoveries of spectacular basalt sculptures, portable jade objects, and richly decorated pottery vessels, until recently almost nothing was known about Olmec history, foreign contacts, and daily life. Now archaeologists have recovered information that allows them to assemble a reasonably complete picture of Olmec culture and its impact on later Mexican civilizations.
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The OrendaA visceral portrait of life at a crossroads, The Orenda opens with a brutal massacre and the kidnapping of the young Iroquois Snow Falls, a spirited girl with a special gift. Her captor, Bird, is an elder and one of the Huron Nation’s great warriors and statesmen. It has been years since the murder of his family, and yet they are never far from his mind. In Snow Falls, Bird recognizes the ghost of his lost daughter and sees that the girl possesses powerful magic that will be useful to him on the troubled road ahead. Bird’s people have battled the Iroquois for as long as he can remember, but both tribes now face a new, more dangerous threat from afar. Christophe, a charismatic Jesuit missionary, has found his calling among the Huron, and devotes himself to learning and understanding their customs and language in order to lead them to Christ. An emissary from distant lands, he brings much more than his faith to the new world.
As these three souls dance with each other through intricately woven acts of duplicity, small battles erupt into bigger wars and a nation emerges from worlds in flux. |
The Outside CircleIn this important graphic novel, two Aboriginal brothers surrounded by poverty, drug abuse, and gang violence, try to overcome centuries of historic trauma in very different ways to bring about positive change in their lives.
Pete, a young Aboriginal man wrapped up in gang violence, lives with his younger brother, Joey, and his mother who is a heroin addict. One night, Pete and his mother’s boyfriend, Dennis, get into a big fight, which sends Dennis to the morgue and Pete to jail. Initially, Pete keeps up ties to his crew, until a jail brawl forces him to realize the negative influence he has become on Joey, which encourages him to begin a process of rehabilitation that includes traditional Aboriginal healing circles and ceremonies. |
The Regina Indian Industrial School (1891-1910)Douglas Stewart draws on a wide expanse of archival material to present a history of a relatively large but little-known residential school that operated just outside Regina at the end of the 19th and into the early 20th Century. The book is separated into two parts. The first locates the Regina Indian Industrial School within the wider context of residential schooling in Canada. The second part depicts the manner in which this institution was operated.
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The Truth About Stories: A Native NarrativeBeginning with a traditional Native oral story, King weaves his way through literature and history, religion and politics, popular culture and social protest, gracefully elucidating North America's relationship with its Native peoples.
Native culture has deep ties to storytelling, and yet no other North American culture has been the subject of more erroneous stories. The Indian of fact, as King says, bears little resemblance to the literary Indian, the dying Indian, the construct so powerfully and often destructively projected by White North America. With keen perception and wit, King illustrates that stories are the key to, and only hope for, human understanding. He compels us to listen well. |
Three Day RoadIt is 1919, and Niska, the last Oji-Cree woman to live off the land, has received word that one of the two boys she saw off to the Great War has returned. Xavier Bird, her sole living relation, is gravely wounded and addicted to morphine. As Niska slowly paddles her canoe on the three-day journey to bring Xavier home, travelling through the stark but stunning landscape of Northern Ontario, their respective stories emerge—stories of Niska’s life among her kin and of Xavier’s horrifying experiences in the killing fields of Ypres and the Somme.
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Three FeathersThree young men -- Flinch, Bryce, and Rupert -- have vandalized their community. They are sent by its Elders to live nine months on the land as part of the circle sentencing process. There, the young men learn to take responsibility for their actions and acquire the humility required to return home. But will they be forgiven for what they have done? Three Feathers explores the power and grace of restorative justice in one Northern Indigenous community and the cultural legacy that can empower future generations.
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Through Black SpruceWhen beautiful Suzanne Bird disappears, her sister Annie, a loner and hunter, is compelled to search for her, leaving behind their uncle Will, a man haunted by loss.While Annie travels from Toronto to New York, from modelling studios to A-list parties,Will encounters dire troubles at home. Both eventually come to painful discoveries about the inescapable ties of family. Through Black Spruce is an utterly unforgettable consideration of how we discover who we really are.
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Toronto at Dreamer's Rock/Education is Our RightIn these two plays, Drew Hayden Taylor delves into the past and speculates about the future as he examines the dilemmas facing young Native Canadians.
Toronto at Dreamer's Rock is a moving portrayal of a teenage boy who is torn between the traditions of his people, which he only vaguely understands, and the lure of modern life. His magical encounters with two members of his tribe - one from 400 years in the past and one from the future - make him aware of how little he has thought about what it means to be an Indian. Education is Our Right borrows from the familiar story of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, but in this version the spirits of Education Past, Present and Future attempt to show the Minister of Indian Affairs the error of his ways. |
TreatiesIndigenous peoples have played an influential role in Canadian history and continue to do so today. From the past and into the future, Indigenous Life in Canada reveals the challenges Indigenous peoples face, celebrates their diverse cultures, and highlights the contributions they make in Canada.
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Trickster: Native American Tales A Graphic CollectionAll cultures have tales of the trickster – a crafty creature or being who uses cunning to get food, steal precious possessions, or simply cause mischief. He disrupts the order of things, often humiliating others and sometimes himself. In Native American traditions, the trickster takes many forms, from coyote or rabbit to raccoon or raven. The first graphic anthology of Native American trickster tales, Trickster brings together Native American folklore and the world of comics. In Trickster, 24 Native storytellers were paired with 24 comic artists, telling cultural tales from across America. Ranging from serious and dramatic to funny and sometimes downright fiendish, these tales bring tricksters back into popular culture.
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Truth and ReconciliationIndigenous peoples have played an influential role in Canadian history and continue to do so today. From the past and into the future, Indigenous Life in Canada reveals the challenges Indigenous peoples face, celebrates their diverse cultures, and highlights the contributions they make in Canada.
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UNeducation: A Residential School Graphic Novel Vol. 1The chilling chronicles of a Native family's government-sanctioned exploitation in the North American residential/boarding school systems. What began as a handmade scrapbook, "UNeducation, Vol 1: A Residential School Graphic Novel" is now used in school curriculum, university syllabus', treatment/corrections centre resources, healing initiatives, government agencies and educational trainings worldwide. Now available to the public, in softcover and ebook form, for the first time. Gain a full and proper education about a dark episode in North American history.
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wâpikwaniy: A Guide to Métis Floral Beadworkwâpikwaniy: A Beginner’s Guide to Métis Floral Beadwork is a step-by-step guide book and DVD video which provides information and instruction on Métis floral beadwork. The guide is intended for beginning beaders and includes an historical overview by Sherry Farrell Racette, followed by instructions on basic beading, supply lists and options, techniques and hints, and examples of traditional and contemporary beadwork. Patterns are included in the book.
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We Are Included!The Metis people of Canada experienced a coming of age in 2003, when they gained the legal right to be recognized as Aboriginal people by the Supreme Court of Canada. Legislation notwithstanding, Canada's Metis people still face struggles on a number of fronts. One primary concern is to achieve a measure of internal unity to present a single front to their Canadian neighbors. Endorsement of their historical uniqueness and cultural contributions by Canadians will also be a worthy challenge. We Are Included provides historical background necessary to understanding the long struggle of the Metis for legal and cultural recognition. The authors outline the origin, development, and unique features of the Metis lifestyle, trace the life of their leader, Louis Riel, and detail the legitimacy of Metis claims.
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WenjackAn Ojibwe boy runs away from a North Ontario Indian School, not realizing just how far away home is. Along the way he's followed by Manitous, spirits of the forest who comment on his plight, cajoling, taunting, and ultimately offering him a type of comfort on his difficult journey back to the place he was so brutally removed from.
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When the Spirits Dance: A Cree Boy's Search for the Meaning for WarWhen Lawrence's father goes overseas with the Canadian Army during the Second World War, the young Cree boy struggles to grow up while wrestling with the meaning of war. With Papa gone, Mama raises the children alone. Traditional foods such as wild meat and fish are scarce, and many other foods are rationed.
Angry about the changes and confused about the future, Lawrence misses his father and his teachings about their natural way of life. When army runaways threaten the family, Lawrence's courage and knowledge of traditional skills are called upon to keep them safe. With guidance from his grandfather and encouragement from his grandmother, Lawrence faces his challenges, becomes wiser and stronger, and earns the respect of his Elders. |
Who Are Canada's Aboriginal Peoples?Amendments to the Canadian Constitution in 1982 recognize and affirm “the existing aboriginal and treaty rights of the aboriginal peoples of Canada”, specifically the Indian, Inuit and Métis peoples. A 1996 report from The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples laid out a process to recognize and define Canada’s Aboriginal peoples according to the Constitution. The federal government has ignored these recommendations and continues to maintain and develop the Indian Act, an out-of-date legislative mechanism created for colonial control over Indian reserves and their residents. In this collection, preeminent authors in the field canvass a range of issues, including who defines Aboriginality, interpretations of the Constitution, and the concept of recognition internationally.
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Will I See?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.
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Videos
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8th FireWith its energetic pace and stunning HD landscapes, 8th Fire propels us past prejudice, stereotypes and misunderstandings, to encounters with an impressive new generation of Aboriginal Canadians who are reclaiming both their culture and their confidence. We meet the emerging leaders, artists, activists and thinkers. We explore the best ideas for change. Above all, 8th Fire examines the way forward to a second chance to get the relationship right.
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Dances with Wolves"Movies have rarely, if ever, depicted the grace and inner spirit of North America's first people in the way Kevin Costner's Dances with Wolves succeeds. The Orion film production is being hailed by critics and Natives for its honest and effective portrayal of a society too often slandered by Hollywood's fairy-tale approach to aboriginal history. Directed, co-produced and starring Kevin Costner, Dances With Wolves is an epic set in the 1860s as the white settlers began their westward journey into the lands of Native Americans. Dances With Wolves is the extraordinary story of an ordinary hero's search for humanity in the ultimate frontier - himself.
Lured by the desire to witness the last frontier before it vanishes, Union soldier John Dunbar (Costner) becomes trapped between two worlds as he's slowly drawn into the loving and honorable fold of a Sioux tribe living in the Dakota territory. The movie's honest, sympathetic portrayal of Native Americans is unlike any seen before on film, according to many critics, and shows the often devastating impact of history on an entire people through both sides of the conflict." - AMMSA (Aboriginal Multimedia Society) |
ElijahTold with a surprising combination of heart and humour, Elijah balances drama and comedy to create an entertaining portrait of Elijah Harper, one of the first Aboriginal politicians in Canada. Billy Merasty commands the screen with his light, but heartfelt portrayal of Harper, with help from the all-star supporting cast that includes Gary Farmer, Lorne Cardinal, Maury Chaykin, Glen Gould and Gabrielle Miller. Unexpectedly funny, Elijah is a fresh take on one of the key figures in recent Canadian history.
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Heritage MinutesThe Heritage Minutes collection is a bilingual Canadian legacy project comprised of 60-second short films, each depicting a significant person, event or story in Canadian history. They are produced by Historica Canada, the not-for-profit organization that is also responsible for publishing this encyclopedia. First released in 1991, the Heritage Minutes have been shown on television, in cinemas and online, and have become a part of Canadian culture. Today, the collection includes 90 episodes.
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Isuma: Inuit VideoIsuma films is an independent Inuit film making company. There are a variety of short films available on their site, including some testimonials from Residential school survivors.
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National Film BoardIndigenous Voices and Reconciliation Playlist
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Office of the Treaty CommissionerThe Treaty Video Library collection assembled by the Office of the Treaty Commissioner.
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Red Road ForwardIn Red Road Forward, former students discuss memories of the residential school on Gordon First Nation, Carol Morin reports.
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Reel Injun: On the Trail of the Hollywood IndianHollywood has an impressive track record—one that spans more than 4000 films—of blatantly misrepresenting Native people and their cultures. Featuring interviews with filmmakers and activists such as Clint Eastwood, Jim Jarmusch and Russell Means—and clips from hundreds of classic films including Stagecoach, The Outlaw Josey Wales, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Dances with Wolves—Reel Injun delves into the fascinating history of the Hollywood Indian with razor-sharp insight and humour, tracing its checkered cinematic evolution from the silent film era to today.
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Residential Schools in Canada: A TimelineThe history of residential schools in Canada can be traced as far back as the 17th century. Watch the “Residential Schools in Canada Timeline” video to learn about the significant dates in its history — from the landing of Jesuits in what is now known as Quebec, to the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s final report in 2015.
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Smoke SignalsCritically acclaimed as one of the best films of the year - Alliance Video is proud to present Smoke Signals. Though Victor and Thomas have lived their entire young lives in the same tiny town, they couldn't have less in common! But when Victor is urgently called away, it's Thomas who comes up with the money to pay his trip. There's just one thing Victor has to do: take Thomas along for the ride! Your're in for a rare and entertaining comic treat as this most unlikely pair leave home on what becomes an unexpectedly unforgettable adventure of friendship and discovery!
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The Pass SystemThe Pass System is a result of a five year investigation involving extensive, pan-Canadian archival research and elders’ oral history testimony, revealing a system that appears to be much more widespread than previously thought. Nehiyaw, Saulteaux, Dene, Ojibwe and Niitsitapi Elders from Treaty areas 4, 6 & 7 (Saskatchewan & Alberta), tell stories of living under and resisting the system. Leading historians and scholars such as Winona Wheeler, Sarah Carter, J.R. Miller, Brian Titley, Shauneen Pete, and the film’s Historical Consultant John S. Milloy, provide key context essential to understanding the system’s many impacts that reverberate to this day.
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The Red DressKelly is a non-status Indian, best suited, it seems, to a traditional outdoors lifestyle. His daughter, Theresa, is proud of the ways of her people, but she is also drawn to the world of the white man. The Red Dress tells a story of conflicting loyalties: of the glorious past and the demands of the present day, and of traditional values and family affections.
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We Were ChildrenAs young children, Lyna and Glen were taken from their homes and placed in church-run boarding schools. The trauma of this experience was made worse by years of untold physical, sexual and emotional abuse, the effects of which persist in their adult lives. In this emotional film, the profound impact of the Canadian government’s residential school system is conveyed unflinchingly through the eyes of two children who were forced to face hardships beyond their years. We Were Children gives voice to a national tragedy and demonstrates the incredible resilience of the human spirit.
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Web Posts
Aboriginal Multi-media Society: AMMSA
Our Story
The Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta (AMMSA) is a news and communications society dedicated to serving the news and information needs of Indigenous people across Canada. Incorporated in 1983 under the Alberta Societies Act, AMMSA has steadfastly maintained its commitment to the quality of its products and its people and has served as the model for other Aboriginal communications societies.
Aboriginal Peoples Television Network
APTN
Our Stories. Our Voices. Award-winning television programming by, for and about Indigenous Peoples to share with all Canadians.
Assembly of First Nations Education Tool Kit
AFN It's Our Time Toolkit - AFN Toolkit
Not using iPad or iPhone? No problem. The toolkit is available as PDF. Learn about the history of residential school system, and it impacts on Indigenous people. A learning and intelligence approach that is consistent with First Nations values and principles. Notice: JavaScript is required for this content.
Canada: A People's History
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The complete landmark documentary series follows events from pre-history to 1990. Charting the country's past, this series chronicles the rise and fall of empires, the clash of great armies and epoch-making rebellions. The vibrant story is one of courage, daring and folly, told through the personal testimonies of the everyday men and women who lived it — trappers and traders, pirates and prospectors, soldiers and settlers, saints and shopkeepers. Teacher Resource Packages are available to help you maximize classroom presentation of the series — Grades 5-9 or Grades 10-12. These guides are supported by additional background material and downloadable blackline masters which can be found here.
Two new episodes were added in 2017, offering educators and students an unprecedented visual resource to support Canadian history, geography, civics, politics and issues courses. The rich video resource is supported by two Teacher Resource Packages. |
CBC News: Indigenous
CBC News | Indigenous
Manitoba RCMP are looking for new information about Tammy Nattaway, a 16-year-old from Garden Hill First Nation who has been missing for a month, after an investigation and several searches of the area were nearly fruitless.
First Nations Education Steering Committee: Grade 10 Indian Residential Schools and Reconciliation
Grade 10 Indian Residential Schools and Reconciliation - First Nations Education Steering Committee FNESC
The FNESC/FNSA Indian Residential Schools and Reconciliation Teacher Resource Guides were developed in response to the call by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada for education bodies to develop age-appropriate educational materials about Indian Residential Schools. While the instructional...
First Nations Education Steering Committee: Grade 11 / 12 Indian Residential Schools and Reconciliation
Grade 11 / 12 Indian Residential Schools and Reconciliation - First Nations Education Steering Committee FNESC
The FNESC/FNSA Indian Residential Schools and Reconciliation Teacher Resource Guides were developed in response to the call by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada for education bodies to develop age-appropriate educational materials about Indian Residential Schools. Indian Residential Skills...
First Nations Health Council
Historica Canada: Residential Schools in Canada
Historica Canada Education Portal
Disclaimer: All Learning Tools added to the Historica Canada Education Portal may be used by Historica Canada to promote this resource to teachers, students, and the general public.
Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) continues to renew the nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown, government-to-government relationship between Canada and First Nations, Inuit and Métis; modernize Government of Canada structures to enable Indigenous peoples to build capacity and support their vision of self-determination; and lead the Government of Canada's work in the North.
Indigenous Environmental Network
Indigenous Environmental Network
IEN is an alliance of Indigenous peoples whose mission it is to protect the sacredness of Earth Mother from contamination and exploitation by strengthening, maintaining and respecting Indigenous teachings and natural laws.
Infusing Indigenous Perspectives in K-12 Teaching
Research guides: Infusing Indigenous Perspectives in K-12 Teaching: Home
Aaniin! Taansi! She:kon! Welcome to the research guide for Indigenous education. This guide is designed to help Initial Teacher Education students find Indigenous education resources. Inspired by OISE's Deepening Knowledge Project, the guide aims to help teachers infuse more Indigenous content into their practice.
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami: National Organization for the Representation of Inuit
National Representational Organization for Inuit in Canada
Natan Obed, the president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, told The Globe and Mail on Wednesday that the Edmonton CFL team's name is a vestige of another time and the debate around it has been damaging to Inuit and damaging to reconciliation in the country.
Library and Archives Canada: Indigenous Heritage Collection
Indigenous heritage - Library and Archives Canada
Library and Archives Canada (LAC) acquires, preserves, and provides access to published and archival heritage material that represents First Nations, Inuit and Métis Nation experiences and contributions to Canada. This includes text, photographs, maps, and audio-visual material. Explore the collection through our online databases, digitized documents and thematic guides.
Media Smarts: Aboriginal People
Aboriginal People
This section hones in on many issues that are specific or unique to Aboriginal people in Canada, including the underreporting of crimes against Aboriginal people by news media and the unique challenges faced by Aboriginal people seeking to produce content for their own communities.
National Centre for Collaboration in Indigenous Education
NCCIE - Home
The National Centre for Collaboration in Indigenous Education (NCCIE) is hosted by First Nations University of Canada, which has a 40-year history of being indigenous-owned, operated, and controlled.
National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
NCTR Educational Resources
This national gathering is hosted by the National Center for Truth and Reconciliation and will bring together a diverse and inspiring program of Truth and Reconciliation activities to coincide with Orange Shirt Day. As Canadians, we are called upon to take action to learn, share and celebrate, and to build a better country together!
Native Women's Association of Canada
Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC)
The Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC) is founded on the collective goal to enhance, promote, and foster the social, economic, cultural and political well-being of First Nations, Métis and Inuit women. NWAC is an aggregate of thirteen Native women's organizations from across Canada and was incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1974.
Office of the Treaty Commissioner
Home
Reconciliation is about exploring the past and choosing to build a better future. Sharing stories of understanding helps one another to build trust. We want to hear about your moments of reconciliation. The Office of the Treaty Commissioner is reinvigorating the Treaty Learning Network, a central hub for The Treaty Commissioner of Saskatchewan Mary Culbertson and OTC's director of operations, Angela The first ConnectR reconciliation challenge is underway.
Project of Heart
Project of Heart
It is said that good things come in threes but sometimes twos are even better. This week a pair of powerful teacher reports reached us through the EdCan network, both from Stavely Elementary School in Southern Alberta, on the traditional lands of the Blackfoot Confederacy.
Saskatchewan First Nations Regional Dashboard: Education & Children
Sask School Boards Association: First Nations and Métis Resources
First Nations and Métis Education Services
The SSBA offers First Nations and Métis Education Services, in support of its strategic plan and the Indigenous Council. The Indigenous Council consists of all self-identified First Nations and Métis school board members in Saskatchewan. The Indigenous Council elects one member to act as the Indigenous Constituency Representative on the SSBA Provincial Executive.
Science First Peoples Teachers Resource Guide
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Speak Truth to Power Canada
Speak Truth to Power Canada
Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights - Global Defenders
STF: Stewart Resource Centre: First Nations, Métis and Inuit Resources
The Moccasin Project
Resources
Child welfare system 'eats up' Indigenous kids, family advocate tells MMIW inquiry Ontario still can't say how many Indigenous kids in care despite new law to track them From foster care to missing or murdered: Canada's other tragic pipeline A Decade of Inaction on Indigenous Child Wefare Lifting Up Children:
Urban Aboriginal Peoples Study
Project Details
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Witness Blanket
Witness Blanket
A National Monument to recognize the atrocities of Indian Residential Schools.