BC Core Competencies

It is winter. The land lies still, quiet and stark beneath a blanket of snow. The tiny footprints of a mouse can be seen in the light of the moon.

"Wrapped in the quiet, and there in the bleak, there stood a wise mouse, preparing to speak."

The words that mouse chose were from many years past. She spoke them into the cold night air. So begins the enchanting story of a very special Winter Solstice celebration.

Kwakwaka’wakw author Terri Mack and Tsimshian artist Bill Helin have collaborated to bring us this story of strength, friendship and celebration. The lyrical text and engaging illustrations will appeal to readers of all ages.

Author's note:
Gila'kasla!
I spent a year writing and rewriting this poem to be sure to convey the message clearly to my audience. It was important to me that the poem reflect the importance of us all joining together to find the sacredness in celebration, the joy of belonging within a greater community and the voice of determination inside of each of us. Inspired by Indigenous Peoples rising, healing and joining together I hope that this poem inspires our youth to be strong and determined in all their future goals.
~Terri Mack

Additional Information
24 pages | 9" x 12" | ISBN: 9781771740555 | Paperback

Like the other books in the First Nations Series for Young Readers, this book offers ten short and engaging biographies of First Nations/Native activists who advocate not only for the environment but for Native rights. Their stories are full of highs and lows, triumphs and setbacks. Environmental trailblazers, these men and women are role models for children everywhere.

The men and women profiled here are united by their work to protect the environment and to support indigenous rights. Their stories take us from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to the Black Mesa in Arizona.

Melina Laboucan-Massimo uses her passion to stop oil extraction in Alberta’s tar sands.
Winona LaDuke is a voice for reclaiming Native lands, advocating renewable energy resources, and protecting Native cultures.
Clayton Thomas-Muller is a dynamic advocate for indigenous self-determination and campaigner against tar sands extraction.
Ben Powless brings his youthful energy and skills to addressing climate change issues.
Tom Goldtooth protects sacred sites and organizes global direct-action campaigns for the environment.
Grace Thorpe is a grandmother who dedicated her retirement years to keeping Native reservations from becoming nuclear waste dumps.
Sarah James is a voice from northern Alaska defending the Porcupine caribou herd and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Enei Begaye & Evon Peter are married activists who work as a team on environmental issues and sustainable strategies for Native people.
Klee Benally uses the media to empower Native communities in their fight for environmental justice.
Teague Allston works to ensure a tribal voice is heard in Washington DC.

Reviews
"These short biographies of environmentalists are sure to engage a whole classroom of readers. From the focus on a particular environmental crisis, to a description of each person's native heritage, to the writing style and level, the stories are accessible to readers young and old." — Canadian Teacher Magazine, March 2012

Educator & Series Information
This book is part of the First Nations Series for Young Readers. Each book is a collection of biographies of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit women and men who are leaders in their fields of work, in their art, and in their communities. For ages 9-14.

Additional Information
128 pages | 6.00" x 9.00"

Relatives With Roots: A Story About Métis Women’s Connection to the Land is a heartfelt story about a Métis grandmother who takes her granddaughter out into the bush to teach her how to pick traditional medicines. As the granddaughter learns the traditional beliefs and stories about how the Métis people use the plants for food and medicine, she feels happy to be a Métis child with access to such wonderful cultural knowledge. This charming and vibrant book introduces young readers to key concepts in the traditional Métis worldview while focusing on the special relationship between a young Métis girl and her grandmother. Relatives With Roots is the second in a series of children’s books relating to traditional Métis values by Leah Marie Dorion. The first book, The Giving Tree: A Retelling of a Traditional Métis Story, was nominated in 2010 for a Willow Award in the Shining Willow category.

Additional Information
61 Pages | 28 cm x 21.5 cm

This is the true story of Shannen Koostachin and the people of Attawapiskat, a Cree community in Northern Ontario, who have been fighting for a new school since 1979, when a fuel spill contaminated their original school building.

It is 2008, and thirteen-year-old Shannen and the other students at J.R. Nakogee Elementary are tired of attending class in portables that smell and don’t keep out the freezing cold winter air. They make a YouTube video describing the poor conditions, and their plea for a decent school gains them attention and support from community leaders and children across the country. Inspired, the students decide to turn their grade-eight class trip into a visit to Ottawa, to speak to the Canadian government. Once there, Shannen speaks passionately to the politicians about the need to give Native children the opportunity to succeed. The following summer, Shannen is nominated for the International Children’s Peace Prize. Her passion and that of the other students makes politicians stand up and take notice, and becomes a rallying point for the community and for the country.

Shannen will never see her dream fulfilled. Tragically, she was killed in a car crash in 2010. Her family, friends, and supporters are continuing to fight and to honor her memory as they work for equality for children in communities everywhere.

Awards
- In 2012-2013 Shannen and the Dream for a School was the award recipient for First Nation Communities Read.

Educator & Series Information
This book is part of the Kids' Power Series.

Recommended for ages 9 to 13.

Authenticity Note: This book has received the Authentic Indigenous Text label as it is written by Janet Wilson with the participation and support of members of the Attawapiskat community.

Celina is a young Mohawk girl who moves to her mother's home reserve. She is teased by her classmates who tell her that she is not Mohawk and does not belong because she has blond hair and blue eyes. Celina starts to believe her classmates and decides not to dance at an upcoming Pow Wow. But her great-grandmother helps Celina understand that being Mohawk is not about how she looks but about what she feels in her heart. When the drumming starts at the Pow Wow, Celina decides to dance after all. A beautifully illustrated story, I Like Who I Am explores issues of bullying and belonging as Celina looks for acceptance in her new community.

Reviews
"[I Like Who I Am] doesn't only work as a learning tool, with Mohawk words interspersed with English ones, it is a life lesson. Heart warming, sincere and full of experiences we've all had, I Like Who I Am is a must read for parents." — Steve Bonspiel, The Eastern Door

"An outstanding book ideal for helping grades three to six children begin exploring: 1) the concept of culture, 2) the dynamics and pitfalls associated with judging/bullying others based on their physical features, and 3) the value of taking action against bullies who judge others by how they look." — Canadian Material Review

Educator Information
Recommended Ages: 6-11

Additional Information
44 pages | 8.00" x 9.00"

In just four days young Shi-shi-etko will have to leave her family and all that she knows to attend residential school.

She spends her last days at home treasuring the beauty of her world -- the dancing sunlight, the tall grass, each shiny rock, the tadpoles in the creek, her grandfather's paddle song. Her mother, father and grandmother, each in turn, share valuable teachings that they want her to remember. And so Shi-shi-etko carefully gathers her memories for safekeeping.

Richly hued illustrations complement this gently moving and poetic account of a child who finds solace all around her, even though she is on the verge of great loss -- a loss that native people have endured for generations because of the residential schools system.

This gentle story of a child on the verge of great loss was selected as the Aboriginal Children’s Book of the Year.

Awards

• Winner of the Anskohk Aboriginal Children's Book of the Year Award. 

Educator Information
Recommended Grades: 1-10.

Curriculum Connections: Indigenous Studies, Visual Arts, Science, Health.

Recommended Authentic First Peoples resource K-9.

This illustrated children's story is recommended for English First Peoples Grades 10 for units pertaining to childhood through Indigenous writers' eyes and the exploration of residential schools and reconciliation through children's literature.

This book is available in French: Shi-shi-etko (French)

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.50" x 8.13" 

This inspiring children's book -- a revised edition of the award-winning Flight of the Hummingbird -- is based on a South American Indigenous story about a courageous hummingbird who defies fear and expectations in her attempt to save the forest from fire. The illustrated story is supplemented by a natural and cultural history of hummingbirds, as well as an inspiring message from Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai. The evocative artwork by internationally renowned Haida artist Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas complements the optimistic tale that encourages everyone to take responsibility for their home and the planet.

Reviews
“This fable-like tale shows readers how one person can make a difference in everyday life… The illustrations are… beautifully representative of Native Haida art.”—School Library Journal

“A visually striking, dramatic book… An environmental parable it is, but could it not be a parable for life itself?”—The Globe and Mail

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 5+. 

Based on a South American Indigenous story, The Little Hummingbird features:

• Stunning artwork in Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas’ iconic style
• An inspiring afterword from Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai
• Scientific and cultural facts about hummingbirds

Additional Information
32 pages | 6.75" x 10.00"

A River Lost is the familiar story of an ancient culture infringed upon and altered forever by modern technology. It is the story of how the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam led to the destruction of a way of life for members of the Arrow Lakes Tribe. Sinee mat and her great-grandmother Toopa tell the engaging story of life on the Columbia River, before and after the dam.

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.50" x 11.00"

This charming story, richly steeped in Métis culture, focuses on the boyhood reminisces of Moushoom as her describes finding the "great giving tree" with his mother and father. The story emphasizes the Métis core values and beliefs including strength, kindness, courage, tolerance, honesty, respect, love, sharing, caring, balance, patience, and most of all, the important connection with the creator and Mother Earth.

Additional Information
50 Pages | 27.9 cm H x 21.5 cm W

Inventiveness and ingenuity from North America's First Nations.

Everyone knows that moccasins, canoes and toboggans were invented by the Aboriginal people of North America, but did you know that they also developed their own sign language, as well as syringe needles and a secret ingredient in soda pop?

Depending on where they lived, Aboriginal communities relied on their ingenuity to harness the resources available to them. Some groups, such as the Iroquois, were particularly skilled at growing and harvesting food. From them, we get corn and wild rice, as well as maple syrup.

Other groups, including the Sioux and Comanche of the plains, were exceptional hunters. Camouflage, fish hooks and decoys were all developed to make the task of catching animals easier. And even games-lacrosse, hockey and volleyball -- have Native American roots.

Other clever inventions and innovations include:

* Diapers
* Asphalt
* Megaphones
* Hair conditioner
* Surgical knives
* Sunscreen.

With descriptive photos and information-packed text, this book explores eight different categories in which the creativity of First Nations peoples from across the continent led to remarkable inventions and innovations, many of which are still in use today.

Educator & Series Information
This book is a part of the We Thought of It series, a series which takes readers on a fascinating journey across the world's second largest continent to discover how aspects of its culture have spread around the globe.

Additional Information
48 pages | 8.50" x 11.00"

This sweet, simple story looks at a very special relationship. A young boy goes for a walk with his kohkom, or grandmother, listening, picking, praying, eating... just as she does. In doing so, he begins to learn the rich cultural traditions and values of his Cree heritage.

Caitlin Dale Nicholson’s acrylic-on-canvas illustrations portray the close relationship between the boy and his grandmother and the natural beauty of the bush. Her text has been translated into Cree by Leona Morin-Neilson, who was also the inspiration for the story and collaborated with her on this work.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended Ages: 4-7

Delivered in a dual-language format of Cree (y-dialect) and English. 

This book is part of the Nôhkom series.

Recommended for Grades K-1 for the following subject areas: English Language Arts, Indigenous Language Studies, Social Studies, Science and Nature, Visual Arts.

Authenticity Note: Leona Morin-Neilson (Métis-Cree) is a Cree teacher and the inspiration behind this book. She collaborated with the author to create this work. Leona Morin-Neilson teaches Cree at the “Power of Friendship” Aboriginial Headstart program in Prince George, British Columbia, and at the University of Northern British Columbia. She also teaches people in her community about traditional plants and how they can be used for medicinal purposes.

Because of the collaboration between Leona and the author, and Leona's Cree translation, this book has been labeled as containing Authentic Indigenous Text.  It is up to readers to determine if this work is authentic for their purposes.

Additional Information
24 pages | 8.50" x 12.25"

A trickster named Coyote rules her world, until a funny-looking stranger named Columbus changes her plans. Unimpressed by the wealth of moose, turtles, and beavers in Coyote' s land, he' d rather figure out how to hunt human beings to sell back in Spain. Thomas King uses a bag of literary tricks to shatter the stereotypes surrounding Columbus' s voyages. In doing so, he invites children to laugh with him at the crazy antics of Coyote, who unwittingly allows Columbus to engineer the downfall of his human friends. William Kent Monkman's vibrant illustrations perfectly complement this amusing story with a message.

Educator Information
Recommended Ages: 5 to 8.

Curriculum Connections: Social Studies, Geography, Physical Education and Health

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.50" x 10.50"

Dazzling inventions from the far north. 

Today's Arctic communities have all the comforts of modern living. Yet the Inuit survived in this harsh landscape for hundreds of years with nothing but the land and their own ingenuity. Join authors Alootook Ipellie and David MacDonald as they explore the amazing innovations of traditional Inuit and how their ideas continue to echo around the world. 

Some inventions are still familiar to us: the one-person watercraft known as a kayak retains its Inuit name. Other innovations have been replaced by modern technology: slitted snow goggles protected Inuit eyes long before sunglasses arrived on the scene. And other ideas were surprisingly inspired: using human-shaped stone stacks (lnunnguat) to trick and trap caribou. 

Many more Inuit innovations are explored here, including:

• Dog sleds
• Kids' stuff
• Shelter
• Food preservation
• Clothing
• Medicine.

In all, more than 40 Inuit items and ideas are showcased through dramatic photos and captivating language. From how these objects were made, to their impact on contemporary culture, The Inuit Thought of It is a remarkable catalog of Inuit invention.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended Ages: 10-12.

B.C. Science Supplementary Resource: Gr.3- Physical Science 

B.C. Science Supplementary Resource Gr.4- Life Science

This book is a part of the We Thought of It series, a series which takes readers on a fascinating journey across the world's second largest continent to discover how aspects of its culture have spread around the globe.

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.50" x 11.00"

"Many years ago, when the world and I were younger, my family defied the government."

A boy will never forget witnessing a forbidden Potlatch. In 1935, a nine-year-old boy's family held a forbidden Potlatch in faraway Kingcome Inlet. Watl'kina slipped from his bed to bear witness. In the Big House masked figures danced by firelight to the beat of the drum. And there, he saw a figure he knew. Aboriginal elder Alfred Scow and award-winning author Andrea Spalding collaborate to tell the story, to tell the secret of the dance.

Educator Information
"This story tells of a time when potlatches, ceremonial dancing and the wearing of regalia and masks were forbidden by Canadian law. A young boy, based on Judge Alfred Scow's boyhood story, witnesses the last secret potlatch of this community before the threat of imprisonment caused them to stop dancing." - FNESC, "BC First Nations Land, Title, and Governance"

Additional Information
32 pages | 9.00" x 9.00"

This gentle story demonstrates the First Nations' tradition of taking care of Mother Earth.

Tess has visited her grandmother many times without really being aware of the garden. But today when they step out the door, Tess learns that all of nature can be a garden. And if you take care of the plants that are growing, if you learn about them - understanding when they flower, when they give fruit, and when to leave them alone - you will always find something to nourish you. 

At the end of the day, Tess is grateful to Mother Earth for having such a lovely garden, and she is thankful for having such a wise grandma.

Elaine McLeod's poetic text and Colleen Wood's gentle watercolors combine to make Lessons from Mother Earth a celebration of nature and life.

Educator Information
Curriculum Connections: Social Studies, Science and Nature.

Additional Information
24 pages | 8.80" x 8.80"