Language

A Snuneymuxw ethnobotany guide grounded in Indigenous knowledge and deep ancestral connection to the land.

Plant Teachings from My Auntie: Gathering Coast Salish Plants for Medicine, Textiles, Nourishment, and Ceremony is a richly illustrated compendium of the many culturally significant wild foods and herbal remedies found in the traditional territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation.

Each entry features plant descriptions complete with both their Hul'q'umi'num and botanical names, typical native habitat, and traditional uses. Particular attention is paid to the sacred Western Red Cedar or "tree of life." The book also offers a selection of healing recipes; tips for respectful, sustainable harvesting; ethical and responsible preparation techniques; and a guide to local gathering sites.

Snu'y'ulh refers to teachings handed down through generations. Snuneymuxw Elder and Knowledge Keeper Geraldine Manson, whose traditional name is C'tasi:a, draws on the sacred knowledge passed on to her by her "Auntie Ellen," Dr. Ellen White, also known as Kwulasulwut. Central to these learnings is the fundamental concept or protocol of honoring gifts from the land by gathering and preparing in ways that respect the history, culture, spirituality, and Indigenous knowledge associated with each species.

This powerful work is a rare treasure that will appeal to those seeking to foster greater cultural understanding and ecological responsibility while deepening their commitment to meaningful reconciliation.

Additional Information
96 pages | 9.00" x 7.50" | Paperback

A tenth anniversary bilingual edition in English and Cree of Rosanna Deerchild’s stunning collection about the intergenerational impacts of the Canadian residential school system.

you want me to
share my story

ok then
here it is
here in the unwritten
here in the broken lines
of my body that can never forget

In Calling Down the Sky, poet Rosanna Deerchild viscerally evokes her mother’s experience within the residential school system, the Canadian government’s system of violently removing Indigenous children from their homes, families, and languages in an explicit attempt to destroy Indigenous cultures and identities. With precise and intricate poetry, Deerchild weaves together the story of her mother’s childhood and Deerchild’s memories of her mother: her love of country music, her attempts to talk about what happened to her, how tightly she braided her daughter’s hair on the first day of school. In doing so, Deerchild illustrates the disruptive and devastating impacts of the residential school system on generations of families while also celebrating the life and culture of her mother and other survivors.

Published for the first time in a bilingual edition of Cree and English, in time for the tenth anniversary of the original publication, Calling Down the Sky is an intimate and gorgeously evoked reckoning with a horrifying part of North American history.

Reviews
“Rosanna Deerchild’s poems roll off the tongue as easy as old country songs. With her deft hand, Deerchild finely tunes every word and weaves them together as intimately as she braids her girls’ hair. Together, these poems create a story that sings with beautiful tension, amazing resilience, and love as big as the sky." - Katherena Vermette, Métis Writer

"The poetry collection, called calling down the sky, describes personal experiences with the residential school system in the 1950s and the generational effects it had." - CBC 

"This poetry collection is fierce, raw and candid. It is also visceral, intricate and, above all, illuminating. By recounting her mother’s residential school experience in a powerfully poetic narrative, Deerchild expertly illustrates the heartbreaking trauma of that tragic saga and how it complicates relationships over generations. By beautifully and elaborately exploring those relationships and that devastating history, she finds and celebrates the resilient and hopeful spirit that many residential school survivors, like her mother, have managed to retain in the face of horror and torment. As a result, calling down the sky is an essential read in understanding the true modern history of this land and in honouring the people who survived it.” - Waubgeshig Rice

Educator Information
Bilingual: English and Cree

Additional Information
96 pages | 5.50" x 8.50"

The groundbreaking Indigenous style guide every writer needs.

The first published guide to common questions and issues of Indigenous style and process for those who work in words and other media is back in an updated new edition. This trusted resource offers crucial guidance to anyone who works in words or other media on how to work accurately, collaboratively, and ethically on projects involving Indigenous Peoples.

Editor Warren Cariou (Métis) and contributing editors Jordan Abel (Nisga’a), Lorena Fontaine (Cree-Anishinaabe), and Deanna Reder (Cree-Métis) continue the conversation started by the late Gregory Younging in his foundational first edition. This second conversation reflects changes in the publishing industry, Indigenous-led best practices, and society at large, including new chapters on author-editor relationships, identity and community affiliation, Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer identities, sensitivity reading, emerging issues in the digital world, and more.

This guide features:

• Twenty-two succinct style principles.
• Advice on culturally appropriate publishing practices, including how to collaborate with Indigenous Peoples, when and how to seek the advice of Elders, and how to respect Indigenous Oral Traditions and Traditional Knowledge.
• Terminology to use and to avoid.
• Advice on specific editing issues, such as biased language, capitalization, citation, accurately representing Indigenous languages, and quoting from historical sources and archives.
• Examples of projects that illustrate best practices.

Additional Information
208 pages | 5.50" x 7.50" | Paperback

Lexical Roots of Old Cree: An Etymological Dictionary is the result of over two decades of research on historical and contemporary Cree dialects. Built from extensive linguistic fieldwork with nearly a hundred fluent speakers and supported by lexical databases and textual corpora, it offers a detailed reconstruction of Old Cree roots and their evolution across dialects such as Moose Cree, Southern East Cree, Atikamekw, and Western Innu.

Lexical roots—the smallest meaningful units of words—are central to Cree’s polysynthetic structure, where words can function as entire sentences. By meticulously tracing these roots, this dictionary provides critical insights into how words were formed in Old Cree and how they continue to be structured in modern dialects.

Beyond linguistic reconstruction, this work addresses practical challenges in Cree lexicography, particularly those arising from orthographic variations and dialectal differences. It serves as a valuable resource for lexicographers, linguists, and community members engaged in language preservation and revitalization.

The research draws from historical manuscripts, early dictionaries, and oral traditions, ensuring a comprehensive and evidence-based approach to linguistic analysis. At a time of rapid linguistic erosion, this dictionary not only documents Cree’s rich lexical heritage but also supports ongoing efforts to sustain and strengthen the language for future generations. It stands as a testament to the knowledge generously shared by fluent speakers and to the enduring vitality of Cree linguistic traditions.

Additional Information
520 pages | 6" x 9" | Paperback 

Beyond Bilingualism

In Living Language Rights: Constitutional Pathways to Indigenous Language Education, Lorena Fontaine's ground-breaking work explores the constitutional foundations and growing recognition of Indigenous language rights in Canada. By documenting the history of First Nations' language transmission on the prairies, Fontaine demonstrates how Indigenous language rights are deeply embedded in both First Nations law and Canadian constitutional law. Equal parts personal and scholarly, Living Language Rights highlights the sacred responsibility within First Nations law to preserve and transmit language. Fontaine argues that language transmission is not only culturally significant, but also a constitutionally protected right that Canada has a duty to uphold-especially following decades of attempted linguistic genocide.

Focusing on education as the path to Indigenous language revitalization, she examines the current health of Indigenous languages and urges governments to act. Living Language Rights is a crucial read, filling an important void for anyone seeking to understand Indigenous rights, language revitalization, and Canadian constitutional law.

Reviews
"Fontaine’s interweaving of history and perspectives with the law make this a significant contribution to the field of language loss and revitalization. Living Language Rights is a “must read” for educators interested in Indigenous languages and their revitalization." - Marie Battiste, University of Saskatchewan

Educator Information
Table of Contents
List of Figures
Acknowledgements
Preface
Introduction: Foundations: First Nations Language Transmission
Chapter 1: Intercustomary Law: First Nations Language Transmission in the Prairies
Chapter 2: Linguistic Genocide: Canada's Educational System
Chapter 3: Canada's Constitution: First Nations Language Rights in Education
Chapter 4: International Law: Indigenous Peoples Language Rights in Education
Chapter 5: Indigenous Languages Act: Section 35 of Canada's Constitution Act, 1982
Conclusion
Appendix
Notes
Bibliography

Additional Information
264 pages | 6" x 9" | Paperback

Secwépemc elder, matriarch and knowledge-keeper Cecilia DeRose presents her powerful, heartfelt and inspiring memoir of overcoming racism and adversity—One Arrow Left is a celebration of Secwépemc culture, language and the importance of passing on this knowledge to future generations.

Born in 1935 in the village of Esket, Cecilia DeRose was welcomed into a loving, supportive Secwepemc family. Growing up in an isolated meadow, Cecilia was the fourth of ten children, spending much of her early years caring for younger siblings. Ranch life was in their blood; Cecilia’s mother, Amelia Joe, was the progeny of a white ranch hand, Joe Smith, and her Secwepemc mother, Martha Williams; her father, Matthew Dick, was well-known in the Williams Lake rodeo circuit and played for the famous Alkali Braves hockey team. Navigating the complexities of being a mixed-race family, both within and outside of the Secwepemc community, would be a lifelong source of tension, which Cecilia handles with grace, tenacity and humour.

Like their parents before them, Cecilia and her siblings were sent to St. Joseph’s Mission residential school near Williams Lake. At seven years old she eagerly awaited her turn to join her older sister and brother at the mission, where she could escape the drudgery of washing diapers and caring for her younger siblings at home. Nothing could have prepared her for the cruelty of institutionalized life. Dreams of an education that might lead to a career as a teacher, lawyer, or journalist were dashed. Residential school was hell, and Cecilia was left with the scars to prove it.

In 1956, Cecilia married non-Indigenous ranch hand Lenny DeRose and lost her Indigenous status. Nevertheless, on the insistence of her father Matthew Dick, Cecilia remained true to her Secwepemc roots and traditions. She eventually regained her status and became an ambassador of Secwepemc language and cultural practices. As she raised her own six children, she took great care to bestow in them the cultural teachings of the Secwepemc identity. She eventually taught the Secwepemcstin language in the public-school system, fulfilling her dream of teaching and reinforcing her belief that “we have one arrow left in our quiver and that’s education—we must use it wisely.”

Today, Cecilia is recognized nationally as an Indigenous knowledge keeper. She has provided cross-cultural training for hospitals, courts, and law enforcement institutions, and shared her knowledge on projects ranging from ethnobotany research to culturally safe elder care. In 2018, she received the Indspire Award for Culture, Heritage and Spirituality. In 2024, she was honoured by Thompson Rivers University with a Doctor of Letter, honoris causa, for her indispensable contributions to language revitalization.

Reviews
"This memoir would make a valuable addition to high school libraries, offering students insight into historical and contemporary perspectives on Indigenous people, places, events, and their lasting impacts. The knowledge Dick DeRose gained through her lived experiences became a foundation for her work as a respected language and cultural teacher." - Debra H., Elementary School Teacher, Indigenous Books for Schools

Educator Information
This book is included in the Indigenous Books for Schools database from the Association of Book Publishers of BC. It is recommended for Grade 12 Social Studies.

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

A bilingual (English and Inuktitut) traditional Inuit story from the North Baffin region.

In the Arctic, children are warned about the dangers of mysterious beings that lurk under the ice—the qallupilluit. But one child does not heed the warnings. . . .

David heads to the beach to play on the ice. But he quickly realizes he’s not alone. A webbed hand emerges from the water, and soon David finds himself cornered by sea monsters. David uses his wits and agility to escape them. But when he makes it back to his family, he learns that his little brother is missing—and had followed him to the ice. David races back to the ice to look for his brother, but will he be able to find him and escape the menacing qallupilluit a second time?

Based on creatures from traditional Inuit stories, Qallupilluit: The Takers of Children is a chilling cautionary tale.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 13+.

Bilingual (English and Inuktitut) traditional Inuit story from the North Baffin region.

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

A Vital Resource to Preserve, Teach, and Live the Bush Cree Language

Reading and Writing Bush Cree is a heartfelt, practical, and approachable guide for fluent speakers and Cree language educators who want to learn to read and write sakâw nîhiyawîwin—Bush Cree, or the Northern Y dialect. Written by Connie Twin, a first-language speaker from Bigstone Cree Nation in northern Alberta, and Tanya Fontaine, a dedicated Cree language learner and educator, this book bridges oral fluency with written literacy to support language preservation and revitalization.

Through personal stories and cultural insight, the authors guide readers into the structure of Cree grammar and the use of Standard Roman Orthography (SRO). With clear examples of both fluent and full written forms, this book also sheds light on how Cree sounds are represented in writing and highlights important differences between Northern and Southern Y dialects.

This is more than a how-to book—it’s a call to keep sakâw nîhiyawîwin alive for future generations.

Features

• A first-language speaker’s perspective on learning to read and write Cree
• Focus onsakâw nîhiyawîwin (Bush Cree / Northern Y dialect)
• A step-by-step introduction to Standard Roman Orthography (SRO) and syllabics
• Need-to-know basics of Cree reading, writing, grammar, and Y dialect variation

Additional Information
116 pages | 6" x 9" | Paperback 

Since the earliest days of human memory, countless generations have turned their eyes to the skies in wonder, drawing patterns, understanding the stars’ connection to cycles and events, and carrying their stories and teachings forward to subsequent generations.

The Song of the Stars offers a unique journey through the skies, linking us to generations of ancestors who marvelled at the same stars we still gaze upon today. The book brings together Anishinaabe cultural teachings about the cosmos and the Anishinaabemowin language with scientific insights to demonstrate how both viewpoints can help us foster deeper and more meaningful relationships to the Earth and the cosmos. Robert Animikii Horton, Anishinaabemowin educator, proves that this dual perspective can be a source of awe and wonder, inspiring in us a love of both language and science.

Demonstrating how Anishinaabe cultural teachings and scientific insights can complement one another and need not be irreconcilable opposites, The Song of the Stars provides a combination of perspectives that cultivates a deeper understanding of the vast mystery surrounding our place in the universe.

Educator Information
Contents
1. In Awe of the Awe-Inspiring
2. Aki: The Earth
3. Giizis: The Sun
4. Gichi-giizis: The Solar Eclipse
5. Naawakwe: Solar Noon
6. Ma’iingan Omiikana: The Sun’s Ecliptic
7. Aadwaa’amoog: Orion’s Belt
8. Waawaate: The Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis)
9. Jiibay Miikana: The Milky Way
10. Gookomisinaan Dibiki-giizis: The Moon
11. Gaagige-giizhig: The Universe
12. Anang: Star
13. Ojiig Anang: Fisher Star
14. Ojiig: The Big Dipper
15. Gichi-Ogimaa Anang: Vega
16. Gaa-bibooniked: The Wintermaker
17. Maang: The Little Dipper
18. Bagonegiizhig: The Pleiades
19. Moonz: Pegasus
20. Onwaajige Anang: Halley’s Comet
21. Madoodiswan: Corona Borealis
22. Ma’iingan: Canis Major
23. Nanaboozhoo: Scorpius
24. Waaban Anang: The Morning Star
25. Biidaaban, Waaban, Zaagajiwens, & Mooka’am: The Process of Sunrise
26. Mishibizhiw: Leo, Cancer, and Hydra
27. Gaa-madoodood: Hercules
28. Bangishin Anang: Falling Star
29. Binesi: Cygnus
30. Mishiginebig: Draco
31. Ikwe Anang: Venus
32. Directions and More

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

Have Indigenous plant knowledge at your fingertips with this gorgeously illustrated card deck from Leigh Joseph, an ethnobotanist and a member of the Squamish Nation.

Plants can be a great source of healing as well as nourishment, and the practice of growing and harvesting from trees, flowering herbs, and other plants is a powerful way to become more connected to the land. The Indigenous Peoples of North America have long traditions of using native plants as medicine as well as for food. Held by the Land Deck includes 45 cards of indigenous plants and their properties and a 48-page booklet to guide you along the way. Here are some of the things you will find:

• Tips to build your own home apothecary
• Notes on how to mindfully harvest and connect to the land you’re on
• Recipes for infused oils and salves
• A botanical glossary to help out with some of the more technical language
• Checklists for safe and sustainable harvesting

This beautifully illustrated card deck includes plants that are culturally significant to the Pacific Northwest, including Western Red Cedar, Devil’s Club, Broad-Leaved Plantain, Camas, Wapato, and Red Laver. Special features in the booklet include recipes for food and beauty products along with stories and traditions around the plants.

This elegant, full-color card deck and booklet is your go-to guide for Indigenous plants and will give you new insights into the power of everyday nature.

Additional Information
48 pages | 4.50" x 5.90" | 45 Cards and 48-Page Booklet

This book features the Stoney Nakoda First Nation language in context and in action. The book contains a collection of stories by Trent and Valentina Fox, with each teaching culminating in a learning section. To assist in nuances of the language, the book also includes audio components as web links. The Îethka Stoney Nakoda People are an integral part of the Treaty 7 group of Indigenous Nations in Southern Alberta. Their spoken language is part of the Dakota-Sioux linguistic group.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 14 to 18.

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

The first book published in Tsuut’ina—a critically endangered language—in over a century!

With fewer than 150 speakers, Tsuut’ina is a critically endangered language. Isúh Áníi / As Grandmother Said brings together nine traditional narratives and historical accounts in the Tsuut’ina language, originally narrated by Elders Dátł’ìshí Ts’ìká Bessie Meguinis (1883–1987) and Ninàghá Tsìtł’á Willie Little Bear (1912–1989). At once an act of language preservation and a learning resource, each story is retold in Tsuut’ina by Dit’óní Didlíshí Dr. Bruce Starlight and is presented with English translations and a Tsuut’ina-to-English glossary.

The narratives included in this collection cover considerable ground, ranging from the creation of the world in the caring hands of Xàlítsa-tsii and his animal helpers, to accounts of separation, migration, and cross-cultural contact that mark major turning points in Tsuut’ina history, and to important cultural and ceremonial items and practices that the Tsuut’ina Nation maintains to this day.

These stories will be of lasting value to Tsuut’ina language learners and teachers, and will share the legacy of Elders Bessie Meguinis and Willie Little Bear with generations of Tsuut’ina to come.

Reviews
"Intended as a learning resource, each story is paired with English translations, line-by-line interpretations, and a Tsuut'ina-English glossary. Additional notes provide background on the creation of the text, the life and contributions of Bessie Meguinis, and detailed linguistic analysis. This volume is an invaluable tool for language instructors wanting to preserve and revitalize the Tsuut'ina language but also serves as an introduction to the wisdom and history of the Tsuut'ina people for an English-speaking audience." - Dionne L.-B., High School Librarian, Indigenous Books for Schools

Educator & Series Information
This book is part of the First Nation Language Readers series. With a mix of traditional and new stories, each First Nations Language Reader introduces an Indigenous language and demonstrates how each language is used today. 

This book is included in the Indigenous Books for Schools database from the Association of Book Publishers of BC. It is recommended for Grades 10 to 12 for English Language Arts and Social Studies.

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

Mark Kalluak was a respected community leader and Inuktitut specialist who was passionate about sharing Inuit culture. This book is a compilation of Kalluak’s works on traditional Inuit stories and beliefs from his home community of Arviat, Nunavut. These tales and cultural outlooks were thoughtfully collected, written in Inuktitut and English, and illustrated by Kalluak. From the origins of darkness and light, to cautionary tales of how to treat others, to explanations of taboos, this book is a noteworthy collection of traditional Inuit stories and beliefs.

Additional Information
216 pages | 8.00" x 10.00" | Hardcover

A user-friendly guide that teaches core Nakoda vocabulary and how to use it in conversation

Practising Nakoda contains basic Nakoda vocabulary, organized into 30 themes (such as animals, clothing, directions, and time) and divided into sections meant to enhance daily and ceremonial communication (including dances, ceremonies, and ceremonial clothing). The guide provides words for every theme from which the reader can forge a general view of word formation patterns. In a thematic dictionary, words are not organized alphabetically but are grouped according to the root element or their meaning. Since Nakoda is a polysynthetic language where words are often built up with many elements that attach to the root, this is a necessary format that enhances the learner’s “morphological awareness.” The guide will help learners identify the root of each word, along with the “morphemes,” critical to the successful learning of the Nakoda language, and the comprehension of complex vocabulary.

Reviews
"Nakón wico’i’e né uspénic’iciyac / Practising Nakoda: A Thematic Dictionary is a user-friendly dictionary created to support learners of the endangered Nakoda language. More than just a list of words, this book helps users understand how to build sentences and use the language in real-life situations, even without a fluent speaker to guide them. The chapters are organized by theme, making it easier for learners to focus on everyday topics and vocabulary. This dictionary is meant to be a practical starting point for those beginning their Nakoda language journey. It was created with the help of many different Nakoda speakers, whose voices and knowledge shaped the content. This dictionary can be used for self-study, in classrooms, or as a community resource to support language programs. Practising Nakoda is a helpful tool for anyone who wants to begin learning and using Nakoda in their daily life." - Jackie L., Educator & Indigenous Voice Consultant, Indigenous Books for Schools

Educator Information
Table of Contents

Foreword
Elements of Nakoda Grammar
Abbreviations

Greetings and Forms of Address
Human Body
Food and Drinks
Clothing and Getting Dressed
Living Arrangements
Human Characteristics
Feelings, Instincts, Emotions, and Motives
Thinking
Behaviour and Mental Disposition
Abilities and Talents
Expressing Thoughts and Feelings
Making Evaluations
Family and Friends
Social Relations
Education and Schooling
Professions and Trades
Agriculture, Gardening, and Ranching
Banking, Money, and Commercial Transactions
Leisure and Sports
Dances and Ceremonies
Spirituality and Culture
Communication
Nationalities and Settlements
Geography and Landscape
Weather, Natural Phenomena, and Substances
Fauna and Flora
Transportation and City Infrastructure
Quantities
Space and Time
Structural Words

Bibliography
About the Authors

This book is included in the Indigenous Books for Schools database from the Association of Book Publishers of BC. It is recommended for Grades 9 to 12 for Language studies.

Additional Information
216 pages | 5.51" x 7.51" | Paperback 

A Little Plains Cree Book for Children—Teaching Guide contains lesson plans, student assignments, and other helpful information for teaching the Plains Cree language—a companion to nēhiyawēwin awāsimasinahikanis: A Little Plains Cree Book for Children: A Reference for Teaching the Plains Cree Language, the content of which focuses on terms familiar to the First Nations Cree people of Saskatchewan and follows curriculum for Kindergarten to Grade 12.

Reviews
"Suitable for elementary school-aged children, typically from kindergarten through early elementary grades (K to 5), the book aligns well with language arts and social studies curricula that emphasize multicultural perspectives and language revitalization efforts. Educators can integrate it to enhance students' language skills, deepen their understanding of Indigenous cultures, and promote cultural sensitivity in the classroom. By using this resource, educators not only support language revitalization goals but also empower students to appreciate and respect diverse cultural heritages, fostering a more inclusive educational environment that values Indigenous Knowledge and Traditions." - David D., Indigenous Educator & Administrator, Indigenous Books for Schools

Educator Information
Find the companion resource here: A Little Plains Cree Book for Children: A Reference for Teaching the Plains Cree Language

A colouring book companion is here: A Little Plains Cree Colouring Book: Plains Cree People

This resource is included in the Indigenous Books for Schools database from the Association of Book Publishers of BC. It is recommended for use with K to 5 classrooms for English Language Arts and Social Studies. 

Additional Information
128 pages | 8.50" x 11.00" | Spiral Bound