First Nations

"Never let anything or anyone stop you from following where your Spirit says it belongs. . ."

Spirit exists in everything on Mother Earth. If we are open to it, Spirit may guide us through even the darkest of moments.

In this genre-defying blend of poetry and story, Ojibway and Mohawk Elder Dawn Smoke shares all that lives within her heart, mind, and soul. As a young girl confronted with the anger and pain of being scooped from her birth family, Dawn bravely discovers her truth and a path towards healing. She is unwavering in her honesty, a protector of Mother Earth, and a fierce advocate against the oppression of Indigenous people.

Reclaiming what was taken is not an easy feat, yet in doing so, Dawn illuminates the Spirit all around us. This striking memoir, told in spoken word, speaks to the devastating realities of colonization and radiates with the resilience found within culture and community.

Additional Information
120 pages | 5.50" x 8.00" | Paperback 

The history and ecology of the Skeena River region in the Pacific Northwest is characterized by a complex landscape of interwoven phenomena, driven by biophysical and cultural changes over millennia. Combining archaeological, botanical, and historical research, together with first-hand accounts provided by Gitselasu knowledge holders, this book critically assesses and debunks settler colonial narratives of a wild and untouched landscape in northwestern British Columbia. By focusing on people-plant interactions and landscape changes through time, Silm Da’axk offers insights into the diverse and bustling territories of Gitselasu Ts’msyen. Augmenting these discussions is a vividly illustrated guide to the plants that grow in the region.

From the middle Skeena River to the coast, along creek beds and into alpine meadows, Gitselasu continue to thrive, representing one of the oldest and longest enduring Ts’msyen Nations. Tapping into historical knowledge of the laws (adawx) surrounding plant use and territory ownership, this book highlights the intricate relationships that exist among people, places, and plants.

Educator Information
Gitselasu Knowledge Holders include the many teachers and Elders who contributed to this book, including Wilfred Bennett, Amy Bevan, Mel Bevan, Geneva Mason, Alfie McDames, Isabelle McKee, CJ Nabess, Pat Squires, and countless others. This collaboration was guided by the Kitselas Lands and Resource Department, stewards of Gitselasu lands and waters.

Subjects: Archaeology, Canadian History, Indigenous History, Geography and Landscape, Indigenous Studies.

Additional Information
376 pages | 5.50" x 8.50" | 80 colour illustrations | Paperback 

Part coming-of-age novel, part searing examination of a community finding itself, Small Ceremonies is a tantalizing and heartbreaking debut.

“I fear for our friendship, for the day it will end, wondering when that day will be . . .”

Tomahawk Shields (a.k.a. Tommy) and Clinton Whiteway are on the cusp of adulthood, imagining a future rife with possibility and greatness. The two friends play for their high school’s poor-performing hockey team, the Tigers, who learn at the start of the new season that the league wants them out. Their annual goal is now more important than ever: to win their first game in years and break the curse.

As we follow these two Indigenous boys over the course of a year, we are given a panoptic view of Tommy and Clinton’s Winnipeg, where a university student with grand ambitions chooses to bottle her anger when confronted with numerous micro- (and not so micro-) aggressions; an ex-convict must choose between protecting or exploiting his younger brother as he’s dragged deeper into the city’s criminal underbelly; a lonely rink attendant is haunted by the memory of a past lover and contemplates rekindling this old flame; and an aspiring journalist does everything she can to uncover why the league is threatening to remove the Tigers. These are a sampling of the chorus of voices that depicts a community filled with individuals searching for purpose, leading them all to one fateful and tragic night.

Ferociously piercing the heart of an Indigenous city, Kyle Edwards's sparkling debut is a heartbreaking yet humour-flecked portrayal of navigating identity and place, trauma and recovery, and growing up in a land that doesn't love you.

Reviews
“The geographical and familial landscape of the ironically named Whiteway clan yields a subtle and fascinating portrait of growing up Native in Manitoba. The understatement underscores the intensity and contradictions of outgrowing your home and self. This is a truly fine novel.”—Percival Everett, author of James

“Small Ceremonies dropped my jaw with the glittering precision of its detail, and the life-affirming humanity of its characters. Kyle Edwards knows this world of frozen hockey rinks and fishing shacks just as intimately as he knows the warm and broken hearts of this Winnipeg community that he writes about. I haven’t been this excited about a debut in years.”—Michael Christie, author of Greenwood

"Small Ceremonies flattens the grass for us all. A power play of wit, grit, and generational spirit, phenom Kyle Edwards has you rooting for the Tigers when few will. With its scars, scores, and hard-won triumphs, this polyphony of neechies carries us through overtime into glory. A dignified, accomplished, and suave figure-eight of a novel."—Cody Caetano, author of Half-Bads in White Regalia

"In this compelling, multi-voiced first novel, Kyle Edwards carries us north to the landscape of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and into the geography of youth itself. This book—bracing, kaleidoscopic—made me relive those gritty, tender, fragile years before you are fully grown, when you still believe you can do both—stay rooted and fly free."—Danzy Senna, author of Caucasia and Colored Television

"Such a chorus of compelling voices here! I would find myself growing attached to one character only to find the next equally engaging. Edwards is, at once, bracingly honest about and deeply tender towards everyone in this novel. A stunning debut."—Aimee Bender, author of The Butterfly Lampshade

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

Something for the Dark centres Indigenous knowledge to probe the limits of what we know, confront the unknown, and reckon with our place in the world.

Randy Lundy’s newest collection of poetry—the final in a trilogy that began with Blackbird Song and continued with Field Notes for the Self—turns the poem to our relationships with the land, animals, and people, showing how our failures to see and live by the personhood of all other beings in the world, human and non-, leads inevitably to heartbreak.

As Lundy’s poems accumulate like snow on cedar, his recounting of experiences that transcend language invites the reader to bend their understanding and notice what was once unseen—how a red-winged blackbird clings to a swaying reed, how mist rises after rainfall, how dogs keen and howl, how fingers taste bitter after lighting sage, how hunger smarts, how liquor burns, and how the pain survivors carry is not merely their own.

Reviews
“Such longing! ‘These days I wrestle no angels. I wrestle / with words. And no one is saved.’ writes Randy Lundy. In Something for the Dark, he presents tâpwêwina—truths drawn from the hand dealt and the life lived. ‘Nothing is hidden,’ he suggests, if we take the time to observe from a distance and wait in silence.” — Rita Bouvier, author of a beautiful rebellion

Additional Information
96 pages | 5.51" x 8.50" | Paperback

Spirit Rider is an enchanting mystery for young readers, blending friendship, Indigenous storytelling, and the supernatural. In this third book in the Lillian Mystery series, Lillian and her friends once again find themselves at the crossroads of spirits and secrets. When a mysterious boy on a bicycle appears outside Lillian’s window, his mischievous antics hide a deeper, more haunting purpose. With her gift of communicating with spirits, and the support of her friends Chloe and Grace, as well as her wise Kokum and Auntie, Lillian embarks on a journey to uncover the truth. Can they unravel the mystery of the Spirit Rider? Or will this spirit’s secrets lead them somewhere they never expected?

Reviews
"[Lillian stories are] from the spirit and are messages for all of our First Nations relatives that it is now time to rise up and take this responsibility back to being natural helpers, and to nurture our children who are struggling.”— Robin Decontie, MSW, Director, Kitigan Zibi Health and Social Services

"Spirit Rider was captivating. I was excited to read the more adventures of Lillian. The caregivers were very kind understanding and patient with Lillian. The book is a perfect example of the seven grandfather teachings; love honesty respect bravery humility wisdom and truth. My emotions as the reader was crying and laughing. Thinking of how the spirit rider was feeling through his young life and Lillians jokes she loved sharing even if they didn’t really want to hear. As a retired Aboriginal Indigenous social service worker it was heart warming and I embraced the book whole heartedly of our First Nation children who perhaps have the same story, With Kindness to the Author Miigwech for allowing me to read this it was an honour."- Stephanie Sandy, Nimki Beneshiinh Kwe . Nookmis of Chippewas of Rama First Nation

"Lynda Partridge books have a way of drawing you in. I couldn't put it down. Her latest book Spirit Rider has you from the first page. Her characters and character development are amazing and so relateable to both young and old, indigenous and non indigenous. Her ability to reach the reader both spiritually and culturally is so strong it's almost tangible. Her best to date." —Sandra Herkimer, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation Elder

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 8 to 13.

This book is part of the Indigenous Spirit of Nature series.

This book is also the third book in the Lillian Mystery series. 

Additional Information
194 pages | 5.50" x 8.50" | 6 Black and White Illustrations | Paperback 

This updated Teacher Guide for Surviving the City is designed to accompany the Surviving the City series of graphic novels written by Tasha Spillett. This guide provides support for teachers to address sensitive topics in the classroom including racism; caregiver illness; the child welfare system; residential schools; and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People. With the release of the third volume of Surviving the City, this guide has been updated to include revisions to the original lessons, two brand-new lessons, as well as up-to-date curriculum correlation charts that match current curriculum outcomes and expectations in Ontario, British Columbia, and Manitoba.

This teacher guide is designed to be a no-prep resource for educators suitable for stand-alone lessons or as a complete unit plan. The lessons in this teacher guide:

• support teachers with clear and concise instructions using the Activate, Acquire, Apply, and Assess (AAAA) format
• guide students in exploring, researching, and sharing the essential themes of the graphic novels
• are infused with Indigenous pedagogical practices

The Teacher Guide for Surviving the City is best suited for use with students in grades 7–12 taking English Language Arts; First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Studies; Global Issues; and similar subjects.

Educator Information
The student books for this work can be found here: Surviving the City Series.

Additional Information
91 pages | 8.50" x 11.00" | Paperback

This new collection of horror short fiction weaves together contemporary Arctic settings with ancient monsters and mysterious beings that have been said to stalk the tundra for centuries.

Featuring authors from across the Canadian Arctic, this new volume of Taaqtumi—an Inuktitut word that means “In the Dark”—reveals just how horrifying the dark can be.

Featuring new fiction from award-winning authors Aviaq Johnston, Rachel and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley and Jamesie Fournier, as well as new voices in the genre, this collection is perfect for any horror lover.

Educator & Series Information
Includes stories from Indigenous authors across the Canadian Arctic.

This book is part of the Taaqtumi series.

Additional Information
184 pages | 6.00" x 9.00" | b&w illustrations | Paperback

An essential and easy-to-read guide to treaties, Indigenous sovereignty, and land for all Canadians

Treaties cover much of Canada. Some were established thousands of years ago, with land and animals, and others date back to the time when Europeans first arrived in North America. These agreements make it possible for all of us to live, work, play, and profit on these lands. Additionally, treaties have profoundly shaped the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. In Talk Treaty to Me, Crystal Gail Fraser and Sara Komarnisky untangle the complexities of treaties and set a path forward for greater understanding of all our roles, rights, and responsibilities. In this accessible, clear, and concise book, they discuss:

· Treaties among and between Indigenous Peoples

· The history of treaty-making between Indigenous Peoples and Britain, then Canada, from the very beginning to the present day

· Concepts like Métis scrip, modern land claims, Indigenous sovereignty, and unceded territory

· The (dis)honouring of treaties and the role of Canadian settler colonialism

· How the creation of Canadian borders interrupts Indigenous sovereignty and nationhood

· Important insights from gendered and queer perspectives on treaty and land

· The politics of land acknowledgements

· Reconciliation and Land Back movements

And more.

With a quick-reference timeline, maps, and black-and-white photographs throughout, Talk Treaty to Me concludes with a call to action and specific, tangible steps that all of us can take every day to support reconciliation.

Additional Information
256 pages | 5.25" x 8.00" | 40 b&w photos, spot illustrations & maps | Paperback 

Dearest Departed, I do not know when I decided I was going to write. I am not a writer. You are. You were.

Honorary twins Ally and Andy, born at the start and end of the same year, have always shared everything — until Ally dies, his passing ruled a suicide by overdose. A year later, Andy starts her first year at college without her other half, writing letters to Ally as she makes new friends who know nothing about him, falls in love for the first time, and strives to embrace her bisexuality and her Indigenous identity. When Andy discovers the poems Ally hid in their room, she pieces together these remaining fragments to make sense of her brother’s life — and his death.

A story told through letters and poems, The Fragments that Remain is a heart-wrenching and hopeful debut novel from Mackenzie Angeconeb.

Reviews
“[A] powerful exploration of identity and trauma. … An affirming account of an Indigenous teen’s experience with multiple forms of loss.” — Kirkus Reviews

“[The] Fragments that Remain takes the reader on a candid journey of brokenness and awakenings. Through layers of grief, the narrator navigates the path toward hope and healing with beautifully authentic thoughts, feelings and experiences. This novel, the first from Mackenzie Angeconeb, is a triumph.” — Valerie Sherrard, award-winning author of The Glory Wind and Standing on Neptune

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 13+.

Additional Information
270 pages | 5.37" x 8.00" | Paperback

Named after the Respecting Aboriginal Values and Environmental Needs (RAVEN) nonprofit organization, The RAVEN Essays is an anthology that celebrates a decade of prize-winning student essays. Since 2012, RAVEN has awarded an annual essay prize to honour students who champion the vital importance of Indigenous rights and self-determination, both in Canada and globally. The essays featured in this collection highlight exceptional student work while reflecting on the evolving relationship between Indigenous politics and academia. From issues like fishing rights and the Trans Mountain Pipeline to challenges of sexism and conservation policy, these essays capture a transformative period in Indigenous struggles, offering insights that resonate far beyond the Canadian settler state.

The anthology also includes contributions from prominent scholars such as Glen Coulthard, Dara Culhane, Michael Fabris, Sarah Hunt, and Heather Dorries. Five complementary essays explore various aspects of structural change, institutional constraints, and broader commitments to Indigenous knowledge within university settings. Aimed at readers in Indigenous law, environmental studies, anthropology, and geography, The RAVEN Essays is a book created by students for students, and by academics for the academy.

Together, the contributors reflect on the powerful formation and enactment of Indigenous law, environmental stewardship, place-based knowledge, pedagogy, and literacy – both within the academy and in the broader community, across land, water, and culture.

This collection celebrates emerging scholars in Indigenous studies, featuring student essays that explore Indigenous justice, ethics, and environmental justice, while highlighting a decade of collaboration with RAVEN, a legal defence organization.

Educator Information
Chapters

Educator Information
306 pages | 6.00" x 9.00" | 11 Illustrations | Paperback

The pelt of a dog named “Mutton” languished in a drawer at the Smithsonian for 150 years until it was discovered, almost accidentally, by an amateur archivist. This book tells Mutton's story and explores what it can teach us about Coast Salish Woolly Dogs and their cultural significance.

Until now, there has been very little written about the enigmatic Coast Salish Woolly Dog, or sqʷəmey̓ in the Hul'q'umi'num language. According to Indigenous Oral Histories of the Pacific Northwest, this small dog was bred for thousands of years for its woolly fibres, which were woven into traditional blankets, robes and regalia. Although the dogs were carefully protected by Coast Salish peoples, by the 1900s, the Woolly Dog had become so rare it is now considered extinct.

Co-authored with weavers, Knowledge Keepers, and Elders, The Teachings of Mutton interweaves perspectives from Musqueam, Squamish, Stó:lō, Suquamish, Cowichan, Katzie, Snuneymuxw, and Skokomish cultures with narratives of science, post-contact history, and the lasting and devastating impacts of colonization. Binding it all together is Mutton's story—a tale of research, reawakening, and resurgence.

Reviews
“What a compelling story, reflecting a way of life, practical knowledge, artistry and change in the Pacific Northwest! Mutton, the domesticated woolly dog, represents so much more than a museum collection or a source of weaving material. Generations of breeding, learning and sharing, caring and trading are mirrored in the discovery of his pelt in a drawer at the Smithsonian. Liz Hammond-Kaarremaa and her respected Salishan co-authors and Knowledge Keepers have brought Mutton into the present, and in doing so, have given us a new and unique perspective on the complex history of this region and on the meaning of Truth and Reconciliation. The book is clearly and thoughtfully written, and supplemented with excellent illustrations. It is a ‘must read’ for anyone wishing to know more about weaving arts, dog breeds, Indigenous cultures and/or history in northwestern North America.” — Nancy J. Turner, Distinguished Professor Emerita, University of Victoria

“Conscientious and accessible, The Teachings of Mutton weaves a charming and informative history, walking through the discovery of his pelt in a museum drawer to the modern science that reveals the shape of this dog’s life. Highlighting and correcting generations of non-Indigenous misinterpretation, the intertwined histories provided by Salish knowledge keepers reveal the nuanced Indigenous sciences of dog husbandry, spinning, weaving, and the cultural significance of Woolly Dogs while telling a lively story.” — Kathryn Bunn-Marcuse, PhD, curator of Northwest Native art and director of the Bill Holm Center for

Additional Information
264 pages | 8.00" x 10.00"

Eli must embrace his unique heritage and make an impossible decision about his future, and the future of Misewa, in this thrilling last adventure in the award-winning, Narnia-inspired Indigenous middle-grade fantasy series.

Eli, Morgan and Emily manage to free themselves from captivity as the battle between the humans, animal beings, and Bird Warriors rages on. But there's another, more personal battle, as Eli and an unlikely ally fight to save Mahihkan’s life through a previously forbidden portal. When the Sleeping Giant rumbles to life, the stakes hit an all-time high, and Eli has to reach deep within himself to summon the power so that he can protect Misewa against the dangers of colonization . . . forever.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended ages 10+.

This is Book 6 of the Misewa Saga. Narnia meets traditional Indigenous stories of the sky and constellations in this epic middle-grade fantasy series from award-winning author David Robertson.

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

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 13 to 18.

This is the second book in the Dreams series.

Big Ideas: Aspects of Indigenous Cultures: Spirituality and Ceremony, Aspects of Indigenous Cultures: Sweat Lodge, Contemporary Setting, Diverse and Inclusive Representation: Addiction, Diverse and Inclusive Representation: Depression and Suicide, Diverse and Inclusive Representation: Identity, Social Justice: Family Separation, Social Justice: Intergenerational Trauma, Social Justice: Impacts of Colonization and Colonialism

Additional Information
80 pages | 6.50" x 10.00" | 75 colour illustrations | Paperback

A pocket-sized comic by Indigenous Voices winner Cole Pauls.

Llege zedle s_on nes_it'in (Tahltan for we see stars only at night ) is a surrealistic landscape of Tahltan shapes, culture and motifs. Originally created for the Nanaimo Art Gallery's group show "Gutters are Elastic" between July 15 to September 23, 2023, Pauls decided to expand the work into a full-length book.

Playing with the connection between land, regalia, performance and heritage, Pauls follows in the footsteps of Tiger Tateishi, Hironori Kikuchi and Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas with his dreamlike narrative.

Educator Information
This work was created in the tradition of "silent" (wordless) comics and uses symbols, shapes, and motifs for the narrative.

Additional Information
80 pages | 4.25" x 6.25" | 80 b&w illustrations  | Paperback 

The Indigenous intercultural theology proposed in this groundbreaking work by Dr. Carmen Lansdowne seeks to reframe many of the (often unspoken) assumptions about the field of Christian mission. Dr. Lansdowne searches out answers to the question: If Indigenous hearts are broken by Christianity, what is it in Christian theology that is life giving at all? This book will be essential reading for lay and professional theologians and church leaders; it is also a key contribution to the field of Indigenous Studies, especially as a study of Indigenous-Christian encounter.

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