Indigenous Peoples in Canada

Two legged and four legged beings are beautifully illustrated and cultural meanings provided from the: Nuxalk, Namgis, Coast Salish, Kwakwaka'wakw, Haisla, Heiltsuk, Haida, Bella Bella, Tsimshian, Kwa Na Ki Nulth and Nuchatlaht Nations.

Two legged and four legged beings are beautifully illustrated and cultural meanings provided from the: Nuxalk, Namgis, Caost Salish, Kwakwaka'wakw, Haisla, Heiltsuk, Haida, Bella Bella, Tsimshian, Kwa Na Ki Nulth and Nuchatlaht Nations.

Some of the contributors include: Cranmer, Ryan; Horne Sr., Francis; Windsor, Paul; Bulpitt, Corey; Young, T.J.; Houstie, Ben; Isaac, Eugene; Moraes, Corey W.;  Starr, Terry; John, Rose Elsie

In just four days young Shi-shi-etko will have to leave her family and all that she knows to attend residential school.

She spends her last days at home treasuring the beauty of her world -- the dancing sunlight, the tall grass, each shiny rock, the tadpoles in the creek, her grandfather's paddle song. Her mother, father and grandmother, each in turn, share valuable teachings that they want her to remember. And so Shi-shi-etko carefully gathers her memories for safekeeping.

Richly hued illustrations complement this gently moving and poetic account of a child who finds solace all around her, even though she is on the verge of great loss -- a loss that native people have endured for generations because of the residential schools system.

This gentle story of a child on the verge of great loss was selected as the Aboriginal Children’s Book of the Year.

Awards

• Winner of the Anskohk Aboriginal Children's Book of the Year Award. 

Educator Information
Recommended Grades: 1-10.

Curriculum Connections: Indigenous Studies, Visual Arts, Science, Health.

Recommended Authentic First Peoples resource K-9.

This illustrated children's story is recommended for English First Peoples Grades 10 for units pertaining to childhood through Indigenous writers' eyes and the exploration of residential schools and reconciliation through children's literature.

This book is available in French: Shi-shi-etko (French)

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.50" x 8.13" 

This inspiring children's book -- a revised edition of the award-winning Flight of the Hummingbird -- is based on a South American Indigenous story about a courageous hummingbird who defies fear and expectations in her attempt to save the forest from fire. The illustrated story is supplemented by a natural and cultural history of hummingbirds, as well as an inspiring message from Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai. The evocative artwork by internationally renowned Haida artist Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas complements the optimistic tale that encourages everyone to take responsibility for their home and the planet.

Reviews
“This fable-like tale shows readers how one person can make a difference in everyday life… The illustrations are… beautifully representative of Native Haida art.”—School Library Journal

“A visually striking, dramatic book… An environmental parable it is, but could it not be a parable for life itself?”—The Globe and Mail

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 5+. 

Based on a South American Indigenous story, The Little Hummingbird features:

• Stunning artwork in Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas’ iconic style
• An inspiring afterword from Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai
• Scientific and cultural facts about hummingbirds

Additional Information
32 pages | 6.75" x 10.00"

Igvillu is a little dog with big dreams. One of her favorite dreams is of becoming a sled dog. When Igvillu is adopted from her kennel by an Inuit storyteller and moves to northern Canada, she comes face-to-face with real sled dogs. Igvillu loves living in the North, chasing siksiks and dreaming about her future. She''s a dog who believes anything is possible!

Alego is a beautifully simple story, written in Inuktitut and English, about a young Inuit girl who goes to the shore with her grandmother to collect clams for supper. Along the way she discovers tide pools brimming with life -- a bright orange starfish, a creepy-crawly thing with many legs called an ugjunnaq, a hornshaped sea snail and a sculpin.

Written and illustrated by Ningeokuluk Teevee, one of the most interesting young artists in Cape Dorset, home to the great tradition of Inuit art, this is an enchanting and utterly authentic introduction to the life of an Inuit child and her world.

Educator Information
Alego includes an illustrated glossary of sea creatures as well as a map of Baffin Island. Ages 4-7.

This book is delivered in a dual-language format, written in Inuktitut and English.

Curriculum Connections: Social Studies, Science, Visual Arts.

Additional Information
24 pages | 7.63" x 9.63"

Follow the adventures of Chuck as he gets lost on his first trip to the big city. Chuck encounters stray dogs and alley cats, kids on skateboards and rollerblades, and tall office towers. After realizing he is lost, Chuck relies on what he has learned to find his way back to his kookum's (grandmother's) condo.

Chuck in the City is Jordan Wheeler's second book for children. The award-winning Cree author and scriptwriter previously introduced young readers to Chuck in Just a Walk. Wheeler writes in a rhyming style that will capture and hold a child's attention.

Series Information
This is the second book in the Chuck series.

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.00" x 8.00"

In Just a Walk, a young boy named Chuck goes for a simple walk that turns into a day of crazy adventure. Chuck encounters animals, fish and birds that lead him on a wild journey through their various habitats.

Jordan Wheeler's whimsical rhyming will capture the young readers attention and Chuck's hilarious predicaments will keep all ages laughing for more.

Written to excite the young readers and to leave a smile on their faces.

Educator & Series Information
Just a Walk is an adaptation of a popular oral presentation developed as an interactive performance for children.

This is the first book in the Chuck series.

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.00" x 8.00"

This charming story, richly steeped in Métis culture, focuses on the boyhood reminisces of Moushoom as her describes finding the "great giving tree" with his mother and father. The story emphasizes the Métis core values and beliefs including strength, kindness, courage, tolerance, honesty, respect, love, sharing, caring, balance, patience, and most of all, the important connection with the creator and Mother Earth.

Additional Information
50 Pages | 27.9 cm H x 21.5 cm W

This sweet, simple story looks at a very special relationship. A young boy goes for a walk with his kohkom, or grandmother, listening, picking, praying, eating... just as she does. In doing so, he begins to learn the rich cultural traditions and values of his Cree heritage.

Caitlin Dale Nicholson’s acrylic-on-canvas illustrations portray the close relationship between the boy and his grandmother and the natural beauty of the bush. Her text has been translated into Cree by Leona Morin-Neilson, who was also the inspiration for the story and collaborated with her on this work.

Educator & Series Information
Recommended Ages: 4-7

Delivered in a dual-language format of Cree (y-dialect) and English. 

This book is part of the Nôhkom series.

Recommended for Grades K-1 for the following subject areas: English Language Arts, Indigenous Language Studies, Social Studies, Science and Nature, Visual Arts.

Authenticity Note: Leona Morin-Neilson (Métis-Cree) is a Cree teacher and the inspiration behind this book. She collaborated with the author to create this work. Leona Morin-Neilson teaches Cree at the “Power of Friendship” Aboriginial Headstart program in Prince George, British Columbia, and at the University of Northern British Columbia. She also teaches people in her community about traditional plants and how they can be used for medicinal purposes.

Because of the collaboration between Leona and the author, and Leona's Cree translation, this book has been labeled as containing Authentic Indigenous Text.  It is up to readers to determine if this work is authentic for their purposes.

Additional Information
24 pages | 8.50" x 12.25"

This moving sequel to the award-winning Shi-shi-etko tells the story of two children's experience at residential school. Shi-shi-etko is about to return for her second year, but this time her six-year-old brother, Shin-chi, is going, too. As they begin their journey in the back of a cattle truck, Shi-shi-etko takes it upon herself to tell her little brother all the things he must remember: the trees, the mountains, the rivers and the tug of the salmon when he and his dad pull in the fishing nets. Shin-chi knows he won't see his family again until the sockeye salmon return in the summertime.

When they arrive at school, Shi-shi-etko gives him a tiny cedar canoe, a gift from their father. The children's time is filled with going to mass, school for half the day, and work the other half. The girls cook, clean and sew, while the boys work in the fields, in the woodshop and at the forge. Shin-chi is forever hungry and lonely, but, finally, the salmon swim up the river and the children return home for a joyful family reunion.

Awards

Reviews
"Shin-Chi’s Canoe is a story about a brother and sister sent to a residential school and the separation from their culture they experience. Shin-Chi finds comfort with a little cedar canoe and the dream of returning home like the salmon. The children both find peace and strength by connecting to Mother Earth and the water. The story acknowledges the residential school system's devastating events while highlighting Indigenous children's strength and resiliency." - The Dalai Lama Center

Educator Information
Recommended Grades: 2-10.

Recommended Authentic First Peoples K-9 resource.

This illustrated children's story is recommended for English First Peoples Grades 10 for units pertaining to childhood through Indigenous writers' eyes and the exploration of residential schools and reconciliation through children's literature.

This book is available in French: La pirogue de Shin-chi

Additional Information
40 pages | 8.50" x 8.13"

This is a celebration of the contemporary powwow, which provides a rhyming verse to attract young children to the fun one can enjoy at a powwow. Boyden skillfully takes the main points of a powwow and creates anticipation in the charming verse.

Powwow's coming, hear the beat?
Powwow's coming, dancing feet.
Powwow's coming, hear the drum?
Powwow's coming, everyone!

Frustrated as a schoolteacher not being able to find good instructional materials on American Indians, Linda Boyden has bypassed the tired stereotype of Indians on horseback or hunting game and placed them in today's setting of a powwow. 

Powwow's Coming provides children with a foundation for understanding and celebrating the enduring culture and heritage of American Indians. Boyden's exquisite cut-paper collage and engaging poem visually place readers within the scenes of a contemporary Native American community while offering a thoughtful look at powwows and their meanings to the Native participants.

This book provides a wonderful way to learn about First Nations cultures while counting! The traditional teachings are interesting and informative. Counting concepts, from numbers 1 to 21, promote harmony and goodwill.

Educator Information
The 1234 book gives children a chance to count while learning about Indigenous Peoples from across Turtle Island.  

Additional Information
45 Pages | 11” x 8.5”

On a fresh spring day, young Yetsa, her mother and her grand-mother gather to prepare the sheep fleeces piled in Grandma's yard. As they clean, wash and dry the fleece, laughter and hard work connect the three generations. The reader joins this family in an old, but vibrant tradition: the creation of a Cowichan sweater.

Additional Information

An adventure begins when Zoe finds a lone fawn in the forest and helps search for its mother. But who could the mother be? A bunny? A fish? Join Zoe and her father as they encounter many woodland animals and learn their Native names along the way.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 5

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.00" x 8.00" | Paperback