Indigenous Peoples in Canada

A teenage girl walks home in a burgeoning blizzard, happy to have an unexpected snow day. Ignoring an Elder’s warning about the terror the blizzard holds, she finds herself alone in her home with an unseen presence stalking and tormenting her. What does it want? And will she survive?

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 12 to 18.

Additional Information
40 pages | 7.00" x 9.00" | Hardcover 

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

In British Columbia, land acknowledgements often refer to “unceded territory.” Yet many people remain uncertain about the history behind these words or their implications for the future of the province.

Unceded reveals the BC government’s history of injustice toward First Nations, providing the context for understanding the province’s current reconciliation efforts, including modern treaty negotiations. Treaty commissioner George M. Abbott combines archival research with a former cabinet minister’s insider perspective on government to chronicle over 150 years of BC-Indigenous relations. Abbott’s account details how early government officials refused to negotiate treaties and instead coerced First Nations onto small and scattered reserves while granting settlers access to vast tracts of land. Despite sustained Indigenous resistance, the situation only worsened as non-Indigenous demands for land and natural resources increased in the decades that followed.

It was only after several Supreme Court decisions affirmed Indigenous land rights that BC sat down at the negotiating table. More recently, the province has taken notable steps toward reconciliation, concluding modern treaties and passing legislation that acknowledges Indigenous rights. As Abbott shows, overcoming the legacy of colonialism is no small task, but achieving justice is worth the effort it takes.

This book is for readers of BC history, those who follow provincial politics, or anyone invested in the future of British Columbia. It is essential reading for elected officials and policy makers and will also appeal to scholars and students of Canadian history, political science, and Indigenous-settler relations.

Reviews
"Unceded is an excellent account of the relationship between First Nation groups and the government of British Columbia. It is well-researched and enriched by interesting insights from George Abbott’s own involvement in more recent developments as a member of the provincial cabinet."— Jim Reynolds, author of Canada and Colonialism and former general counsel to the Musqueam First Nation

"I wish to thank George Abbott for his book about our colonial past. It is only with a better understanding of our history that we can have a better chance of creating a brighter future for First Nations in British Columbia."— From the foreword by the Honourable Steven Point, Grand Chief of the Stó:lō and BC’s first Indigenous Lieutenant-Governor

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

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 

From ground zero of this country's most important project: reconciliation

Niigaan Sinclair has been called provocative, revolutionary, and one of this country's most influential thinkers on the issues impacting Indigenous cultures, communities, and reconciliation in Canada. In his debut collection of stories, observations, and thoughts about Winnipeg, the place he calls "ground zero" of Canada's future, read about the complex history and contributions of this place alongside the radical solutions to injustice and violence found here, presenting solutions for a country that has forgotten principles of treaty and inclusivity. It is here, in the place where Canada began—where the land, water, people, and animals meet— that a path "from the centre" is happening for all to see.

At a crucial and fragile moment in Canada's long history with Indigenous peoples, one of our most essential writers begins at the centre, capturing a web spanning centuries of community, art, and resistance.

Based on years' worth of columns, Niigaan Sinclair delivers a defining essay collection on the resilience of Indigenous peoples. Here, we meet the creators, leaders, and everyday people preserving the beauty of their heritage one day at a time. But we also meet the ugliest side of colonialism, the Indian Act, and the communities who suffer most from its atrocities.

Sinclair uses the story of Winnipeg to illuminate the reality of Indigenous life all over what is called Canada. This is a book that demands change and celebrates those fighting for it, that reminds us of what must be reconciled and holds accountable those who must do the work. It's a book that reminds us of the power that comes from loving a place, even as that place is violently taken away from you, and the magic of fighting your way back to it.

Awards

•  Winner of the 2024 Governor General's Literary Award for Nonfiction.

Additional Information
384 pages | 5.14" x 7.92" | b&w photos throughout | Paperback

A major publication, Worlds on Paper: Drawings from Kinngait features over 150 never-before-seen original drawings by internationally renowned Inuit artists from Kinngait (Cape Dorset).

In 1990, the celebrated printmaking studio in Kinngait (Cape Dorset) transferred their complete drawings archive to the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Ontario for safekeeping. The McMichael recently completed the digitization of this invaluable treasury of works, making it accessible to communities across the Arctic as well as to the wider public.

Worlds on Paper, an exhibition led by Inuit curator Emily Laurent Henderson, explores the profound impact and importance of drawing in Kinngait, not just as a precursor to printmaking, but as a vital and enduring discipline in its own right. This groundbreaking Inuit-led publication includes essays by Susan Aglukark, Kyle Aleekuk, Mark Bennett, Napatsi Folger, Jamesie Fournier, Janice Grey, Jonas Laurent Henderson, Jessica Kotierk, Nicole Luke, Malayah Maloney, Aghalingiak Ohokannoak, Jocelyn Piirainen, Krista Ulukuk Zawadski, and others, and explores the transition from traditional life on the land to 21st century community living.

Kinngait is renowned internationally for printmaking but an exploration of the drawings archive reveals careers previously overlooked while also allowing established artists to be seen in a new light. Dreaming Forward provides a richer understanding of the creativity that blossomed in Kinngait over four decades, as the print making studio rose to international renown. This publication animates the legacy of Kinngait Studio and its role in generating, nurturing, and promoting artists who continue to challenge expectations and provoke fresh understandings.

Additional Information
320 pages | 10.00" x 11.00" | 200 colour artwork and archival photographs | Hardcover 

Award-winning author Jen Ferguson has written a powerful story about teens grappling with balancing resentment with enduring friendship—and how to move forward with a life that’s not what they’d imagined.

Before that awful Saturday, Molly used to be inseparable from her brother, Hank, and his best friend, Tray. The indoor climbing accident that left Hank with a traumatic brain injury filled Molly with anger.

While she knows the accident wasn’t Tray’s fault, she will never forgive him for being there and failing to stop the damage. But she can’t forgive herself for not being there either.

Determined to go on the trio’s postgraduation hike of the Pacific Crest Trail, even without Hank, Molly packs her bag. But when her parents put Tray in charge of looking out for her, she is stuck backpacking with the person who incites her easy anger.

Despite all her planning, the trail she’ll walk has a few more twists and turns ahead. . . .

Reviews
"With a rhythm and tone that reads like poetry, Ferguson delivers an emotionally resonant tale in which profound interpersonal conflict unfolds against the lushly described natural backdrop of an adrenaline-inducing outdoor environment." — Publishers Weekly

"Explores disability and fat activism and fatphobia, with a side of romance." — Kirkus Reviews

"No matter who reads this book, they will find something in each character that will ring true. A must-buy for YA collections." — School Library Journal

"Conversations around love and intersectional analysis of Indigeneity, fatness, disability, queerness, blended families, and human interactions with nature are sure to pique the interest of readers also exploring the many facets of what makes them whole." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"A great read for all teenagers, and especially those who've graduated and are wondering what comes next."  — Booklist

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 13+.

This novel grapples with resentment, fear, grief, anti-Indigenous racism, and moving forward in a life you're not sure fits you. These difficult emotions and issues are handled thoughtfully and with empathy. 

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

Five generations of Métis women argue, dance, struggle, laugh, love, and tell the stories that will sing their family, and perhaps the land itself, into healing in this brilliantly original debut novel.

Carter is a young mother, recently separated. She is curious, angry, and on a quest to find out what the heritage she only learned of in her teens truly means.

Allie is trying to make up for the lost years with her first born, and to protect Carter from the hurt she herself suffered from her own mother.

Lucie wants the granddaughter she's never met to help her join her ancestors in the Afterlife.

Geneviève is determined to conquer her demons before the fire inside burns her up, with the help of the sister she lost but has never been without.

And Mamé, in the Afterlife, knows that all their stories began with her; she must find a way to loose herself from the last threads that keep her tethered to the living, just as they must find their own paths forward.

This extraordinary novel, told by a chorus of vividly realized, funny, wise, confused, struggling characters—including descendants of the bison that once freely roamed the land—heralds the arrival of a stunning new voice in literary fiction.

Additional Information
336 pages | 5.18" x 8.00" | Paperback

The thrilling third entry in the high fantasy saga that started with BookTok sensation A Broken Blade.

A new king is on the throne and the rebellion lies in ruins. Keera spends her days drinking and her nights avoiding the strange dreams that have haunted her since she returned from the capital.

Keera’s family in Myrelinth won’t let her go without a fight. With new intelligence about the magical seals left behind by Keera’s ancient kin, the Light Fae, she rallies to face her demons and unleash the formidable powers she inherited from her people. But a shocking truth is hiding in plain sight, one with the power to unravel the entire rebellion...

The pivotal third installment in the Halfling Saga will upend everything Keera thought she knew about her enemies . . . and her allies.

Reviews
"Gripping and fierce. This is much-needed fantasy with its fangs honed sharp by the power of resistance. Melissa Blair has built a tremendous world."—Chloe Gong, #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights

Educator & Series Information
Young adult/new adult fantasy series recommended for ages 18+.

The third entry in the Halfling Saga, the epic tale of a deadly assassin with a mysterious past, set in a lush fantasy world of Mortals, Elves, Halflings, and Fae, A Vicious Game is perfect for readers who enjoyed the A Court of Thorns and Roses series and other romantic fantasy books, especially those seeking LGBTQ+ romance or BIPOC representation.

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

My name is Corinne George. I am Wet’suwet’en with Gitksan lineage from the Gidimt’en (Bear) Clan. This is my truth, and through sharing my truth, I strive for ongoing healing and to continue the journey of reconciliation. As a Wet’suwet’en woman born and raised on what is now known as the “Highway of Tears,” it was not uncommon to receive inferior treatment. There were even times when I was overtly targeted. It has been very common for people to outwardly refuse to acknowledge my existence as a human being. I was always afraid to share my truth because I did not want to be stigmatized. I am the daughter of a residential school survivor and a WWII veteran. As a result of colonization, I have encountered incredible levels of trauma. I need to acknowledge and speak my truth. As I share my pain and experiences, I have gathered self-awareness and every time I speak about my trauma, I heal a little bit more. I do not deserve to be treated like I do not exist. Despite the historical impacts of colonization and trauma, my connections to my ancestral ways and my identity have been critical. This is how I survived and how I strive to thrive.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 16+.

Additional Information
128 pages | 5.10" x 7.50" | Paperback

A poignant and inspiring memoir of the people and challenges that shaped the life and career of Canada's most decorated Indigenous athlete.

Over the course of his incredible career, Bryan Trottier set a new standard of hockey excellence. A seven-time Stanley Cup champion (four with the New York Islanders, two with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and one as an assistant coach with the Colorado Avalanche), Trottier won countless awards and is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. In 2017, he was named one of the NHL's Top 100 Players of All Time.

Trottier grew up in Val Marie, Saskatchewan, the son of a Cree/Chippewa/Metis father and an Irish-Canadian mother. All Roads Home offers a poignant, funny, wise, and inspiring look at his coming of age, both on and off the ice. It is a unique memoir in which Trottier shares stories about family, friends, teammates, and coaches, the lessons that he has learned from them, and the profound impact they have had in shaping the person he has become.

Some of the incredible characters featured in the book include Trottier's father Buzz; legendary Islanders coach Al Arbour; teammates Clark Gillies and Mike Bossy; and the Penguins' Mario Lemieux, to name but a few. He'll also talk about the high school English teacher and guidance counsellor who helped him develop self-confidence and encouraged him as a writer: Governor General's Award–winning poet, Lorna Crozier.

All Roads Home also includes a Foreword from bestselling author Jesse Thistle (From the Ashes) and two very special Afterwords: one from Trottier's daughter, Lindsy Ruthven, and the other from his life-long friend, beloved hockey great Dave "Tiger" Williams.

Additional Information
304 pages | 5.16" x 7.95" | Paperback