Canadian Indigenous Books for Schools 8 - 12 2024 - 2025

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

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

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

Educator Information
Table of Contents

Foreword
Elements of Nakoda Grammar
Abbreviations

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

Bibliography
About the Authors

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

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

A 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?

Reviews
"Aviaq Johnston’s graphic novel The Haunted Blizzard draws readers into a chilling tale of mystery and unease. The story follows a young girl, Nita, sent home when school closes due to a blizzard. Along the way, her grandmother warns her the storm is filled with dark forces, but Nita brushes off the caution and continues home alone. As the storm rages, Nita soon realizes she should have heeded her grandmother’s words—something sinister is lurking in the blizzard. Johnston blends suspense with cultural wisdom in this gripping, forty-page story that leaves readers on edge and eager for more." -  Debra H., Elementary School Teacher, Indigenous Books for Schools

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 12 to 18.

This title is included in the Indigenous Books for Schools database from the Association of Book Publishers of BC. It's recommended for Grades 8 to 12 for Art, Drama, and English Language Arts.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hoping to snag their perfect home in a red-hot housing market, an African Canadian man, a Chinese Canadian man, and a Jewish/Indigenous lesbian couple show up to an open house run by a white settler real estate agent. Each potential buyer feels most deserving of the prize. When a police incident outside traps them together in the house, debate erupts over which of their cultures has faced the most discrimination and exclusion. Passions run high and opinions clash. With wry humour, Open House deftly navigates current conversations about oppression, colonization, and middle-class aspirations.

Reviews
"This play connects well with Social Studies curriculum, as it allows us to understand the impact of negative comments, actions, and perceptions that continue to occur in society today. Open House encourages discussions about gender, identity, race, and colonization, allowing students to gain perspective and awareness." - Shaniah H., K-12 Teacher, Indigenous Books for Schools

Educator Information
This book is included in the Indigenous Books for Schools database from the Association of Book Publishers of BC. It is recommended for 11 and 12 for Drama and Social Studies.

Additional Information
5.82" x 8.26" | Paperback 

The award-winning Righting Canada's Wrongs series is now available in French for Immersion classrooms!

Starting in 1951, Indigenous children in Canada were taken by social welfare agencies from their families and placed in the care of non-Indigenous families. These children grew up without their birth families, cultural roots, and language. Many tried to run away and some died in the attempt. The taking of the children is known as the Sixties Scoop, though the policies and practices started before the 1960s and lasted long after. Today, Indigenous children are shockingly over-represented in the child welfare system across Canada.

Indigenous communities organized and fought back for their children. In 1985, an official government report condemned the practice.

In the 1990s, lawsuits were filed against the governments who had supported taking the children. In 2018 and 2019, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba apologized for their roles. In 2020, the Canadian government agreed to a settlement for survivors of the Scoop.

Through hundreds of photos and primary documents, readers meet many survivors of the Scoop. They learn how Indigenous communities fought back to save their children and won, and how Indigenous communities across Canada are working towards healing today.

Reviews
“The Sixties Scoop and the Stolen Lives of Indigenous Children embraces complexity in the history it tells, which is further enhanced by the inclusion of first-hand accounts from survivors of the Scoop. Their stories provide a plurality of experiences, adding additional nuance to the book… It is timely and well-researched, an excellent resource for teachers, librarians, and parents interested in educating young people about the harms these policies had – and continue to have – on Indigenous communities, as well as the continued overrepresentation of Indigenous children in care.” — Quill & Quire

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 13 to 18.

This French book is part of the series Redresser les torts du Canada (Righting Canada's Wrongs series in French).

This book is available in English: Righting Canada's Wrongs: The Sixties Scoop and the Stolen Lives of Indigenous Children

This title is included in the Indigenous Books for Schools database from the Association of Book Publishers of BC as a recommended resource for Grades 10 to 12 for Family Studies, Social Studies, and Career Education. 

Additional Information
8.50" x 11.69" | 300 Photographs | Paperback 

Reclaiming crops and culture on Turtle Island

Manomin, more commonly known by its English misnomer "wild rice," is the only cereal grain native to Turtle Island (North America). Long central to Indigenous societies and diets, this complex carbohydrate is seen by the Anishinaabeg as a gift from Creator, a "spirit berry" that has allowed the Nation to flourish for generations. Manomin: Caring for Ecosystems and Each Other offers a community-engaged analysis of the under-studied grain, weaving together the voices of scholars, chefs, harvesters, engineers, poets, and artists to share the plant's many lessons about the living relationships between all forms of creation.

Grounded in Indigenous methodologies and rendered in full colour, Manomin reveals and examines our interconnectedness through a variety of disciplines-history, food studies, ethnobotany, ecology-and forms of expression, including recipes, stories, and photos. A powerful contribution to conversations on Indigenous food security and food sovereignty, the collection explores historic uses of Manomin, contemporary challenges to Indigenous aquaculture, and future possibilities for restoring the sacred crop as a staple.

In our time of ecological crisis, Manomin teaches us how to live well in the world, sustaining our relations with each other, our food, and our waterways.

Reviews
"This book is absolutely amazing and one of the most original collections that I have read in many years. Intended for everyone who inhabits Turtle Island-Indigenous and settler alike-Manomin encourages readers to develop deeper relationships and understandings by listening to Elders and the land. I believe Manomin will transform Indigenous scholarship." — Michael Dockry, University of Minnesota

"Manomin teaches us much; how to observe, the need for biodiversity, and the understanding that there will be rice somewhere else, on different years, based on water levels. Manomin has provided food during the harshest of times. We were told that we should care for our water and there would be rice. There are lakes where Manomin has been drowned by the state and provincial authorities, raising water levels for recreational boats. For many years the Mille Lacs band of Anishinaabe tried to get the water levels corrected for the rice to flourish on Onamia and Omeme Lakes. At one of those lakes, the water levels went down in a drought, and the Manomin returned, seventeen years later. At another lake it was fifty years later. The Manomin returned when the conditions were right. That reminds us, like this book, of the resilience of seeds, the resilience of life, and our agreement to care for all. This book is a blessing of teachings and acknowledgment for the great gift of Manomin." — Winona LaDuke, To Be a Water Protector: Rise of the Wiindigoo Slayers

"Manomin: Caring for Ecosystems and Each Other is a collection of essays, recipes, and Anishinaabe traditional ecological understandings co-authored by the Niisaachewan Anishinaabe Nation and Elders from the community. This book compels the reader to consider plants as sentient beings in connection with the “Seven Generations Principle,” connecting us to the belief that “we are all related and life is sacred.” Each essay exploration is paired with glossy colour and black-and-white photos of historical and contemporary plant knowledge connected to “wild rice” with accompanying illustrated recipes centred in Indigenous foodways.
There is also a specific section on copyright addressing Indigenous understandings, intellectual and Traditional Knowledge and language, which can be considered groundbreaking as a precedent in itself. This book can be enjoyed over and over again, as there is so much that could be transformative to our understanding of plant and human relationships." — Lori B., Indigenous Educator & Administrator, Indigenous Books for Schools

Educator Information
Topics: Environmental Studies, History, Indigenous Studies, Decolonization, Agriculture and Food, Ethnobotany, History, Food Studies.

Table of Contents
List of Illustrations

A Note on Language by Brittany Luby and Margaret Lehman

Introduction by Brittany Luby, Samantha Mehltretter, and Margaret Lehman with Niisaachewan Anishinaabe Nation

Ch.1 Manitou Gitaggan, the Great Spirit’s Garden by Kezhii’aanakwat Ron Kelly, Giizhiigokwe Sandra Indian, Patees Dorothy Copenace, and Kathi Avery Kinew

Ch.2 Migration by Edward Benton-Banai

Ch.3 Seeds and Soils by Victoria Jackson

Manomin and Bergamot by Sean Sherman

Ch.4 Manomin as Teacher by Brittany Luby with Niisaachewan Anishinaabe Nation

Images from Anishinaabe-Aki: Harvest

Ch.5 Relational Vocabularies by Joseph Pitawanakwat

Manomin, Berries, and Love by Michelle Johnson-Jennings, PhD

Ch.6 Environmental Change, Environmental Care by Samantha Mehltretter and Andrea Bradford with Niisaachewan Anishinaabe Nation

Images from Anishinaabe-Aki: The Seasons by Andrea Bradford

Ch.7 Disconnection by Hannah Tait Neufeld

Manomin and Mushrooms by Shane Chartrand

Ch.8 Treaty and Mushkiki by Jana-Rae Yerxa and Pikanagegaabo, William Yerxa

Ch.9 Promise by Kristi Leora Gansworth

Epilogue by Andrea Bradford and Brittany Luby

Appendix 1: A Recipe for Corn Soup

Appendix 2: A Note on Indigenous Language Rights

Glossary by Jane Mariotti

Contributors

Notes

Selected Bibliography

This book is included in the Indigenous Books for Schools database from the Association of Book Publishers of BC. It is recommended for Grade 9 to 12 classrooms for English Language Arts, Family Studies, Foods, Science, and Social Studies. 

Additional Information
240 pages | 6.00" x 8.50" | 40 colour illustrations, 2 maps, index, bibliography | Paperback 

Iskwew Pithasew nitisithikason. My name is Lady of the Thunderbird, and this is my story.

It takes courage and bravery to survive in the barrens.

In 1944, thirteen-year-old Ilse Schweder got lost in a snowstorm while checking her family's trapline in northern Canada. This is the harrowing story of how a young Indigenous girl defies the odds and endures nine days alone in the unforgiving barrens. Ilse faces many challenges, including freezing temperatures, wild animals, snow blindness and frostbite. With no food or supplies, she relies on Traditional Indigenous Knowledge passed down from her family. Ilse uses her connection to the land and animals, wilderness skills and resilience to find her way home.

This powerful tale of survival is written by Ilse Schweder's granddaughter.

Reviews
“Colorful illustrations in classic comic-book style help readers explore the challenging landscape. An excellent choice for a book report and good addition to a children’s nonfiction collection.”- School Library Journal (SLJ), starred review

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 9 to 12.

Fountas & Pinnell Text Level Gradient: T 
Lexile measure: GN700L 
Guided Reading Level: T

This book is included in the Indigenous Books for Schools database from the Association of Book Publishers of BC. It is recommended for Grades 4 to 9 for English Language Arts, Physical and Health Education, and Social Studies.

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

Unless there is snow on the ground, never speak their name aloud.

The more they eat the hungrier they become, and they are starving.

They were meant to stay undisturbed, their dismembered limbs scattered, frozen under the permafrost, but as is always the way, the greed of industry has unburied them once more. Now, the most feared, the Wheetago, have returned, using their powers to call back the Na acho, cannibalistic giants once banished by Dene deities.

The revered hero known as the Child Finder who is fighting to cling to his humanity after a Wheetago attack, a mother and her young son, and a desperate band of convicts, form an uneasy alliance to survive the Wheetago horrors now awakened.

ROTH, from award-winning, bestselling Tlicho Dene author Richard Van Camp, and visionary illustrator Christopher Shy is the first graphic novel in the Wheetago War series.

Reviews
"A storyteller is what Richard Van Camp is—a storyteller par excellence. He tells us of family and traditions, of past and present spirits. Through Roth, he weaves his magic yet again, entwined with the richly atmospheric and terrestrial palette of Christopher Shy. With the Wheetago War series, kind-hearted and horrifically evil come together to hold you fully embraced, page after page."– Kent Williams artist & illustrator X-Men, Batman

"This spectacular, boundary-pushing book will change the way you look at graphic novels.Rooted in ancient and powerful narratives, this captivating saga will have you holding your breath until it releases you from its grip at the end, only to want more.”- Waubgeshig Rice, author Moon of the Turning Leaves

"In a post-apocalyptic future the Wheetago, supernatural beings with insatiable appetites buried long ago, have been awoken and are ravaging the world. Ross, a folk hero known as the Child Finder, struggles to hold on to his humanity after being bitten in a Wheetago attack. In order to recover his human form and find his family, Ross forms an alliance with a mother and son and a group of escaped convicts who vow to help him. These unlikely allies must overcome their suspicions of one another in order to fight the forces of ancient evil that threaten their survival and the survival of all humanity. Dark and evocative illustrations bring the epic battles to life and create an otherworldly atmosphere. The first in the Wheetago War series, this stunning graphic novel offers an introduction to Traditional Tlicho Dene Stories in an engaging format, while also exploring themes of trust, greed, mutual aid, and self-sacrifice." - Dionne L.-B., High School Librarian, Indigenous Books for Schools

Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 15+.

This book is the first book in the Wheetago War series.

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

Additional Information
192 pages | 6.62" x 10.25" | Paperback