First Nations

16 - 30 of 342 Results;
Sort By
Go To   of 23
>
>
Authentic Canadian Content
Authentic Indigenous Text
Gino: The Fighting Spirit of Gino Odjick
$36.00
Quantity:
Format: Hardcover
Reading Level: N/A
ISBN / Barcode: 9781778402708

Synopsis:

From veteran hockey reporter Patrick Johnston and Gino’s longtime friend Peter Leech comes the authorized biography of Gino Odjick.

In the 1980s and ’90s, National Hockey League games were very different from the nimble, skill-focused displays we see today. One of the greatest differences—and one of the sport’s more popular facets at the time—was the widespread presence of “enforcers”: hulking, battle-scarred players whose main task was to police the sport by chasing down and brawling with opponents who had broken unwritten codes determining which aspects of violence counted as dishonorable or unjustified.

When hard-hitting Vancouver Canucks player Gino Odjick emerged in the early 1990s, he quickly became one of the game’s most feared enforcers and revered teammates, a sign of a new era for the team, racking up 296 penalty minutes in the 45 games he played in his rookie season. Hailing from Kitigan Zibi, an Algonquin community near Maniwaki, Quebec, Gino was one of the few Indigenous players in the NHL at the time. But it was Gino’s ferocious play contrasted by his genuinely affable and openhearted personality off the ice that won him a special place in the hearts of Canucks supporters.

Yet legends often obscure the human stories behind them. Patrick Johnston and Peter Leech look beyond Gino’s legendary persona, drawing on insights from family members, friends, and teammates to recount Gino’s early years in a loving household that was always ready to welcome foster children. Gino’s father, Joe, had suffered the lonely traumas of the residential school system, and the experience had instilled a commitment in the family to those who were less fortunate.

The book also details Gino’s eventual struggles with alcohol abuse, and how he responded by taking on the role of empathetic mentor to young Indigenous people, travelling from community to community to hear their stories and offer hope. He never wavered in this role, even as he confronted serious illnesses, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and the rare blood disorder that he survived for years longer than expected, but that eventually led to his death at age fifty-two.

Gino is a moving tribute to a beloved hockey legend.

Reviews
"Gino was the greatest teammate; he had such a huge heart and knew his role better than anyone in the league. Gino loved being a Vancouver Canuck and gave back to the community in so many ways. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and fans. This book will give people insight into his remarkable life."—Geoff Courtnall

“Gino provides a compelling account of the life of a beloved Vancouver Canuck. From his humble beginnings in Quebec to NHL stardom and beyond, Odjick was dedicated to the well-being of teammates and the Indigenous community. This is an excellent tribute to an exceptional man.”—Randi Druzin, author of Between the Pipes and Behind the Mask

Additional Information
288 pages | 6.00" x 9.00" | b&w insert | Hardcover 

Authentic Canadian Content
In the Footsteps of the Traveller: The Astronomy of Northern Dene
$34.95
Quantity:
Authors:
Format: Paperback
Grade Levels: 12; University/College;
ISBN / Barcode: 9781772840988

Synopsis:

Teachings from the stars

Much more than stories about the sky, Indigenous astronomies provide powerful, centuries-old models of knowing, being, and relating to the world. Through collaboration with more than sixty-five Dene Elders and culture bearers across thirty-four communities in Alaska and Canada, In the Footsteps of the Traveller reveals the significance of the stars to Northern Dene life, language, and culture.

At the centre of these knowledge systems is the Traveller, a being who journeyed around the world in Ancient Time before incarnating among the stars. The Traveller constellation is a teacher, a gamekeeper, a guardian, and a practical guide for wayfinding. The Traveller, together with a host of other celestial and atmospheric phenomena like thunder and the northern lights, bridges the divide between earth and sky, instilling balance and instructing people on how to live with each other and their environments.

This study combines interviews, stunning photographs and detailed illustrations of the northern night sky, author Chris M. Cannon's own experiential learning, and a foreword from Chief Fred Sangris of Yellowknives Dene First Nation. Rooted in years of collaborative fieldwork, In the Footsteps of the Traveller leads the way to deeper understandings of Northern Dene astronomical knowledge.

Reviews
"In the Footsteps of the Traveller is a ground-breaking book. Cannon's authoritative treatise of Dene knowledge of the stars is unique and exemplary, redefining the field by linking the basic ethos of Dene life to a meticulously documented body of shared but threatened knowledge. Detailed and precise, the book innovates by showing how knowledge-of how to live with other people, with animals, with nature-is encoded in astronomical and aerial phenomena."— Guy Lanoue

"Chris Cannon's contribution to the subject of Dene astronomy stands alone. Many authors have referred to Dene knowledge of the stars but no one has gone into such detail or pulled the topic together in such a comprehensive manner."— William Simeone

"Impressive and thorough in both its astronomical and linguistic dimensions, Cannon's solid scholarship illuminates Northern Dene cosmology while promoting a greater appreciation of Dene history, traditions, and knowledge systems. Germinal studies of this breadth are only made possible through lengthy and respectful cooperation between the researcher and Indigenous knowledge holders. The author's engaging story of his travels and collaborations with his Dene teachers-an immersive process lasting some fourteen years-convincingly demonstrates this point, infusing the narrative with a vital personal component."— John MacDonald

Educator Information
Table of Contents

List of Illustrations
Foreword by Chief Fred Sangris
Acknowledgements

Introduction
The Northern Dene
A Note on Dene Orthographies

1. The Traveller Constellation Part I
The Gwich’in Constellation Yahdii
The Ahtna Constellation Nek'eltaeni
The Lower Tanana Constellation Nogheyoli
The Sahtúot’ı̨nę Constellation Yíhda or Yámǫréya

2. The Traveller Constellation Part II
The Tanacross Constellation Neek'e'elteen
The Upper Tanana Constellation Yihda or Nek'e'eltiin
The Yellowknives Dene Constellation Yèhdaa or Yı̀da
The Koyukon Constellation Ghededzuyhdle or Naagheltaale
The Upper Kuskokwim Constellation Noghiltale
The Dëne Sułiné Constellation Yéhda or Yeda
The Dena’ina Constellation Yuq'eltaeni or Naq'eltaeni
Supporting Evidence from the Literature

3. Stellar Time-Reckoning, Weather Forecasting, and Wayfinding
Divisions of Time
Stellar Time-Reckoning
Introduction to Northern Dene Stellar Wayfinding
Yellowknives Dene Stellar Wayfinding
Gwich'in Stellar Wayfinding
Stellar Wayfinding Discussion
Stars and Planets in Weather Forecasting

4. The Sun, Moon, and Eclipses
The Sun
The Moon
Eclipses

5. Beings of the Atmosphere Part I
Northern Lights
Meteors
Halo Phenomena

6. Beings of the Atmosphere Part II
Rainbows
Thunderbirds
Deterring Unfavourable Weather
Colours of the Sky

7. Knowing, Being, and Relating

Appendix A: Northern Dene Names for the Traveller
Appendix B: The Cosmic Hunt in Northern Dene Cultures
Notes
Bibliography
Index

Additional Information
448 pages | 6.00" x 9.00" | 57 colour illustrations, 4 maps, index, bibliography | Paperback 

Authentic Canadian Content
Authentic Indigenous Text
Indigenous Rights in One Minute: What You Need to Know to Talk Reconciliation
$22.95
Quantity:
Format: Paperback
Text Content Territories: Indigenous Canadian;
Reading Level: N/A
ISBN / Barcode: 9780889714885

Synopsis:

Internationally renowned as an expert in Aboriginal law and an advocate for Indigenous rights, Bruce McIvor delivers concise, essential information for Canadians committed to truth and reconciliation.

A shortage of trustworthy information continues to frustrate Canadians with best intentions to fulfill Canada’s commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. To meet this demand, lawyer and historian Bruce McIvor provides concise, plain answers to 100 essential questions being asked by Canadians across the country.

During his nearly three decades advocating for Indigenous rights and teaching Aboriginal law, McIvor has recorded the fundamental questions that Canadians from all corners of society have asked to advance reconciliation: Why do Indigenous people have special rights? What is the Doctrine of Discovery? Who are the Métis? Why was the Calder decision important? What is reconciliation? McIvor supplies the answers Canadians are looking for by scrapping the technical language that confuses the issues, and speaks directly to everyone looking for straight answers. Throughout, McIvor shares his perspective on why reconciliation as envisioned by the courts and Canadian governments frustrates Indigenous people and what needs to change to overcome the impasse. McIvor’s explanations of complex legal issues demonstrate a unique mix of a deep knowledge of the law, the ability to write clearly and concisely, practical experience from the frontlines of advocating for First Nations in courtrooms and at negotiation tables across the country, and a profound passion for justice rooted in his work and personal history.

To ensure the country’s reconciliation project progresses from rhetoric to reality, ordinary Canadians need straightforward answers to fundamental questions. McIvor provides the answers and context to support a thoughtful and respectful national conversation about reconciliation and the fulfillment of Canada’s commitment to a better future for Indigenous people.

Additional Information
208 pages | 5.50" x 8.50" | 25 colour and b&w photographs | Paperback

Authentic Canadian Content
Authentic Indigenous Text
Medicine Wheel for the Planet: A Journey toward Personal and Ecological Healing (PB)
$23.00
Quantity:
Format: Paperback
Reading Level: N/A
ISBN / Barcode: 9781039006034

Synopsis:

"This beautiful book can completely change how we approach science, using both Indigenous and Western perspectives, and how we can work collaboratively to help foster balance in nature." —Suzanne Simard, bestselling author of Finding the Mother Tree

For readers of Braiding Sweetgrass: Future-saving insights and approaches to science and ecology using both Indigenous and Western perspectives.

A farm kid at heart, and a Nlaka'pamux woman of mixed ancestry, Dr. Jennifer Grenz always felt a deep connection to the land. However, after nearly two decades of working as a restoration ecologist in the Pacific Northwest, she became frustrated that despite the best efforts of her colleagues and numerous volunteers, they weren't making the meaningful change needed for plant, animal and human communities to adapt to a warming climate. Restoration ecology is grounded in an idea that we must return the natural world to an untouched, pristine state, placing humans in a godlike role—a notion at odds with Indigenous histories of purposeful, reciprocal interaction with the environment. This disconnect sent Dr. Grenz on a personal journey of joining her head (Western science) and her heart (Indigenous worldview) to find a truer path toward ecological healing.

In Medicine Wheel for the Planet, building on sacred stories, field observations and her own journey, Dr. Grenz invites readers to share in the teachings of the four directions of the medicine wheel: the North, which draws upon the knowledge and wisdom of elders; the East, where we let go of colonial narratives and see with fresh eyes; the South, where we apply new-old worldviews to envision a way forward; and the West, where a relational approach to land reconciliation is realized.

Eloquent, inspiring and disruptive, Medicine Wheel for the Planet circles toward an argument that we need more than a singular worldview to protect the planet and make the significant changes we are running out of time for.

Reviews
"Grenz shares her ancestral Nlaka'pamux wisdom that respect, relationship and reciprocity with all life is essential in healing the land. In telling her stories, she demonstrates how these fundamental principles underlie the good work. She also teaches us that our ability to understand nature and our success at stewardship requires that we lead with our hearts and keep our beginner’s curiosity open. When we do this, we have unlimited capacity to heal. This beautiful book can completely change how we approach science, using both Indigenous and Western perspectives, and how we can work collaboratively to help foster balance in nature.” —Suzanne Simard, author of Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest

“Rooted in both Indigenous and Western ways of understanding and doing science, Medicine Wheel for the Planet challenges the simplistic, dichotomous thinking that has led well-meaning environmentalists astray for too long. In a book that is part primer in ecology, part memoir, and part manifesto, Jennifer Grenz movingly shares her own process of learning and unlearning, of connecting with traditional knowledge and practices to help unearth future-saving insights and approaches — and by doing so, generously invites the reader to undertake a similar transformation. Wise, humble, provocative, brave, and beautifully written, this book is a triumph. Read it and let it alter and expand how you see the world and your place and role within it." —Astra Taylor, author of The Age of Insecurity: Coming Together as Things Fall Apart

“Deeply moving and compelling, Medicine Wheel for the Planet weaves a powerful story about the limitations of restoration ecology and a Western lens, and illuminates a path forward using the power of Indigenous and reciprocal ways of being. An imperative read for all Canadians.” —Angela Sterritt, author of Unbroken: My Fight for Survival, Hope, and Justice for Indigenous Women and Girls

“In this thoughtful and heartfelt book, Dr. Grenz challenges us to reflect on how – despite the massive contributions of Western science – we humans are impacting the Earth and all life on our planet in problematic ways, most recently evident in the ongoing global climate crisis. Guiding us through the medicine wheel concept, she illuminates the deep experiences of the First Peoples, often conveyed through stories, that can inspire us to be better relatives, reminding us to focus our time and energy on healing the Earth. This is a revelatory, immersive work that illustrates, with respect and gratitude, the meaningful role that all systems of knowledge play in connecting ‘our heads and our hearts’ for a healthier planet.” —Nancy J. Turner, Distinguished Emeritus Professor in Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, author/editor of many books including The Earth’s Blanket, Member of the Order of Canada, the Order of British Columbia and winner of Canadian Botanical Association Lawson Medal

Medicine Wheel for the Planet transported me gently into the dynamic world of plants and trees and offers a powerful viewing lens—one derived from Indigenous storytelling as well as from Western science. Dr. Grenz helped me to see research methods through a more holistic perspective, and skilfully shows what science could accomplish if untangled from the rigid rules of our dominant culture. With patience and humility, she convinced me that if we take the time to look and listen differently, the land will offer us crucial lessons in healing that would otherwise be left unseen and unheard.” —Dr. Jane Philpott, author of Health for All: A Doctor's Prescription for a Healthier Canada

Educator Information
This book is available in French: La roue de médecine: Un nouveau récit pour guérir la planète

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

Authentic Canadian Content
Authentic Indigenous Text
Nishga: Kanata Classics Edition
$22.00
Quantity:
Format: Paperback
Text Content Territories: Indigenous Canadian; First Nations; Nisga'a;
Reading Level: N/A
ISBN / Barcode: 9780771023491

Synopsis:

Part of the inaugural Kanata Classics list, with a new introduction by David Chariandy, NISHGA is a groundbreaking, deeply personal, and devastating autobiographical meditation that attempts to address the complicated legacies of Canada’s residential school system and contemporary Indigenous existence.

As a Nisga'a writer, Jordan Abel often finds himself in a position where he is asked to explain his relationship to Nisga'a language, Nisga'a community, and Nisga'a cultural knowledge. However, as an intergenerational survivor of residential school--both of his grandparents attended the same residential school--his relationship to his own Indigenous identity is complicated to say the least.

NISHGA explores those complications and is invested in understanding how the colonial violence originating at the Coqualeetza Indian Residential School impacted his grandparents' generation, then his father's generation, and ultimately his own. The project is rooted in a desire to illuminate the realities of intergenerational survivors of residential school, but sheds light on Indigenous experiences that may not seem to be immediately (or inherently) Indigenous.

Drawing on autobiography and a series of interconnected documents (including pieces of memoir, transcriptions of talks, and photography), NISHGA is a book about confronting difficult truths and it is about how both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples engage with a history of colonial violence that is quite often rendered invisible.

Reviews
“With NISHGA, Jordan Abel has reinvented the memoir, incorporating personal anecdotes, archival footage, legal documentation, photos and concrete poetry to create an unforgettable portrait of an Indigenous artist trying to find his place in a world that insists Indigeneity can only ever be the things that he is not. Abel deftly shows us the devastating impact this gate-keeping has had on those who, through no decisions of their own, have been ripped from our communities and forced to claw their way back home, or to a semblance of home, often unassisted. This is a brave, vulnerable, brilliant work that will change the face of nonfiction, as well as the conversations around what constitutes Indigenous identity. It's a work I will return to again and again.” —Alicia Elliott, author of A Mind Spread Out on the Ground

“In NISHGA, Jordan Abel puts to use the documentary impulse that has already established him as an artist of inimitable methodological flair. By way of a mixture of testimonial vignettes, recordings of academic talks, found text/art, and visual art/concrete poetry, Abel sculpts a narrative of dislocation and self-examination that pressurizes received notions of “Canada” and “history” and “art” and “literature” and “belonging” and “forgiveness.” Yes, it is a book of that magnitude, of that enormity and power. By its Afterword, NISHGA adds up to a work of personal and national reckoning that is by turns heartbreaking and scathing.” —Billy-Ray Belcourt, author of NDN Coping Mechanisms and A History of My Brief Body

"This is a heart-shattering read, and will also be a blanket for others looking for home. NISHGA is a work of absolute courage and vulnerability. I am in complete awe of the sorrow here and the bravery. Mahsi cho, Jordan.” —Richard Van Camp, author of Moccasin Square Gardens

“Jordan Abel digs deeply into the questions we should all be asking. Questions that need no explanation but ones that require us to crawl back into our bones, back into the marrow of our understanding. NISHGA is a ceremony where we need to be silent. Where we need to listen.” —Gregory Scofield, author of Witness, I Am

Educator & Series Information
This edition of Nishga is part of the Kanata Classics series, which celebrates timeless books that reflect the rich and diverse range of voices in Canadian literature. 

Additional Information
304 pages | 5.54" x 8.26" | Paperback

Authentic Canadian Content
Authentic Indigenous Text
One Arrow Left: The Memoir of Secwepemc Knowledge Keeper
$26.00
Quantity:
Format: Paperback
Reading Level: N/A
ISBN / Barcode: 9781773861586

Synopsis:

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.

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

 

Authentic Canadian Content
Authentic Indigenous Text
Ravens Talking: Indigenous Feminist Legal Studies
$36.95
Format: Paperback
Reading Level: N/A
ISBN / Barcode: 9781487551476

Synopsis:

While awareness of the sexual and gendered colonial violence faced by Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people has grown, the field of Indigenous law and beyond has yet to fully engage with Indigenous feminisms, gender, and sexuality in a sustained way. Ravens Talking challenges this gap, treating Indigenous feminisms as essential, insightful, and deeply transformative.

Through critical feminist analyses, this book examines key issues in Indigenous law, demonstrating how legal understandings shift when gender is consistently, meaningfully, and creatively engaged. The contributors to this collection confront the forms of power shaping these essential conversations and bring to the fore intergenerational Indigenous feminisms; Indigenous law and gender; the forms of expression and translation between and across legal and political worlds; and the rich array of disagreements and conflicts between Indigenous women. Ravens Talking intends to capture the complexities arising from Indigenous feminisms in living contexts to provoke questions and develop critical perspectives.

Both intellectually rigorous and practically grounded, Ravens Talking is a vital contribution encouraging dialogue on Indigenous legal traditions, justice, and sovereignty.

Educator Information
Chapters
1. Indigenous Women Talking: The Work of Indigenous Feminisms in the World
2. Introduction: Indigenous Feminist Legal Studies
3. Nêhiyaw Ceremony, Gendered Protocols, and Nêhiyaw Law
4. Understanding Indigenous Womxn’s Economic Sovereignty through Story
5. Giving Voice to Jigonsaseh: A Feminine Perspective on the Haudenosaunee Legal Order
6. What if Survivors Wrote the Laws? An Indigenous Feminist Audit of Tribal Sexual Assault in the United States
7. Deliberating Feminist Legal Strategies in R v Barton
8. Visualizing Violence Against Indigenous Women: Documentary Film as Disruption in Finding Dawn and American Outrage
9. Sovereign Refusals: Spending Time with Apak in the Journals of Knud Rasmussen
10. Thoughts and Questions and Questions

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

Authentic Canadian Content
Authentic Indigenous Text
Reading and Writing Bush Cree: The Mini Guide for Northern Y Dialect
$34.95
Quantity:
Format: Paperback
Reading Level: N/A
ISBN / Barcode: 9781550599855

Synopsis:

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 

Authentic Canadian Content
Authentic Indigenous Text
Reconciling: A Lifelong Struggle to Belong
$26.95
Quantity:
Format: Paperback
Reading Level: N/A
ISBN / Barcode: 9781770417984

Synopsis:

A celebration and in-depth exploration of Canada’s West Coast through an Indigenous and immigrant lens, Reconciling weaves together personal tales and tough histories for guiding steps toward true understanding.

A personal and historical story of identity, place, and belonging from a Musqueam-Chinese Elder caught between cultures.

It’s taken most of Larry Grant’s long life for his extraordinary heritage to be appreciated. He was born in a hop field outside Vancouver in 1936, the son of a Musqueam cultural leader and an immigrant from a village in Guangdong, China. In 1940, when the Indian agent discovered that their mother had married a non-status man, Larry and his two siblings were stripped of their status, suddenly labeled “bastard children.” With one stroke of the pen, they were no longer recognized as Indigenous.

In Reconciling, Larry tells the story of his life, including his thoughts on reconciliation and the path forward for First Nations and Canada. His life echoes the barely known story of Vancouver — and most cities in the Americas, from Cusco to Mexico City, from New York to Toronto. It combines Indigenous traditions with key events of the last two centuries, including Chinese immigration and the Head Tax, the ravages of residential schools, and now Indigenous revival and the accompanying change in worldview. Each chapter takes the form of a series of conversations between Larry and writer Scott Steedman and is built around one pivotal geographical place and its themes, including the Musqueam reserve, Chinatown, the site of the Mission Residential School, the Vancouver docks, and the University of British Columbia.

When Larry talks about reconciliation, he uses the verb reconciling, an ongoing, unfinished process we’re all going through, Indigenous and settler, immigrant and Canadian-born. “I have been reconciling my whole life, with my inner self,” he explains. “To not belong was forced upon me by the colonial society that surrounded me. But reconciling with myself is part of all that.”

Reviews
“Musqueam Elder Larry Grant’s intimate eyewitness accounts of huge changes in the region’s landscape and its evolving relationship with his people are a must-read for people who want to join Canada’s journey towards reconciliation.” — Paul Yee, author of Saltwater City

“Conversing with the ideal listener, the inquisitive, sensitive journalist Scott Steedman, Larry Grant speaks unflinchingly of his dual heritages and how, for most of his life, he had to suppress one or another or both. Steedman presents Grant’s spoken prose with pristine clarity, and so governmental crimes and real-estate wrongs are laid bare, and unbearable is our outrage, but necessary is our courage to rectify and reconcile.” — George Elliott Clarke, author of Where Beauty Survived: An Africadian Memoir

“Larry Grant’s conversational memoir is a poignant and honest recollection of identity politics as well as a meditation on bearing witness and surviving ecological and cultural displacement. His wise words invite you to reflect on how all of us can better reconcile with the past, present, and future and how we can never escape the fact that everything in this world is connected.” — Donna Seto, author of Chinatown Vancouver: An Illustrated History

Additional Information
232 pages | 5.50" x 8.50" | 16 black and white halftones; bibliography; table of contents | Paperback

Authentic Canadian Content
Authentic Indigenous Text
REDress: Art, Action, and the Power of Presence
$38.00
Quantity:
Authors:
KC Adams (Indigenous Canadian; First Nations; Anishinaabeg; Ojibway; Cree (Nehiyawak);)
Mackenzie Anderson Linklater (Indigenous Canadian; First Nations; Anishinaabeg; Ojibway; Roseau River First Nation ;)
Marjorie Beaucage (Indigenous Canadian; Métis;)
ShowShow More ...
Format: Paperback
Text Content Territories: Indigenous Canadian; First Nations; Inuit; Métis;
Grade Levels: 11; 12;
ISBN / Barcode: 9781774921388

Synopsis:

A powerful anthology uniting the voices of Indigenous women, Elders, grassroots community activists, artists, academics, and family members affected by the tragedy of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit people from across Turtle Island.

In 2010, Métis artist Jaime Black-Morsette created the REDress Project—an art installation consisting of placing red dresses in public spaces as a call for justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit people (MMIWG2S). Symbolizing both absence and presence, the red dresses ignite a reclamation of voice and place for MMIWG2S. Fifteen years later, the symbol of the empty red dress endures as families continue to call for action.

In this anthology, Jaime Black-Morsette shares her own intimate stories and memories of the REDress Project along with the voices of Indigenous women, Elders, grassroots community activists, artists, academics, and family members affected by this tragedy. Together they use the power of their collective voice to not only call for justice for MMIWG2S, but honour Indigenous women as keepers and protectors of land, culture, and community across Turtle Island.

Reviews
REDress is a must-read for anyone who seeks to truly understand the hearts of those most impacted by MMIWG2S. For allies and interested citizens, this anthology shows how Canada emboldened and fostered a society to inflict genocide against Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirited and transgendered relatives.”—Sheila North, Former Grand Chief, Creator of hashtag #MMIW, Mother and Kookom

REDress is a love offering to MMIWG2S and those who are intimately impacted by this epidemic.”—Cathy Mattes, curator, writer, and Associate Professor in History of Art at the University of Winnipeg

"This is a moving look at how women in indigenous communities are using art and activism to keep the the issue at the forefront, despite the lack of progress in solving or preventing the crimes.... A content warning signals that the book contains language concerning violence against women. I’d offer this to activist artists or anyone interested in justice for indigenous communities, in high school and up." - Youth Services Book Review - Stephanie Tournas, Retired librarian, Cambridge, MA 

Educator Information
Content Warning:
This book's content deals with violence against Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people; genocide; death; intergenerational trauma; suicide; and residential schools. 

Big Ideas: Diverse and Inclusive Representation: Identity; Land-Based or Place-Based Learning; Social-Emotional Learning: Death, Grief, Bereavement; Social-Emotional Learning: Self Expression, Creative Writing, Art; Social Justice: Citizenship and Social Responsibility; Social Justice: Impacts of Colonization and Colonialism; Social Justice: MMIWG2S; Social Justice: Prejudice and Racism.

Edited by: Jaime Black-Morsette

Contributions by: KC Adams, Mackenzie Anderson Linklater, Marjorie Beaucage, Christi Belcourt, Judy Da Silva,  Karine Duhamel, Deantha Edmunds, Cambria Harris, Jaimie Isaac, Casey Koyczan, Crystal Lepscier, Lee-Ann Martin, Diane Maytwayashing, Cathy Merrick, Sherry Farrell Racette, Gladys Radek, Zoey Roy, Jennifer Lee Smith, and Patti Beardy.

Additional Information
168 pages | 7.00" x 10.00" | Paperback

Authentic Canadian Content
Authentic Indigenous Text
Renewal: Indigenous Perspectives on Land-Based Education In and Beyond the Classroom
$37.00
Quantity:
Format: Paperback
Text Content Territories: Indigenous Canadian;
Grade Levels: Kindergarten; 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10; 11; 12;
ISBN / Barcode: 9781774921678

Synopsis:

A guide that provides ideas and action steps for bringing Indigenous perspectives and philosophies of land-based learning into professional practice, in the classroom and beyond.

Renewal, the second book in the Footbridge series, guides K–12 educators in bringing Indigenous voices and the philosophy, principles, and practices of Indigenous land-based education into their teaching. This text encourages educators to:

  • respectfully renew their own relationships with land directly engage students with the land, no matter where they are located
  • guide students in learning through observation, listening, and discussion and to take action in response
  • honour diverse ways of knowing and being
  • understand historic injustices and engage with the contemporary Land Back movement

Through critical engagement with diverse written and visual works created by Indigenous leaders, land defenders, scholars, and Knowledge Keepers, experienced educators Christine M'Lot and Katya Adamov Ferguson support readers in connecting with Indigenous perspectives on land and water. They offer guidance on bringing Indigenous works into the classroom, including concrete ways to facilitate discussions around land-based topics, advice for land-based activities, and suggestions for how students can engage with these topics through inquiry learning.

In this resource, you will find:

  • prompts for individual reflection and group discussion
  • valuable concepts and methods that can be applied in the classroom and beyond
  • practical action steps and resources for educators, parents, librarians, and administrators

Use this book as a springboard for your own learning journey or as a lively prompt for dialogue within your professional learning community.

Reviews
"Renewal lays out a simple and practical approach to land-based education. It works from the premise that land-based education is not simply “taking the classroom outside,” but is about "education on the land, about the land, and from the land.” The spiritual foundation of earth-based cultures is about living in your place as one small, equal part of the land (land being the entirety of air, earth, water, living beings, and spirits), a foundation common to most Indigenous cultures on this planet. I hope that others adopt it in their journey to become more holistic educators and maybe even make a positive difference in shaping how we humans interact with the land." — Dr. Garry Merkel, Director, Centre of Indigenous Land Stewardship, The University of British Columbia

Educator & Series Information
For use with grades K to 12.

This book is part of The Footbridge Series. This series aims to bridge curricular outcomes with Indigenous-centered content and perspectives from across Turtle Island. Like a footbridge, this series is intended to provide a path between Indigenous worldviews and the classroom, engaging differences, including tensions, and highlighting the importance of balance, all while helping teachers integrate Indigenous perspectives into multiple disciplines within the K-12 education system. 

Contributions by Nicki Ferland, Peatr Thomas, Tyna Legault Taylor, Shannon Webb-Campbell, Tasha Beeds, Sonny Assu, Shalan Joudry, Tricia Logan, Dakota Bear, Shirli Ewanchuk, Dan Henhawk, Réal Carrière, Hetxw'ms Gyetxw Brett D. Huson, Reanna McKay (Merasty)

Photographs by Inuksaq Angotingoar, Makayla Aupaluktuq, Brendan Kingilik, Carina Kingilik, Kyle Lareau, Quin Mikkungwak, Narkyagik, Kaylee Rumbolt, Marissa Scottie, Nathan Snow, Connor Tagoona-Niego, Koen Tapatai, and Shelly Tunguaq

Additional Information
224 pages | 7.00" x 10.00" | Paperback

Authentic Canadian Content
Authentic Indigenous Text
Restorying Your Story
$20.99
Quantity:
Format: Paperback
Reading Level: N/A
ISBN / Barcode: 9781778540745

Synopsis:

The stories we tell ourselves about our lives matter. How we make sense of the past affects how we make sense of the present— it can mean the difference between continuing patterns of harm and being the one to break the cycle. Scholar and author Michael Gauthier knows this struggle intimately. As a young Indigenous man grappling with the lasting effects of colonialism and intergenerational trauma, Michael turned to addiction to ease the pain and found himself in the prison system. In the intervening years, Michael has worked to understand how Indigenous people can find empowerment through the act of restorying their own lives. Gauthier draws on his PhD research in which he carried out Restorying circles using the Medicine Wheel as a guide to help formerly incarcerated Indigenous men map a new future by looking to their past. Now in Restorying Your Story, Gauthier invites readers to explore the universal application of restorying, and how it can be a powerful tool for all of us to build a good life.

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

Authentic Canadian Content
Authentic Indigenous Text
Authentic Indigenous Artwork
Seeds are for Sharing: Reclaiming Spirit
$20.99
Quantity:
Format: Paperback
Reading Level: N/A
ISBN / Barcode: 9781778540592

Synopsis:

"Never let anything or anyone stop you from following where your Spirit says it belongs. . ."

Spirit exists in everything on Mother Earth. If we are open to it, Spirit may guide us through even the darkest of moments.

In this genre-defying blend of poetry and story, Ojibway and Mohawk Elder Dawn Smoke shares all that lives within her heart, mind, and soul. As a young girl confronted with the anger and pain of being scooped from her birth family, Dawn bravely discovers her truth and a path towards healing. She is unwavering in her honesty, a protector of Mother Earth, and a fierce advocate against the oppression of Indigenous people.

Reclaiming what was taken is not an easy feat, yet in doing so, Dawn illuminates the Spirit all around us. This striking memoir, told in spoken word, speaks to the devastating realities of colonization and radiates with the resilience found within culture and community.

Additional Information
120 pages | 5.50" x 8.00" | Paperback 

Authentic Canadian Content
Authentic Indigenous Text
Soft as Bones: A Memoir
$26.99
Quantity:
Format: Paperback
Reading Level: N/A
ISBN / Barcode: 9781487013028

Synopsis:

A poetic memoir as intricately woven as a dreamcatcher about overcoming the pain of generational trauma with the power of traditional healing.

In her deeply affecting memoir, Soft as Bones, Chyana Marie Sage shares the pain of growing up with her father: a crack dealer who went to prison for molesting her older sister. She details the shame and guilt she carried for years after her family's trauma as she went from one dysfunctional relationship to another, from one illegal drug to another. In revisiting her family's history and weaving in the perspectives of her mother and sisters, Chyana examines the legacy of generational abuse, which began with her father's father, who was forcibly removed from his family by the residential schools and Sixties Scoops programs.Yet hers is also a story of hope, as it was the traditions of her people that saved her life. In candid, incisive, and delicate prose, Chyana braids personal narrative with Cree stories and ceremonies, all as a means of healing one small piece of the mosaic that makes up the dark past of colonialism shared by Indigenous people throughout Turtle Island.

Reviews
"Chyana Marie Sage's writing is a gift that gleams with all of its teeth and skin and soft parts of the earth ... A stunning new voice that pushes the boundaries of form, whose stories swirl across time like sweetgrass braids, like tendrils of smoke." — Kinsale Drake, author of The Sky Was Once a Dark Blanket

"A searing, poetic memoir filled with resilience and strength ... for anyone on a journey of reconciling the pain of the past with the hopes for the next generations." — Dallas Goldtooth, writer, actor, and community organizer

"Chyana Marie Sage writes with an unflinching emotional clarity, lyrical prose, and a wisdom well beyond her years." — Tanya Talaga, author of The Knowing

"Soft as Bones moves like a river across vast territories of recovery and reckoning: it moves powerfully and runs deep, with prose that carries many worlds on its shoulders ... Chyana Marie Sage is a truth-teller, and she has given us an incredible gift." — Leslie Jamison, author of Splinters

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

Authentic Canadian Content
Authentic Indigenous Text
Still Ruffling Feathers: Let Us Put Our Minds Together
$24.95
Quantity:
Format: Paperback
Reading Level: N/A
ISBN / Barcode: 9781772841183

Synopsis:

Revisiting the political activism of WIC Wuttunee

William (Bill) Wuttunee was a trailblazing lawyer, a courageous native rights activist; and one of the architects of the process for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. His 1971 book, Ruffled Feathers: Indians in Canadian Society, decried conditions on reserves and pressed for integration-on Indigenous peoples' own terms-supporting many of the aims of the Trudeau government's 1969 "White Paper." Though controversial at the time, Wuttunee's arguments were rooted in a foundational belief in the strengths of his people and a steadfast rejection of victimhood. In the fifty years that have followed its publication, Ruffled Feathers has been largely forgotten, though ideas that Wuttunee put forth-ending the Indian Act and the reserve system-continue to find space within contemporary Canadian political discourse.

In this volume, editor Wanda Wuttunee gathers a diverse cohort of scholars to engage with her father's ideas and offer their own perspectives on the opportunities and challenges facing Indigenous peoples in Canada, then and now. Favouring discourse over conclusions, Still Ruffling Feathers leads the reader to a nuanced understanding of the ongoing conversations and unresolved issues stemming from the Indian Act and invites us to envision miyo-pimâtisiwin, "the good life."

Reviews"
"Still Ruffling Feathers explores an important area of modern history on Indigenous leadership. The thoughts and ideas expressed by William Wuttunee still have resonance today." - Dr. Brian Caillou, University of Calgary

Educator Information
Table of Contents

Brotherhood by William I.C. Wuttunee

Acknowledgements

Contributors

Introduction by Wakchan (Wanda Wuttunee), Red Pheasant Cree Nation, Saskatchewan

Chapter 1. Reflections on a Legacy--An Eagle Eye Perspective by Wakchan (Wanda Wuttunee), Red Pheasant Cree Nation, Saskatchewan

Chapter 2. Still Ruffling Feathers Too--More than 50 Years Later by Makookins (Xakiji (Chief) Lee Crowchild), Tsuut'ina Nation, Alberta

Chapter 3. William Wuttunee--Ruffling Feathers in "Indian" Time and Space by Thohahoken (Michael Doxtater), Mohawk Turtle Clan Family of Satekariwate, Ontario

Chapter 4. Learning to Straighten Our Ruffled Feathers: An Education by Askîy Pihêsiw (Robert Falcon Ouelette), Red Pheasant Cree Nation, Saskatchewan

Chapter 5. Ruffled Feathers: A Critical Assessment by Bush Doctor (Peter Kulchyski), Bissett, Manitoba

Chapter 6. Final Thoughts--Debating Our Future, Coming to One Mind by David Newhouse, Onandaga, Six Nations of the Grand River, Ontario.

Appendix A: Excerpts from Ruffled Feathers (1971) by William I.C. Wuttunee

Appendix B. Selected Poetry of William I. C. Wuttunee

Appendix C. Discussion Questions Bibliography

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

Sort By
Go To   of 23
>
>

Strong Nations Publishing

2595 McCullough Rd
Nanaimo, BC, Canada, V9S 4M9

Phone: (250) 758-4287

Email: contact@strongnations.com

Strong Nations - Indigenous & First Nations Gifts, Books, Publishing; & More! Our logo reflects the greater Nation we live within—Turtle Island (North America)—and the strength and core of the Pacific Northwest Coast peoples—the Cedar Tree, known as the Tree of Life. We are here to support the building of strong nations and help share Indigenous voices.