Indigenous Peoples

After being invited into his grandson’s school to share his wisdom and knowledge of his traditional Mi’kmaw culture in Poppa and His Drum, Poppa is happy to return as a respected Indigenous Elder and Knowledge Keeper.

In this second book of the Poppa series, we find Poppa giving his next gin’masuti (lesson in our culture) to his grandson, François, and his friends, Paul and Joe.

The boys have an important art project to complete for school and are not sure what to do. While spending the afternoon on a beach adventure with Poppa, the boys get to learn about the Sacred Kitpu (Bald Eagle) and why it’s so important to our Indigenous People.

Poppa engages the children with eager imaginations of how the Sacred Kitpu is not only a powerful spirit guide, but also represents the Spirit of the Creator among us. It is the messenger between Mother Earth and the Spirit World, whispering to the Creator our prayers, touching the face of the Creator with its wing.

Poppa teaches the children through mystic wonder how we use the Sacred Kitpu feather in many different cultural ceremonies. He embraces their eagerness to learn and shares the tradition of smudging, using the Kitpu feather along with Sacred Medicines that burn in a smudge bowl to purify our body, mind, and spirit.

The children delight in discovering Poppa’s never-spoken-of regalia treasures that once belonged to his grandfather and decide to commemorate their art project to the Sacred Kitpu.

Poppa is invited back to the class to award the winning medal to the winners of the arts project. He is proud to present the medals to happy children who truly understand and appreciate the importance of the role the Sacred Kitpu plays in our Mi’kmaw culture and heritage. Poppa and the Sacred Kitpu will delight and surprise the reader with fun and teachings given by the love of a Poppa who is cherished by his community for being such a wonderful Mi’kmaw Elder.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 5 to 12.

This book is the second book in the Poppa series, following Poppa and His Drum.

Additional Information
9.00" x 9.00" | Paperback

Un enfant anishinaabe explore l’histoire d’une precieuse graine de mnoomin et le cercle de vie que le mnoomin entretient.

Redigee en anishinaabemowin et en francais, l’histoire se deroule au moment de la recolte. L’enfant tient une graine de mnoomin et imagine toute la vie qui a rendu possible une seule graine : l’ephemere, le brochet, le rat musque, l’aigle et l’orignal ont tous eu un role a jouer dans sa creation. Que se passera-t-il si la graine germe? Les feuilles immergees abriteront les jeunes poissons, les pousses protegeront les canetons, les tiges nourriront les larves, qui a leur tour fourniront de la nourriture aux chauves-souris... jusqu’a ce que le mnoomin soit a nouveau pret a etre recolte.

Cette histoire magnifiquement ecrite et illustree revele l’importance culturelle et ecologique du mnoomin.

Educator Information
Recommedned for ages 4 to 6.

Written in Anishinaabemowin and French.

This book is available in Anishinaabemowin and English: Mnoomin maan'gowing / The Gift of Mnoomin.

Additional Information
36 pages | 8.51" x 8.73" | Paperback

Sharing is the heart of friendship.

Indigenous artist and storyteller Andrea Fritz tells a tale of a greedy raven and the little deer who makes sure they both have enough food for the winter.

Smuy the little deer is almost out of food and wishes Spaal' the raven would share with him. But even though Smuy always offers to share with Spaal', Spaal' only ever tricks Smuy in return. So Smuy decides to try something new. He mashes the last of his stored berries and mixes them into the snow outside. Spaal' notices the delicious-looking red snow and asks to taste some. Smuy agrees, but this time he is prepared for Spaal's tricks and is ready with a little trick of his own—one that will ensure that both animals are warm and fed for the winter.

In this Traditional Story set in Coast Salish Traditional Territory, author and artist Andrea Fritz uses Indigenous storytelling techniques and art to share the culture and language of the Hul’q’umi’num’-speaking Peoples. This is the third book in the Coast Salish Tales, following Otter Doesn't Know and Crow Helps a Friend.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 8.

This is the third book in the Coast Salish Tales series, following Otter Doesn't Know and Crow Helps a Friend.

Fountas & Pinnell Text Level Gradient: N 
Lexile measure: 530L 
Guided Reading Level: N

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.75" x 10.75" | Hardcover

With lyrical verse and powerful emotion, Dawn Quigley (Ojibwe) tells the story of urban Native kids who find strength in connection with those who came before and in the hope that lets them take flight.

Ariel and Tomah have lived in the city’s intertribal housing complex all their lives. But for both of them, this Dagwaagin (Autumn) season is different than any before.

From his bench outside the front door of his building, Tomah watches his community move around him. He is better at making people laugh than he is at schoolwork, but often it feels like his neighbor Ariel is the only one who really sees him, even in her sadness.

Ariel has always danced ballet because of her Auntie Bineshiinh and loves the way dance makes her feet hover above the ground like a bird. But ever since Auntie went missing, Ariel’s dancing doesn’t feel like flying.

As the seasons change and the cold of winter gives way to spring’s promise, Ariel and Tomah begin to change too as they learn to share the rhythms and stories they carry within themselves.

This first middle-grade novel by Dawn Quigley is a tour de force. She is known for her American Indian Youth Literature Award–winning Jo Jo Makoons chapter book series and young adult novel Apple in the Middle.

Give Red Bird Danced to readers who love Jasmine Warga and Christine Day!

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 8 to 12.

Additional Information
176 pages | 5.50" x 8.25" | Hardcover

Embark on a journey through Dene Traditional storytelling with Sa k'e Dene: The Man on the Moon by Lucy Antsanen!

Explore the captivating tale of a man, his wife, his dog, and the beaver grease. Curiosity leads to unexpected adventures, changing their lives forever.

Educator Information
This is a Dene “legend” about a trapper who tries to discover who mysteriously repaired his snowshoes. He sees that a ptarmigan who turns into a woman is the mystery person, and they end up as man and wife. The trapper tells his wife not to touch the beaver grease, but her curiosity gets the better of her. The trapper moves out in his disappointment and ends up living in an unusual place.

Additional Information
32 Pages | Book Dimensions: 21 × 0.2 × 21 cm | Paperback

Alice loves her community, and she's excited to show others her favourite things to see and do throughout the year. From ice fishing to collecting clams to cheering on hunters in the community, there is always something to enjoy in Sanirajak.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 5 to 7.

Dual-Language: English and Inuktitut

Readers will learn about different activities people do in each season in Sanirajak, Nunavut in Sanirajak, a Place I Love.

Sanirajak, a Place I Love teaches about the values of community and sharing food with community members after a hunt.

This book is part of the Community Connections series.

Additional Information
36 pages | 9.00" x 10.00" | Paperback

A vibrant debut early chapter book series celebrating Cree culture and being true to yourself.

Sarah Ponakey has moved to the city from her home community with her mom and it’s the pits! She misses her Kôhkom, her best friend Eden, and the forests around her community. She’s had a hard time making new friends at school but at least she keeps in touch with Eden through meticulously written letters with very big words. After a particularly tough day where she nearly loses her favorite stuffed animal, Âhâsiw, and is brushed off by her mom, Sarah finds herself transported to a magical forest powwow . . .

Accompanied by a life-sized Âhâsiw in his beautiful regalia, Sarah watches in excitement as a chipmunk emcees, and bears play the host drum at her first ever powwow. The more she sees, the more her confidence grows. As she joins in the celebration, Sarah discovers that she can connect to her Cree culture no matter where she is. Her Kôhkom’s going to love this story! Âhâsiw’s Forest Powwow, the first book from debut children’s author Sita MacMillan, features Cree words throughout the story and a note to the reader. Azby Whitecalf’s dynamic illustrations bring life to this warm, charming, and funny introduction to Sarah Ponakey, the storycatcher.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 9.

This is the first book in the Sarah Ponakey, Storycatcher series, a vibrant debut early chapter book series celebrating Cree culture and being true to yourself.

Additional Information
120 pages | 6.00" x 9.00" | Paperback

“All aboard our little boat!
We’ll sail all night.
Let’s see where we float!”

Full speed ahead as two siblings sail off for dreamland! Before these two can settle down under the covers, they cruise off onto the Arctic Ocean to bid goodnight to narwhals and guillemots, mikes and belugas. They sail past clouds shaped like polar bears and marvel at the multitudes of stars that twinkle between them. Before dawn pulls them back to their own cozy bedroom, they snack with the seals on the bow of their ship, waving goodbye as from dreamland to daytime they go.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5.

Additional Information
32 pages | 9.50" x 9.50" | Hardcover 

This lyrical, stunningly illustrated book explores the sea wolf—an apex marine mammal evolved from the gray wolf—as it navigates the coastline, eats seafood, and lives its extraordinary, unusual life.

Sea Wolves: Keepers of the Rainforest is the astonishing story of a wolf species that calls the shores of western Canada and southeastern Alaska home. Here, wolves crack clams, feast on fish roe, swipe salmon from rivers, and swim miles between islands—as long observed by the First Nations communities that have lived alongside them for thousands of years.

However, with the rise of industrial logging, pipeline projects, and other threats, sea wolves face a troubled future. Wildlife experts and First Nations members agree: these majestic creatures are a vital part of the ecosystem and need to be protected.

Through beautiful verse and striking illustrations, Sea Wolves captures the fascinating life of an animal with great cultural and scientific significance—one that will inspire awe in young readers.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Story Locale: Coast of western Canada and southeastern Alaska; British Columbia; First Nations territory

Additional Information
32 pages | 11.31" x 9.81" | Hardcover 

Centuries have passed since the forces of nature won the war against humanity. Sentient animals now rule a healing world, and as the stain of mankind continues to dwindle, a young wolf called Silversong is determined to rise in the hierarchy of his pack. Strong at manipulating wind and air, all he needs is a way to prove himself to his Chief.

Before he can get the respect he deserves, however, Silversong's aspirations are cut short by the Heretic and his outcast wolves. Against all odds, the Heretic and his band of exiles escape their imprisonment far to the west and wreak havoc on Silversong's pack. The exiles pose a threat unlike any other, and their enigmatic leader won't stop his brutal conquest until all wolfkind submits to him.

Silversong can't let a monstrous wolf like the Heretic roam free. With the wind at his back, he pursues the leader of the exiles into forests of shadow and into ancient places better left forgotten. But the further he strays from home, the more he comes to realize that maybe his enemies aren't so evil after all. Maybe there's a reason for the destruction they seek... and maybe there's a far greater danger lying in wait.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 11 to 13 by publisher.

This is the first book in the Wolf in the Sun series.

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

Orginating from Florida, the Seminole nation has a deep history in North America. Discover more about the Seminole nation, their traditions and story.

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

Additional Information
32 Pages | Paperback

This rhyming book helps children learn and understand the Sharing Circle and using a Talking Stick in a Sharing Circle.

Educator Information
The publisher recommends this work for grades 1 to 3.

Additional Information
Paperback 

Shane works with her mother and their ghost dogs, tracking down missing persons even when their families can’t afford to pay. Their own family was displaced from their traditional home years ago following a devastating flood – and the loss of Shane’s father and her grandparents. They don’t think they’ll ever get their home back.

Then Shane’s mother and a local boy go missing, after a strange interaction with a fairy ring. Shane, her brother, her friends, and her lone, surviving grandparent – who isn’t to be trusted – set off on the road to find them. But they may not be anywhere in this world – or this place in time.

Nevertheless, Shane is going to find them.

Darcie Little Badger’s Elatsoe launched her career and in the years since has become a beloved favorite. This prequel to Elatsoe, centered on Ellie’s grandmother, deepens and expands Darcie’s one-of-a-kind world and introduces us to another cast of characters that will wend their way around readers’ hearts.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 12 to 18.

This book is part of the Elatsoe series.

Additional Information
400 pages | 5.50" x 8.25" | Hardcover 

A joyful, rhyming story in the vein of Ezra Jack Keats's The Snowy Day, this debut children's picture book follows an Indigenous family as they enjoy the magic of a winter storm.

All is quiet on the snow-laden street.
Not a single soul makes a teeny-tiny peep.
Then,
With a bound and a bang and a funny kind of twirl
Out comes a bundled-up joyful little girl.

Capturing the magic of a snowfall, Snow Day follows an Indigenous family as they experience all of the delights of a winter's day. While Mom shovels the driveway and Dad cares for her brother by the fire, a young girl and her dog make snowflake tea, build a snow caterpillar, catch snowflakes on their tongues, and make snow angels. All while the snow continues to fall. At the end of the day, the girl is beckoned inside by the promise of hot chocolate, and regails her family with her adventures' and dreams of doing it all again tomorrow.

Atmospheric, nostalgic, and full of winter fun, the debut picture book by mixed-Cree journalist, book reviewer, and podcast host Lindsay Gloade-Raining Bird is a celebration of Indigenous joy and childhood wonder. Features warm, colourful artwork rendered in traditional gouache and coloured pencil from debut illustrator Ashley Thimot.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 7.

Additional Information
32 pages | 10.00" x 9.00" | Hardcover 

Following the success of Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox and Sometimes I Feel Like a River, this companion book explores the nature and beauty of trees.

Twelve lyrical poems look at twelve different trees, from early spring to deep winter. In each poem, a child identifies with a feature of the tree - such as the smooth trunk of a birch whose bark has peeled away, the strong branches of a spruce that shelter small birds or the pink flowers of a cherry blossom that tumble like confetti. The poems provide an opportunity to learn about each tree, inspiring us to look afresh at the trees around us - whether in the schoolyard, neighborhood or park - and get to know them better.

Danielle Daniel's passion for trees is beautifully matched by Jackie Traverse's paintings, which bring each tree to life. In the pages following the poems, children are invited to consider what different kinds of trees might mean to them. In an author's note, Danielle Daniel shares her belief, similar to her Algonquin ancestors', that trees are sentient beings with much to give and teach us.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 6.

This book is part of the Sometimes I Feel Like series.

This book encourages a familiarity with, knowledge about, love of and respect for trees, providers of shade, beauty, oxygen, medicines, food and more.

The text and illustrations show twelve trees from spring through winter, making this a title that could support teaching science units on the seasons.

Key Text Features
illustrations
author's note
poems

Correlates to the Common Core States Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.5
Recognize common types of texts (e.g., storybooks, poems).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.6
With prompting and support, name the author and illustrator of a story and define the role of each in telling the story.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.4
Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.25" x 10.00" | Hardcover