Indigenous Peoples

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 9 to 12.

Lexile measure: 1050L

This book is part of the Mother of Xsan series, which uses striking illustration and lyrical language to bring the poetry of the Xsan ecosystem to life. It is the eighth book in the series.

Additional Information
32 pages | 6.50" x 10.00" | Hardcover 

A long time ago, Robin wore a white breast, Rattlesnake didn't rattle, Rabbit and Bear both sported luscious, long tails, and the naked-necked Turkey Buzzard meant to be fully clothed. Witness how these animals were transformed into the ones we recognize today with these traditional tales re-told.

Educator Information
Recommended for Grades 6 and under.

Additional Information
45 pages | 4.25" x 5.50" | Paperback


 

Grandmother, Why do we do the things we do?

How a young girl is raised by her grandmother on the Tohono O'odham Indian Reservation. The book denotes various aspects of O'odham himdag (culture) and begins with waking up in the morning and then preparing for the day and engaging in several different responsibilities. Various daily chores and activities such as preparation of different food, basket weaving, pottery making, household chores and cultural undertakings are highlighted.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.

This book includes many O'odham words, but it is not a dual-language book. A glossary is included. O'odham is a Native American language spoken by several tribes in the American Southwest and Northern Sonoran Mexico. 

This book is part of the Tohono O'odham series.

Subjects / Themes: Daily Life, Home, Family, Community, Culture 

Additional Information
48 pages | 11.00" x 9.00" | colour illustrations | Hardcover

A middle-grade-friendly introduction to flora of the Great Lakes Region, with outdoor activities, games and quizzes that make learning about nature fun! Great for families and educators.

Get dirty digging up roots. Crouch down to look closely at a carnivorous sundew dissolving a dragonfly. Make an elderberry concoction. Test your plant ID skills with a winter twig quiz. Make a soothing plantain salve to treat an itch. Learn which berries you can eat and which to avoid.

Time spent outdoors encourages children’s self-confidence and independence, increases attention span and physical well-being, and fosters care for the environment. With the increasing intrusion of technology into daily life, and the challenges of climate chaos, it has never been more essential for parents and educators to encourage kids to engage with the natural environment. Plants are everywhere, even in urban areas where parks, empty lots and backyards offer the opportunity to learn from and connect to nature.

Drawing on their years of experience as outdoor educators, co-authors Philippa Joly and Danielle Gehl Hagel feature fifty richly illustrated plant profiles, including information on identification and ecology, cultural uses, and fun activities—all in a way that is accessible and interesting to readers of all ages.

Educator Information
Juvenile Nonfiction.

Additional Information
224 pages | 8.50" x 8.50" | Paperback

Discover the history of the endangered Ojibwe horse and the daring intervention of the Lac La Croix First Nation in this celebration of community, tradition, courage, and hope.

It’s a cold, snowy night at Lac La Croix First Nation, and two siblings are too excited to fall asleep. The horses are coming tonight! Amid the buzz of aunties and uncles and cousins, Nookomis tells a story that began many years ago, when their people shared the land with herds of wild ponies. In a symbiotic relationship, the people provided the horses with food and shelter, while the horses helped them run traplines and travel. But after many years had passed, and the herd had dwindled to four, the government threatened to shoot them. It was time to move the remaining horses to safety—but getting them there would be harder than they thought! Follow the true story of a “heist across the ice” from Ontario to Minnesota and learn how a small herd of hardy, indigenous horses returned years later to their native land. Rich illustrations honor the life of the Ojibwe people over time, as well as the land and living things that have survived under their stewardship.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 7.

Additional Information
32 pages | 9.62" x 10.62" | Hardcover 

This thrilling conclusion to the Algonquin Quest series ends the Anishinaabe peoples' fifty-year odyssey from the east coast of Turtle Island to the mysterious shadow of the Rocky Mountains.

Algonquin Legacy starts out fifteen years after the Battle of Crow Wing River where the combined allies of the Anishinaabe had fought the powerful Lakota nation in the Lakota homelands. The battle ended abruptly when there was a solar eclipse - an actual event that took place on July 16, 1330, from 1:03 to 3:10 p.m., in the area where they were fighting. The warriors on both sides thought it was an omen and retreated.

When the Anishinaabe returned to their village the decision was made to go towards the western sun to settle. This decision came at great cost to the surviving family of the late Omàmiwinini (Algonquin) leader Mahingan. His son, daughter, and the great Mi'kmaq warrior Crazy Crow, went to the west with the Anishinaabe. Mahingan's wife and nephews, along with their wives, friends, and Mahigan's brother, Mitigomij, the greatest warrior of them all, who was also a shape shifter, travelled back to their homelands along the Kitcisìpi Kitchi (Ottawa River), splitting up the very strong family.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 12 to 15.

This is the fourth book in the Algonquin Quest series.

This novel continues on in the tradition of the previous three with Native languages in the vernacular, teachings about the culture of that era, hunting practices and how they lived day to day. Life before the Europeans, before the Four Horsemen of the Native Apocalypse came into their lives; Disease, Alcohol, Guns and Religion.

Additional Information
318 pages | 5.50" x 8.50" | Paperback

Learn about the southernmost community of Nunavut in this educational picture book.

Did you know that Sanikiluaq, Nunavut is named after a great hunter and leader? Or that it is the most southern community in Nunavut? You can even see wildlife like polar bears, eider ducks, foxes, and more nearby. Discover the many reasons that people in Sanikiluaq love their home in this bilingual picture book.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.

Dual-language: English and Inuktitut

This book is part of the Community Connections series.

Additional Information
21 pages | 8.00" x 9.00" | Paperback

All My Relations is a rhyming story of appreciation for the connections and relationships we have to the world around us. This book creates opportunities for conversations and connections with Mother Earth and each other; The Swimmers, The Crawlers, The Four-Legged, The Two-Legged, and All Our Relations.

Educator Information
Recommended for grades 1 to 3.

Additional Information
14 Pages | Hardcover 

Last Stop on Market Street meets We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga in this sweet, bighearted picture book about a young boy who learns the Cherokee lesson of gadugi—how working together and helping each other makes the whole community stronger.

When eager Clay asks his elisi (grandmother) for help to be named star of the week at school, he’s surprised by her answer: No one person is more important than his family and his community. But is Clay still important at all?

This contemplative exploration of community, individualism, and responsibility—accentuated with traditional beadwork in the art—is a moving invitation to consider an indigenous perspective of one’s place in the world and how we all light up our sky, together.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Additional Information
40 pages | 11.00" x 8.50" | Hardcover

A boy says farewell to a loved one as he imagines her walking on into her next journey, a moving and superbly illustrated story about loss and hope by Fry Bread author Kevin Noble Maillard and illustrated by acclaimed, award-winning artist Rafael López.

When a young boy’s grandmother walks on, he wonders where she’s gone.

Did she go to the market to buy ripe melons? Or maybe she’s in the garden, watering her herbs?

It feels like she’s somewhere far away, so the boy finds new ways to share stories about his day, hoping she can hear him.

Even her house feels like it’s waiting for her return. Then as the boy approaches the kitchen, the scent and memories of her cooking assure him that no matter where she is, her love will always be close by.

Because when someone walks on, they stay with us. They grow in our hearts and guide us as we walk in their footsteps.

Award-winning author of Fry Bread, Kevin Noble Maillard, breathes life and love into this intimate picture book about loss, with illustrations from renowned, best-selling artist, Rafael López.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Additional Information
40 pages | 10.00" x 10.00" | Hardcover 

When a young boy’s grandmother walks on, he wonders where she’s gone.

Did she go to the market to buy ripe melons? Or maybe she’s in the garden, watering her herbs?

It feels like she’s somewhere far away, so the boy finds new ways to share stories about his day, hoping she can hear him.

Even her house feels like it’s waiting for her return. Then as the boy approaches the kitchen, the scent and memories of her cooking assure him that no matter where she is, her love will always be close by.

Because when someone walks on, they stay with us. They grow in our hearts and guide us as we walk in their footsteps.

Award-winning author of Fry Bread, Kevin Noble Maillard, breathes life and love into this intimate picture book about loss, with illustrations from renowned, best-selling artist, Rafael López.

The Anishinaabek are a rich nation with teachings and practices passed down from generation to generation. Explore more about the people and nations through Anishinaabek author Jennifer Meness.

Educator & Series Information
This book is part of the Indigenous Nations in North America series.

Additional Information
32 Pages | Paperback

The story follows a wəlastəkewi skitap (man) named Askəmawsit along with his friends, Mahtəkwehs and Kahkakohs. It is the story of his quest of finding long lost Kelowəskap, in hopes that he can grant Askəmawsit’s biggest wish to live forever.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 5 to 8.

Additional Information
36 pages | 9.25" x 7.25" | Paperback 

Aurora is a brave and resourceful Inuk girl. When her family goes missing while on a hunting trip, she embarks on a perilous mission to find them. In her travels Aurora must face both the harsh Arctic elements and her own fears, but she does not do so alone: she finds allies in a mother polar bear, Mama Nanuk, and her cubs. Once she is home and reunited with her parents, Aurora’s story of grit and determination becomes an inspiration to the people in her village. Beautifully illustrated by the author, Aurora’s Journey is a celebration of individual resilience in the face of tough times.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 8.

Additional Information
26 pages | 9.00" x 8.00" | Paperback 

A bilingual Mi'kmaw-English board book promoting dental health in baby's first year.

Every morning and every night I need help brushing my teeth.
Look at me smiling so healthy and happy.

Healthy gums and teeth improve overall wellness and quality of life, and help you feel confident in your smile. Beginning during pregnancy, there are things you can do to support your child's gum and teeth health.

This informative board book written in Mi'kmaw and English will teach caregivers how to support their child's oral health through their first year of life and beyond. Develop healthy habits and learn what food and drink is best for growing teeth and gums, when to take baby to their first dental visit, and the appropriate amount of toothpaste for children.

Written by the Tui'kn Partnership with support from the Dalhousie University Faculty of Dentistry, Baby Smiles will make sure that baby's teeth are healthy and happy their whole life long.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 and under.

Dual-Language: Mi'kmaw-English.

Additional Information
28 pages | 7.00" x 7.00" | Board Book 

A beautiful board book that introduces toddlers and young children to the Cherokee syllabary. The thirteen colorful illustrations draw children into the picture on every page. The object in each picture is named in Cherokee, along with the Cherokee pronunciation of the word, and the name of the object in English.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 2 and under.

The object in each picture is named in Cherokee, along with the Cherokee pronunciation of the word, and the name of the object in English.

Additional Information
16 pages | 8.00" x 8.00" | Board Book