Indigenous Narratives

Mary and Leonard say our Ancestors passed Adizookaanan, our stories, on for thousands of years, filling the long winter nights with our oral history, philosophy, and ceremonies. Madoodiswaan, Sweatlodge, is the story of the four sisters who spoke to the beavers and in accordance with Creator's Law constructed a Sweat Lodge that would help to heal the Anishinaabeg.

Educator Information
The publisher of this work recommends it for all grade levels.

Additional Information
64 Pages | Paperback

Traditional teachings about the moon cycles and their relation to the natural history of Mi’kma’ki on Canada’s East Coast.

For thousands of years, the Mi’kmaq have been closely observing the natural world and the cycles of the moon and the stars to track the passage of time. Each full moon in an annual cycle was named by the Mi’kmaq to relate to a seasonal event, such as tomcod spawning, birds laying eggs or berry ripening.

For the past decade, Mi’kmaw Elders and Knowledge Keepers have shared stories of the traditional night sky calendar with authors Cathy LeBlanc and David Chapman. In this book, Cathy relays these stories in her role as Auntie to her young relation Holly.

Each moon’s story is richly illustrated with an evocative colour painting created for this book by the noted Mi’kmaw artist Loretta Gould.

Alongside this presentation of the Mi’kmaw time-keeping traditions, this book offers a brief history of the modern Western calendar, and some basic astronomy facts about the moon’s phases and why the seasons change.

This two-eyed seeing approach takes young readers on a journey through one full year in Mi’kma’ki.

Educator Information
Juvenile fiction.

Includes some Mi'kmaw words.

A board book version is available here: Mi’kmaw Moons: A First Lunar Calendar.

Additional Information
56 pages | 11.02" x 9.01" | Paperback

In Siksikaitsitapi: Stories of the Blackfoot People, seven authors share their stories that come from both from legend and from their personal experiences, with many of the stories in both Blackfoot and English languages. The book is illustrated with beautiful full-colour pictures and photos which help convey these stories from Blackfoot traditional and contemporary traditions and cultures. The Blackfoot Confederacy is made up of the Siksika, Kainai, Piikani, and Amskapi Piikuni Nations of Southern Alberta and Montana.

Payne Many Guns' story captures the ways the Blackfoot People live in harmony with the land, animals, and stars in their traditional lands.

Crystal Many Fingers tells a delightful, modern story about animals, their gifts, and why they were put on Earth.

Sheena Potts' story beautifully illustrates the many ways love is alive in Blackfoot traditions and culture.

Tim Fox tells a humerous story about mice who are having a celebration that the raven Napi and a group of dogs want to join.

Marlene Yellow Horn shares her personal story of the teachings she learned as a child about the Elders' traditional and sacred knowledge.

DerRic Starlight tells the tale of Morning Star's diverse and loving family life.

Foreword is by Alayna Many Guns.

Educator & Series Information
The publisher recommends this title for grades 6 to 12, but these stories will appeal to children of all ages. 

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

"These Blackfoot children’s book chapters share common knowledge stories which have been shared to our authors. Common knowledge includes everyday lessons and norms. The book provides us with an opportunity to reclaim our truths. In the past, sitting with an Elder and listening to traditional stories of the stars, the animals, Napi, and our purpose was a great gift. Today, this is more important than ever. Elders gift us with purpose, strength, knowledge, and love." - Alayna Many Guns, from the foreword 

Additional Information
144 pages | 6.00" x 9.00" | Colour illustrations | Paperback

From healing to astronomy to our connection to the natural world, the lessons from Indigenous knowledge inform our learning and practices today.

How do knowledge systems get passed down over generations? Through the knowledge inherited from their Elders and ancestors, Indigenous Peoples throughout North America have observed, practiced, experimented, and interacted with plants, animals, the sky, and the waters over millennia. Knowledge keepers have shared their wisdom with younger people through oral history, stories, ceremonies, and records that took many forms.

In Sky Wolf’s Call, award-winning author team of Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger reveal how Indigenous knowledge comes from centuries of practices, experiences, and ideas gathered by people who have a long history with the natural world. Indigenous knowledge is explored through the use of fire and water, the acquisition of food, the study of astronomy, and healing practices.

Reviews
"An authoritative tribute to Indigenous knowledge systems that's a must-have for every library and classroom." - Kirkus Reviews

“Sky Wolf’s Call has an astoundingly broad scope introducing Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) in North America from time immemorial to the current day … This fast paced celebration of Indigenous innovation and technology is riveting.” - The British Columbia Review

Educator Information
Interest Age: 11+
Grade: 6+
Reading Age: 11+

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Table of Contents
Author’s Note

1: Sky Wolf’s Call: The Gift of Indigenous Knowledge: Foundational ideas behind Indigenous Knowledge and the importance of retaining, maintaining, and learning this sacred knowledge.

2: Water Knowledge Ways: Water links us all and is sacred. Indigenous people have fought to protect the gift of water from harm, and the critical role it has played in transportation, agriculture, irrigation, and food.

3: Fire and Smoke Knowledge: Fire and smoke are great gifts, including the burning of tobacco. In sacred ceremonies, smoke connects our breath with the heavens. Fire cooks our food, helps grow our crops, and even keeps our waters clean. Cultural burns are used to benefit the land.

4: Indigenous Knowledge and Food Security: Sharing, growing, and receiving food with family, community, and visitors is both an honour and a tradition. By understanding the traditional practices of salmon fishing, clam gardens, planting and harvesting certain crops, or hunting buffalo, Indigenous Peoples have respected what Mother Earth has to offer.

5: Healing Knowledge Ways: The use of the medicine wheel and the sweat lodge have been used over centuries and still help sick and troubled people. Games such as lacrosse and chunkey have helped in building individual strength and community spirit. And braiding together Indigenous healing and western science has opened new learning opportunities.

6: Sky Knowledge: From the earliest Indigenous astronomers to modern astrophysicists, these sky watchers have studied the sacred gifts of the sky: the sun, moon, planets, and stars that have produced maps, calendars, beliefs about how to govern, and even directions for building homes.

7: Keeping the Knowledge: Indigenous People hold oral narratives in high esteem because that was the way knowledge passed from one generation to the next. People in North America recorded important events with symbols, pictographs (paintings), and petroglyphs (carvings). Language Keepers and Knowledge keepers are making sure that Indigenous knowledge is never forgotten.

8: Sky Wolf’s Call: Indigenous knowledge is based on the idea that this world is a gift. Understanding the idea of connections (the skies with the earth, people with animals, the practical with the spiritual) is an important lesson with the challenges of climate change, pandemics, and wars. The wisdom of Indigenous Knowledge can help the whole world.

Thanks and Acknowledgments

Glossary

Selected Reading

Sources and Contacts

Additional Information
120 pages | 7.50" x 9.25" | Paperback

A collection of stories from nations and cultures across our two continents—the Sea-Ringed World, as the Aztecs called it—from the Andes all the way up to Alaska.

Fifteen thousand years before Europeans stepped foot in the Americas, people had already spread from tip to tip and coast to coast. Like all humans, these Native Americans sought to understand their place in the universe, the nature of their relationship with the divine, and the origin of the world into which their ancestors had emerged. The answers lay in their sacred stories.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 8+

Additional Information
256 pages | 6.31" x 9.11" | Paperback

"Aadizookaanan or Sacred Stories were passed down for thousands of years, filling the long winter nights with Anishinaabeg oral histories, philosophies, and ceremonies. Bagone-Giizhig is one of the many ancient stories that Anishinaabeg Ancestors have gifted us. The constellations of Wenaboozhoo and Bagone-Giizhig rise in the East during the Winter season. This signifies when it is time to share Aadizookaanan and reminds the Anishinaabeg of where they come from. These cultural Teachings shine bright in the night sky and this is the Anishinaabe way of life." 

Text in English translation and in the original Anishinaabemowin/Ojibwe.

Educator Information
Recommended for grades 4 to 7.

Dual-language: English with the original hand-written Anishinaabemowin version of the story at the back.

Additional Information
61 Pages

This traditional Cherokee creation story takes place during a time when animals did many of the things that people can do. When the earth was young, the animals lived on a rock above it, and the earth was covered in water. The animals needed more room, but where could they find it?

This book retells the delightful Cherokee story of how the earth was created while teaching the invaluable lesson that even the smallest creature can make a difference.

Written in both Cherokee and English, the book will familiarize readers with the syllabary and the Cherokee language.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 7.

When none of the animals can bring mud to the surface of the water to increase the size of the island, they turn to the wise Beaver for advice. Beaver tells them to give Water Beetle a try. Everyone thinks that Water Beetle is too small to help, but she proves that small can be powerful.

Features themes of bullying, determination, and perseverance.

This book is a traditional Cherokee creation story that is used to teach Cherokee values.

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

I'm finding my talk
And it may take some time,
But I'm learning to speak
In a language that's mine.

A response to Rita Joe's iconic poem "I Lost My Talk," and published simultaneously with the new children's book edition illustrated by Pauline Young, comes a companion picture book by award-winning spoken-word artist and Mi'kmaw activist Rebecca Thomas. A second-generation residential school survivor, Thomas writes this response poem openly and honestly, reflecting on the process of working through the destructive effects of colonialism.

From sewing regalia to dancing at powow to learning traditional language, I'm Finding My Talk is about rediscovering her community, and finding culture. Features stunning, vibrant illustrations by Mi'kmaw artist Pauline Young.

Reviews
"Published as a companion to the picture book I Lost My Talk, featuring the famous poem by Rita Joe, both volumes explore the legacy of Canada’s residential schools. They feature vibrant illustrations by Pauline Young that bring the words alive with emotional nuance. This remarkable pair of books possesses the rare ability of being suited to readers of all ages: three to six-year-olds, the traditional intended audience of picture books, will be captivated by the bright, lively illustrations; elementary and middle school children will find their Social Studies curriculum enriched by experiencing these important concepts rendered creatively; teens and adults will gain insight and empathy by enjoying these beautiful poems." - CM Reviews

"[A]n honest reflection on the process of working through the destructive effects of colonialism by participating in cultural connections. This book offers the opportunity to show the journey one takes when rediscovering their community and culture." - The Dalai Lama Center

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 4 to 9.

Recommended in the Canadian Indigenous Books for Schools 2020/2021 resource list for grades 1-3 in the areas of Social Studies and Language Arts.

Former Halifax Poet Laureate and second-generation residential school survivor Rebecca Thomas writes honestly and powerfully in this companion piece to Rita Joe's I Lost My Talk. Includes vibrant illustrations from Mi'kmaw artist Pauline Young.

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.00" x 10.00"

Based on ancient Haida narratives, this vibrantly illustrated children's book empowers young people and teaches them to live in harmony with nature.

Haida Gwaii is home to a rich and vibrant culture whose origins date back thousands of years. Today, the Haida People are known throughout Canada and the world for their artistic achievements, their commitment to social justice and environmental protection, and their deep connection to the natural world. Embedded in Haida culture and drawn from ancient oral narratives are a number of Supernatural Beings, many of them female, who embody these connections to the land, the sea, and the sky. Magical Beings of Haida Gwaii features ten of these ancient figures and presents them to children as visually engaging, empowering, and meaningful examples of living in balance with nature. Developed by renowned Haida activist, lawyer, performer, and artist Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson and Haida educator Sara Florence Davidson, this book challenges stereotypes, helps advance reconciliation, and celebrates Indigenous identity and culture.

Reviews
"Magical Beings of Haida Gwaii is a gentle, powerful collection of words and pictures, stories that hold knowledge, teachings, and traditions for the generations of today and the future. A must-read for those who live on the beautiful island of Haida Gwaii, and any Canadian who wants to learn about one of the many vital Indigenous cultures across Turtle Island." — David A. Robertson, winner of the Governor General’s award for When We Were Alone

"Magical Beings of Haida Gwaii is an enchanting book born of a close relationship and understanding of how we see the world from an Indigenous perspective. There is an intrinsic value to stories recorded from the most natural of primary sources, our families. Terri-Lynn and Sara Davidson have given us a lesson on how to value our Indigenous magical beings as we all have them."— Naa-Jing-Jada, Verna J. Kirkness, educator and author of Creating Space: My Life and Work in Indigenous Education

"An absolute treasure and honouring for the Haida People and for Haida Gwaii, and a marvel of devotion for the world to learn from. Oh I love this book so much! I am in awe of Magical Beings of Haida Gwaii. Every Nation deserves a book as gorgeous and as healing as this one." — Richard Van Camp, award-winning author of Moccasin Square Gardens

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 5 to 8.

Recommended in the Canadian Indigenous Books for Schools 2020/2021 resource list for grades 2 to 9 for English Language Arts, Fine Arts, and Social Studies.

Includes a glossary and pronunciation guide at the back. 

A Colouring and Activity Book for this work can be found here: Magical Beings of Haida Gwaii Colouring and Activity Book

Additional Information
64 pages | 8.00" x 10.00" | Paperback

The National Indigenous Diabetes Association (NIDA) envisions diabetes-free communities. Their mission is to lead the promotion of healthy environments and to prevent and manage diabetes by working together with people, communities, and organizations. NIDA Elders partnered with Kayla Perry, registered dietitian with the Diabetes Integration Project, and the Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre (MFNERC) to present this colouring book, which features some traditional plants and animals (Our Relations) from our Elders’ territories and the lands in between.

The purpose of this colouring book is to provide an easy-to-read, visual resource with practical guidance that children and caregivers can use to learn about nutritional information from traditional foods and plants. This resource also shares some teachings and stories attached to these medicines. Traditional foods are plants or animals that are indigenous to the land, meaning they existed naturally on the land before settlers arrived. Food in the form of these plants, fruits, vegetables, or animals is a gift.

NIDA would like to acknowledge that the work for this project took place in the traditional territories of the Dakota, Anishinaabe, Cree, Ojibwe-Cree, and Dene Peoples, and the homeland of the Red River Métis Nation.

Educator Information
Recommended by the publisher for grades 1 and under.

These stories from the Peepeekisis Cree Nation tell of the Little People, Wesuketchuk, and the Sky People, and share the Plains Cree worldview, values, and spiritual beliefs.

“nipakosēyimon ēkā ta-wanihtāhk kinēhiyawātisinaw, tāpitaw awiyak ta-masinahahk ēkwan ta-pīkiskwātahk.” --Eleanor Brass, 1987

“I am hoping that our Indian culture will not be lost, that there will always be someone to write and speak about it. As the treaty reads, ‘As long as the grass grows and the water flows.’” —Eleanor Brass, 1987

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 12.

Dual-language: English and Plains Cree (y-dialect). 

Pronunciation guide included.

Additional Information
96 pages | 11.00" x 8.50"

When the author learns of the death of her brother overseas, she embarks on a journey to bring him home. Through memories and dreams of all they shared together and through her Dene traditions, she finds comfort and strength. The lyrical art and story leave readers with a universal message of hope and love.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 12+ (Mature Picture Book)

In this emotional illustrated picture book, author and illustrator Lisa Boivin tells the story of the loss of her brother and the journey with her Dene traditions to find comfort and the strength to move on from her grief.

This book explores themes of death, memory, remembrance, comfort, and specifically Dene perspectives on death. 

The author's deeply personal story is revealed through exquisite artwork and text that are grounded in her family's Dene culture.

Lisa Boivin's experiences as an artist and bioethicist inform her story, expressed in the Indigenous way of passing knowledge through images.

Additional Information
56 pages | 6.50" x 10.00" | Colour illustrations throughout

This is the story of how the Tipi is connected to the creation of life and the mother to the child. When little ones are born, they are slowly let down with a rope into the Tipi. The rope is the Spirit Mother’s umbilical cord, and the cord is the rope that ties the tipi poles together, creating a nest at the top for the baby. When the baby is born, the cord makes its journey to inside the tipi, and then the cord is used to make the baby swing. The Tipi is round like the sun, the moon, a bird's nest, berries, the drum, the Earth and a woman's belly when she is with child. There are 14 poles in a Cree Tipi that represent the 14 laws for living on the Earth. Following these laws makes us good human beings.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 12.

This book is part of the Little Women's Lodge Stories series.

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

This is the story of the birth of Kîstin, or “Little Tornado,” and how the baby is brought from Spirit World after choosing its Earth Mother and Father. It tells of connection of the baby’s belly button to Spirit World and to the ancestors, who speak to us through our land, our language, our songs, our ceremonies and our dreams and visions. And if the child trusts in the spirit, it will always watch out for the child.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 12.

This book is part of the Little Women's Lodge Stories series.

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

When a baby is born, she is wrapped in a moss bag to keep her warm, secure and protected until she can move about on her own. This story tells of Fawn, whose mother brings home a new baby sister. She teaches Fawn all about the moss bag (wâspison). It is made from soft hide and decorated with beautiful beadwork.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 6 to 12.

This book is part of the Little Women's Lodge Stories series.

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