Canadian Indigenous Books for Schools K-7 2015-2016

This updated edition is expanded to include more numbers and new illustrations, making it an even finer resource for teaching the basics of counting in English, French, and Cree.

Neepin Auger’s books for children contain original, brightly coloured images and early education level concepts familiar to everyone. Playful and bold, this dynamic series will educate and entertain preschoolers, parents, and teachers alike.

In addition to the English words presented, the French and Cree equivalents are also given, making these some of the most dynamic and useful board books on the market, perfectly suitable for the classroom, library, and nursery.

Neepin Auger is a Cree artist, educator, and mother. Originally from the Bigstone Cree Nation in northern Alberta, she has been painting for over ten years, having studied art under her father, Dale Auger, a renowned First Nations artist and author of the award-winning children's book Mwâkwa Talks to the Loon: A Cree Story for Children.

Reviews
"Neepin Auger has created a simple board book that illustrates the numbers one to ten and includes the words in English, French and Cree. Bright, simple drawings attract the eye. The subjects are those familiar to Cree children but have universal application. This book and its companion Discovering Words will be useful in preschool and kindergarten classrooms, especially those introducing multiple languages." —Canadian Aboriginal Books for Schools, 2014-2015

Educator & Series Information
This book is part of Neepin Auger's Discovering series.

This is the 2nd, updated edition.

Additional Information
30 pages | 6.50" x 6.50" | 2nd Edition 

This updated edition includes a few replacement words and new artwork, gently refreshing the content to help teach the basics of early language in English, French, and Cree.

Neepin Auger's books for children contain original, brightly coloured images and early education level concepts familiar to everyone. Playful and bold, this dynamic series will educate and entertain preschoolers, parents, and teachers alike.

In addition to the English words presented, the French and Cree equivalents are also given, making these some of the most dynamic and useful board books on the market, perfectly suitable for the classroom, library and nursery

Neepin Auger is a Cree artist, educator, and mother. Originally from the Bigstone Cree Nation in northern Alberta, she has been painting for over ten years, having studied art under her father, Dale Auger, a renowned First Nations artist and author of the award-winning children's book Mwâkwa Talks to the Loon: A Cree Story for Children.

Reviews
"Neepin Auger's alphabet board book uses the same bright, simple style of illustration as the companion Discovering Numbers. English, French and Cree words accompany each illustration. Only the English words, in fact, follow the alphabet while the French and Cree words are translations. The pictures will be familiar to Cree children and provide a useful introduction to the other languages." —Canadian Aboriginal Books for Schools, 2014-2015

Educator & Series Information
This book is part of Neepin Auger's Discovering series, for ages 3 and under.

This is the updated 2nd edition.

Additional Information
32 pages | 6.50" x 6.50" | 2nd Edition

Designed to help teachers in early years classrooms use The Seven Teachings Stories series, by Katherena Vermette, this guide provides the framework and key ideas educators need to become participants in a culturally responsive classroom community and to deepen their understanding of the Seven Teachings. With these stories, educators can create a space to discuss diverse perspectives, experiences, and traditions with young readers, and to foster a deeper understanding of ourselves as human beings and of our relationships with others.

This guide is presented in three sections and includes:

Key information about the Seven Teachings, Anishinaabe vocabulary, and the characters in each story.

Ideas to guide student learning.

Approaches and suggestions that teachers can apply to any of the seven stories.

Strategies and activities to deepen readers’ understanding of the abstract concepts addressed in the stories.

An appendix of reproducible classroom materials.

Additional Information
36 pages | 8.50" x 11.00"

Amik tells Moshoom about his wonderful school. Then his grandfather tells him about the residential school he went to, much different from Amik’s school. So Amik has an idea….

Amik Loves School is one book in The Seven Teachings Stories series.The Seven Teachings of the Anishinaabe—love, wisdom, humility, courage, respect, honesty, and truth—are revealed in seven stories for children. Set in urban landscapes, Indigenous children tell familiar stories about home, school, and community.

Educator Information
Find the French translation of this book here: Amik aime l'ecole.

This book is part of The Seven Teachings Stories series, which are inspired by the Seven Sacred Teachings of the Anishinaabe—love, wisdom, humility, courage, respect, honesty, and truth. These stories are set in urban landscapes, where Indigenous children tell familiar stories about home, school, and community.

Additional Information
24 pages | 6.00" x 8.00"

Selected for inclusion in the Spring 2015 edition of Best Books for Kids & Teens (BBKT) by the Canadian Children's Book Centre.

Kode knows many things, but she doesn’t know one thing: What does respect mean? Who will help her figure out the answer?

Educator & Series Information
Kode's Quest(ion) is one book in The Seven Teachings Stories series. The Seven Teachings of the Anishinaabe—love, wisdom, humility, courage, respect, honesty, and truth—are revealed in seven stories for children. Set in urban landscapes, Indigenous children tell familiar stories about home, school, and community.

This book is also available in French: La quête de Kode : Une histoire sur le respect

Additional Information
24 pages | 6.00" x 8.00"

Misaabe tells great stories – about trolls, and x-ray glasses, and secret agents, and his super-exciting life. But is real life so bad?

Educator Information
Misaabe's Stories is part of the series The Seven Teaching Stories. The Seven Teachings of the Anishinaabe—love, wisdom, humility, courage, respect, honesty, and truth—are revealed in seven stories for children. Set in urban landscapes, Indigenous children tell familiar stories about home, school, and community.

This resource is also available in French: Les Histoires de Misaabe: Une histoire sur l'honnetete

Additional Information
24 pages | 6.00" x 8.00"

Thousands of years ago in the village of Kitkatla, four hunters leave home in the spring to harvest seaweed and sockeye. When they arrive at their fishing grounds, exhaustion makes them lazy and they throw their anchor overboard without care for the damage it might do to marine life or the sea floor.

When Orca Chief discovers what the hunters have done, he sends his most powerful orca warriors to bring the men and their boat to his house. The men beg forgiveness for their ignorance and lack of respect, and Orca Chief compassionately sends them out with his pod to show them how to sustainably harvest the ocean’s resources.

Accompanied by almost exclusively new illustrations by Roy Henry Vickers, this next installment of the Northwest Coast Legends will captivate readers young and old with its vivid imagery and remarkable storytelling.

Educator & Series Information
Orca Chief is the third in a series of Northwest Coast legends by Roy Henry Vickers and Robert Budd.

Other books in this series include:
Raven Brings the Light
Cloudwalker
Orca Chief
Peace Dancer 

Recommended for ages 3 to 6.

Additional Information
40 pages | 12.00" x 8.25"

Ma'iingan knows she is a very good singer. Conflict erupts when her little sister wants to sing just like her.

Singing Sisters is one book in The Seven Teachings Stories series. The Seven Teachings of the Anishinaabe—love, wisdom, humility, courage, respect, honesty, and truth—are revealed in seven stories for children. Set in urban landscapes, Indigenous children tell familiar stories about home, school, and community.

Educator & Series Information
This book is part of The Seven Teachings Stories series, which are inspired by the Seven Sacred Teachings of the Anishinaabe—love, wisdom, humility, courage, respect, honesty, and truth. These stories are set in urban landscapes, where Indigenous children tell familiar stories about home, school, and community.

This resource is also available in French: Deux soeurs en harmonie : Une histoire sur l'humilité

Additional Information
24 pages | 6.00" x 8.00"

In this introduction to the Anishinaabe tradition of totem animals, young children explain why they identify with different creatures such as a deer, beaver or moose. Delightful illustrations show the children wearing masks representing their chosen animal, while the few lines of text on each page work as a series of simple poems throughout the book.

In a brief author’s note, Danielle Daniel explains the importance of totem animals in Anishinaabe culture and how they can also act as animal guides for young children seeking to understand themselves and others.

Reviews
"Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox is a story that introduces young readers to the Anishinaabe tradition of totem animals. It encourages young readers to identify with different creatures. The poem that flows throughout the book demonstrates that we all have something special within all of us." - The Dalai Lama Center

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for Grades K-2 for these subject areas: Art Education, Visual Arts, English Language Arts, Science, Social Studies.

This resource is also available in French: Parfois je suis un renard

This book is part of the Sometimes I Feel Like series.

Additional Information
40 pages | 8.25" x 10.00"

Makwa has to go to a new school … and he doesn’t want to. How will he face his first day?

Educator & Series Information
The First Day is a book in the series The Seven Teachings Stories. The Seven Teachings of the Anishinaabe—love, wisdom, humility, courage, respect, honesty, and truth—are revealed in seven stories for children. Set in urban landscapes, Indigenous children tell familiar stories about home, school, and community.

This resource is also available in French: Le Premier jour: Une histoire sur le courage

Selected for inclusion in the Spring 2015 edition of Best Books for Kids & Teens (BBKT) by the Canadian Children's Book Centre.

Additional Information
24 pages | 6.00" x 8.00"

Selected for inclusion in the Spring 2015 edition of Best Books for Kids & Teens (BBKT) by the Canadian Children's Book Centre.

Migisi loves his Gookom. Can he find the perfect gift to show her how much?

Educator & Series Information
The Just Right Gift is one book in The Seven Teachings Stories series. The Seven Teachings of the Anishinaabe—love, wisdom, humility, courage, respect, honesty, and truth—are revealed in seven stories for children. Set in urban landscapes, Indigenous children tell familiar stories about home, school, and community.

This resource is also available in French: Le cadeau parfait : Une histoire sur l'amour 

Additional Information
24 pages | 6.00" x 8.00"

Three young men—Flinch, Bryce, and Rupert—have vandalized their community and are sent by its Elders to live nine months on the land as part of the circle sentencing process. There, the young men learn to take responsibility for their actions and acquire the humility required to return home. But, when they do return, will they be forgiven for what they’ve done?

Three Feathers explores the power and grace of restorative justice in one Northern community and the cultural legacy that can empower future generations.

Three Feathers is the third title in The Debwe Series. Created in the spirit of the Anishinaabe concept debwe (to speak the truth), The Debwe Series is a collection of exceptional Aboriginal writings from across Canada.

Reviews
"Three Feathers is a graphic novel illustrated by stark, black and white images. Many of the frames have no captioning, inviting the reader to intuit the narrative. K. Mateus, the illustrator, makes imaginative use of Aboriginal symbols and motifs in this 48 page book; when Gabe is attacked, demonic figures shadow the background, and when Bryce rails at the members of the community sentencing circle, the image of an angry wildcat snarls behind him." - CM Magazine

Educator & Series Information
Grades 10-12 BC English First Peoples Resource for units on Childhood and Place-Conscious Learning.

Recommended for grades 9 to 12.

This book is part of The Debwe Series, which features exceptional Indigenous writings from across Canada.

This book is available in French: Trois Plumes

Additional Information
48 pages | 6.50" x 10.00"

Miskwaadesi is puzzled about the teaching Truth. But she knows more than she thinks she does.

Educator Information
What is Truth, Betsy? is a part of the series The Seven Teachings Stories. The Seven Teachings of the Anishinaabe—love, wisdom, humility, courage, respect, honesty, and truth—are revealed in seven stories for children. Set in urban landscapes, Indigenous children tell familiar stories about home, school, and community.

Recommended for ages 4 to 8.

This resource is also available in French: Qu'est-ce que la verite, Betsy ?: Une histoire sur la vérité 

Additional Information
24 pages | 6.00" x 8.00"

BUMP, BUMP - SLAP, river sockeye salmon are pulled onto shore!
Set in the beautiful landscape of the Cariboo Chilcotin region, DIPNETTING WITH DAD is a delightful and colourful story of a father teaching his son the Secwepemc method of fishing known as dipnetting. Together they visit the sweat lodge, mend the nets, select the best fishing spot and catch and pack their fish through rugged bush back to the family home for traditional preparation. In his first book, Williams Lake Indian Band member Willie Sellars captures family values, the importance of storytelling, community living and coming of age in one of BC's oldest cultures. Debut artist Kevin Easthope's contemporary and dynamic illustrations bring the characters to life as they jump off the page and pull you into their world.

Additional Information
48 pages | 9.84" x 8.58"

Stanley Park, Vancouver, September 2014. A fourteen-foot bronze-cast cedar sculpture is being erected. Dignitaries from all levels of government are present, including leaders of the Coast Salish First Nations and representatives from Portugal's Azores Islands. Luke Marston, carver/artist, supervises as his three-year project is revealed to the world.

The sculpture--titled Shore to Shore--depicts Luke's great-great-grandparents, Portuguese Joe Silvey, one of BC's most colourful pioneers, and Kwatleematt (Lucy), a Sechelt First Nation matriarch and Silvey's second wife. Silvey and Kwatleematt are flanked by Khaltinaht, Silvey's first wife, a noblewoman from the Musqueam and Squamish First Nations. The trio are surrounded by the tools of Silvey's trade: seine nets, whaling harpoons, and the Pacific coast salmon that helped the family thrive in the early industries of BC. The sculpture references the multicultural relationships that are at the foundation of BC, while also showcasing the talents of one of Canada's finest contemporary First Nations carvers.

Combining interviews, research and creative non-fiction narration, author Suzanne Fournier recounts Marston's career, from his early beginnings carving totems for the public at the Royal BC Museum, to his study under Haida artist Robert Davidson and jewellery master Valentin Yotkov, to his visits to both his ancestral homes: Reid Island and the Portuguese Azores island of Pico--journeys which provided inspiration for the Shore to Shore statue.

Educator Information
Recommended in the Canadian Indigenous Books for Schools 2015/2016 resource list for grades 7 to 12 for comparative civilizations, English language arts, photography, social studies, and visual arts. 

Additional Information
128 pages | 8.00" x 10.00"