Browse Books for Adults
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
Synopsis:
From award-winning journalist Joseph Lee, a sweeping, personal exploration of Indigenous identity and the challenges facing Indigenous people around the world.
Before Martha’s Vineyard became one of the most iconic vacation destinations in the country, it was home to the Wampanoag people. Today, as tourists flock to the idyllic beaches, the island has become increasingly unaffordable for tribal members, with nearly three-quarters now living off-island. Growing up Aquinnah Wampanoag, journalist Joseph Lee grappled with what this situation meant for his tribe, how the community can continue to grow, and more broadly, what it means to be Indigenous.
In Nothing More of This Land, Lee weaves his own story and that of his family into a panoramic narrative of Indigenous life around the world. He takes us from the beaches of Martha’s Vineyard to the icy Alaskan tundra, the smoky forests of Northern California to the halls of the United Nations, and beyond. Along the way he meets activists fighting to protect their land, families clashing with their own tribal leaders, and communities working to reclaim tradition.
Together, these stories reject stereotypes to show the diversity of Indigenous people today and chart a way past the stubborn legacy of colonialism.
Reviews
"Nothing More Of This Land is a stark, beautifully rendered reminder of all that had to occur for the happening of our existences to take place, and all who lived and fought against their own erasure to maintain a semblance of a legacy. This is a profound, and moving book, a powerful indictment of the colonial mindset that firmly balances an ode to people, to place, to remaining."—Hanif Abdurraqib, author of There's Always This Year
"A forcefully illuminating and utterly compelling blend of personal narrative and vivid reportage, Joseph Lee’s Nothing More of this Land is a triumph of complexity and insight. We follow Lee from the red clay cliffs of Aquinnah to the halls of the UN, from the Klamath River basin to a feast of muktuk and tundra greens in Bethel, Alaska; and very early on I realized I’d follow him anywhere. Lee has given us a timely reckoning with Native sovereignty and community that is adroitly committed to the mess and nuance of lived experience, rather than sentimentalized accounts of victimhood or resilience. Nothing More of this Land is tender, ferocious, surprising, and tenaciously thoughtful; its existence makes the world a bigger and truer place."—Leslie Jamison, bestselling author of The Empathy Exams
Additional Information
256 pages | 6.00" x 9.00" | Hardcover
Synopsis:
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.
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
Additional Information
216 pages | 5.51" x 7.51" | Paperback
Synopsis:
"What's happening to you is just that the visible and the invisible are finding each other through you. You are the passageway for our reconnection. You and your generation are the ones who will give our memory back to us..."
Monica, a young woman studying art history in Montreal, has lost touch with her Innu roots. When an exhibition unexpectedly articulates a deep, intergenerational wound, she begins to search for a stronger connection to her Indigeneity. A quickly found friendship with Katherine, an Indigenous woman whose life is filled with culture and community, underscores for Monica the possibilities of turning from assimilation and toxic masculinity to something much deeper-and more universal than she expects.
Travelling across the continent, from Eastern Canada to Vancouver to Mexico City, Monica connects with other Indigenous artists and thinkers, learning about the power of traditional ways and the struggles of other Nations. Throughout these journeys, physical and creative, she is guided by visions of giant birds and ancestors, who draw her back home to Pessamit. Reckonings with family and floods await, but amidst strange tides, she reconnects to her language, Innu-aimun, and her people.
A timely and riveting story of reclamation, matriarchies, and the healing ability of traditional teachings, Nauetakuan, a silence for a noise underscores how reconnecting to lineage and community can transform Indigenous futures.
Reviews
"A love letter to residential school survivors dedicated to their descendants... To create the universe of Nauetakuan, populated by giant animals and marvelous creatures, including the thunderbird, Natasha Kanapé Fontaine was inspired by her own dreams, various native myths, and ancient legends taught to her by Joséphine Bacon." -Le Devoir
"Poet, singer, actress, and Innu activist, the talented Natasha Kanapé Fontaine has written her first hard-hitting novel this fall, which cuts through us like a lightning bolt." -Le Journal de Montréal
Educator Information
Translated by Howard Scott.
Additional Information
248 pages | 5.25" x 8.00" | Paperback
Synopsis:
A Little Plains Cree Book for Children—Teaching Guide contains lesson plans, student assignments, and other helpful information for teaching the Plains Cree language—a companion to nēhiyawēwin awāsimasinahikanis: A Little Plains Cree Book for Children: A Reference for Teaching the Plains Cree Language, the content of which focuses on terms familiar to the First Nations Cree people of Saskatchewan and follows curriculum for Kindergarten to Grade 12.
Educator Information
Find the companion resource here: A Little Plains Cree Book for Children: A Reference for Teaching the Plains Cree Language
A colouring book companion is here: A Little Plains Cree Colouring Book: Plains Cree People
Additional Information
128 pages | 8.50" x 11.00" | Spiral Bound
Synopsis:
It’s summertime on the rez. The frybread is sizzling, and the local radio station plays bluegrass, Anishinaabemowin lessons, and Friday-night bingo numbers. Lenna, the youngest of the Little family, is preparing to leave home for her first year of college, with little enthusiasm or help from her stubborn father and reckless brother. Amidst lingering doubts about departing the family flock, Lenna collides into a meet-cute with the charming and awkward Sam Thomas, who is returning to the reserve after many years away. With the promise of a romance budding between them, Lenna is caught in a whirlwind of uncertainty, wondering if she’s ready to bid farewell just as she's about to take flight.
Filled with Indigenous humour, small-town seasoning, and dream-world interludes, this heartwarming love story captures the bittersweet highs and lows of a rural teenage upbringing. A love letter to community, Niizh is a refreshing coming-of-age romcom about two young lovebirds leaving the nest.
Reviews
“In Niizh, Joelle Peters offers up a profound love and simultaneous longing for family and community. She stages generational strengths—humour, caring, and insightfulness—alongside generational wounds that can keep our dearest at arm’s length. This disarmingly simple story is artfully crafted with dialogue featuring a uniquely Peters-ian dry wit. Niizh is a celebration of the joys, beauties, and challenges of a young and fiercely capable Indigenous woman.” — Tara Beagan
“I was excited about this play the first time I read it. It's smart and funny, and it's exactly what we need right now.” — Keith Barker
“Joelle can write the rez. Conveying the history, the hardship, but, more than anything, the humour and the beauty of our complicated communities. And to see those spaces on stage is a powerful thing.” — Falen Johnson
“What's most satisfying is how many themes Peters layers into the script—including the loss of Indigenous language and culture, the fear of failure of those embarking on something new and, most poignantly, the shame and anger around abandonment.” — Glenn Sumi
Additional Information
112 pages | 5.40" x 8.35" | Paperback
Synopsis:
The second book in Isabelle Picard’s bestselling coming-of-age series about Innu twins, Leon and Eloise.
Leon and Eloise are 13-year-old twins from Matimekush, an Innu community in Northern Quebec.
The entire Mckenzie family has moved to Wendake, near Quebec City. Leaving Matimekush, nature, their friends and their school is quite a challenge for Eloise and Leon. Between the adapting to a different world, their desire to make new friends and the need to keep their bond with the old ones, everything goes too fast.
At school, a student bullies Eloise, and she has to deal with this difficult situation. As for Leon, he starts doubting his hockey skills: Is he really talented or was he the best in Matimekush only because the competition simply wasn’t as strong? In the midst of this storm, Leon and Eloise can always count on each other as well as their family and friends.
The Mystery unfolds on every page as we get to see the twins in a different light. What if, ultimately, life in the South isn’t that different from life in the North?
Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 10 to 14.
Translated by Kateri Aubin Dubois, a freelance translator and a prolific beadworker. Her beadwork can be found under her Indigenous name, Nisnipawset. Kateri is from the Wolastoqiyik Wahsipekuk First Nation. She lives with her husband, two children and a fluffy cat in Terrebonne, Quebec.
This is the second book in the Nish series.
Additional Information
296 pages | 5.00" x 7.75" | Paperback
Synopsis:
The incomparable first-hand account of the historic Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada told by one of the commissioners who led it.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established to record the previously hidden history of more than a century of forced residential schooling for Indigenous children. Marie Wilson helped lead that work as one of just three commissioners. With the skills of a journalist, the heart of a mother and grandmother, and the insights of a life as the spouse of a residential school survivor, Commissioner Wilson guides readers through her years witnessing survivor testimony across the country, providing her unique perspective on the personal toll and enduring public value of the commission. In this unparalleled account, she honours the voices of survivors who have called Canada to attention, determined to heal, reclaim, and thrive.
Part vital public documentary, part probing memoir, North of Nowhere breathes fresh air into the possibilities of reconciliation amid the persistent legacy of residential schools. It is a call to everyone to view the important and continuing work of reconciliation not as an obligation but as a gift.
Reviews
"I found Marie Wilson's North of Nowhere profoundly moving and surprisingly optimistic. With humility and wisdom, she takes us behind the scenes of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. As a non-Indigenous woman long settled in the North, she has a unique viewpoint, and she leavens an account of the traumatic intergenerational impact of residential schools with details from her own personal story. Wilson goes beyond the grief and misery triggered by the Truth aspect of the TRC to suggest the joy and laughter that true Reconciliation can produce in survivors. But reconciliation will be achieved only if we don't look away. North of Nowhere is a powerful book that shifted my perspective, and, thanks to Wilson's lucid prose, helps the rest of us glimpse what is needed." — Charlotte Gray (CM), author of Passionate Mothers, Powerful Sons: The Lives of Jennie Jerome Churchill and Sara Delano Roosevelt
"For anyone wanting a front row seat to the Spirit, the vision, and the mechanics of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, North of Nowhere is definitely it. Commissioner Dr. Marie Wilson recounts and celebrates the courage of everyone involved in one of Canada's most important chapters of coming to terms with residential school Survivors and their families and their communities forever changed with a policy of cultural genocide. I hope everyone reads this and finds their way to support Survivors, their families, and their communities as they continue to reclaim so much of what was stolen. What a profound and riveting read." — Richard Van Camp, author of The Lesser Blessed and Godless but Loyal to Heaven
"The long-matured work of a true elder, this magnificent book is a sober masterpiece of sacred activism. It deserves to be read by everyone aghast at the chaos and cruelty of our world. Its level decency of tone, its lucidity, its determined hope in terrible circumstances both transmit and model those qualities we all now need to build a new world out of the smouldering ashes of the old." — Andrew Harvey, author of The Hope: A Guide to Sacred Activism
"In North of Nowhere, Marie Wilson honours her vow to residential school Survivors to 'do no harm' and to bear witness to and honour their experiences. Marie has achieved her purpose to educate readers and inspire reconciliation and, most importantly, hope. 'I see you. I hear you. I believe you. And I love you'-Marie's words as a Commissioner to Survivors set the tone for this very important book." — Perry Bellegarde, former National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations
"This book is one of the best I've ever read. It made me laugh, get emotional, and helped reset my journey on the role I need to play. As a child of residential school Survivors, I was motivated to continue to learn my language and strengthen my pride as an Indigenous person. Truth must come before reconciliation; this book will empower Canadians to focus on what we can control today when it comes to implementing the Calls to Action. This book advocates for building awareness, understanding, and long-term relationships between Indigenous people and Canadians. If every Canadian reads this book, the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action can be achieved." — Cadmus Delorme, former chief of Cowessess First Nation
"Journalist Marie Wilson brings us into the emotion-charged rooms, the sacred spaces of Canada's Truth and Reconciliation hearings. She listens with the heart of a mother, looking into the souls of the adult Survivors standing before her and seeing the children they once were. Though she holds nothing back, in the end this is a triumphant, restorative narrative-a testament to the healing that happens when we share our deepest, darkest truths." — Judy Rodgers, founding director of Images & Voice of Hope, board member of The Peace Studio
"North of Nowhere is the story of a national soul-searching, braided with Dr. Marie Wilson's own personal story and her unique perspective as a Truth and Reconciliation Commissioner. Every page tells a story. This is a book that is bound to ignite dialogue. It has been a catalyst that has been the spark for numerous visits, deep discussions, and reflections, which is why we wanted to write a collective review. Marie's writing had us thinking and talking about the stories, truths, and wisdom shared throughout the pages. Through her writing, Marie elicits emotional and insightful responses that move us along our own journeys of understanding the truth of Canada." — Shelagh Rogers and Monique Gray Smith
"Marie Wilson is the truth keeper entrusted with the accounts of the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children who went to residential schools, the memories of those who did not make it home and the fate of us all if we do not learn from the past. The savagery of 'civilization' comes into stark relief as children emerge from the pages to awaken the national consciousness and render the TRC Calls to Action imperative." — Cindy Blackstock, executive director, First Nations Child & Family Caring Society
"Beautifully written, Marie Wilson's North of Nowhere is a stunning work of truth, power, and wisdom. An imperative read for all Canadians to understand the layers of shrapnel left by the residential school system that will leave you with emotion and hope. Wilson is an incredibly brilliant and gifted writer." — Angela Sterritt, author of Unbroken: My Fight for Survival, Hope, and Justice for Indigenous Women and Girls
Educator Information
Curriculum Connections: Social Science, Ethnic Studies, Canadian Studies, Indigenous STudies
Additional Information
384 pages | 6.00" x 9.00" | Hardcover
Synopsis:
Now You Know Me tells of a journey of understanding between two old friends who grew up in different worlds in the same small town of Powell River, BC, on traditional Tla’amin land. Joe Gallagher, who is Tla’amin, and John Matterson, who is white, were friends as teenagers but went their separate ways before reconnecting 35 years later and truly getting to know each other.
As John began to listen more deeply to Joe’s history, they journeyed together through the historic events and attitudes that deeply wounded the Tla’amin and their way of life. With each conversation, John’s understanding of Joe’s life and recognition of his own unearned advantages and blind participation in racism became clearer.
In their illuminating dialogue in Now You Know Me, we learn what it took for Joe to straddle two worlds while battling racism, a traumatic childhood, and his father’s warning that he couldn’t succeed in a white world without working twice as hard. Despite ongoing suffering from multigenerational harms, Joe garnered broad respect on his way to becoming CEO of a groundbreaking Indigenous-led health organization, bringing hope and a collaborative spirit to a revolution in health and wellness for BC First Nations.
Today, John is committed to ongoing learning and allyship, while Joe is called on by First Nations leaders as well as senior leaders in health and government as an able navigator of the movement toward Truth and Reconciliation.
Additional Information
304 pages | 5.50" x 8.50" | Paperback
Synopsis:
A bold, clever, and sublimely sinister collection that dares to ask the question: “Are you ready to be un-settled?” Featuring stories by:
Norris Black • Amber Blaeser-Wardzala • Phoenix Boudreau • Cherie Dimaline • Carson Faust • Kelli Jo Ford • Kate Hart • Shane Hawk • Brandon Hobson • Darcie Little Badger • Conley Lyons • Nick Medina • Tiffany Morris • Tommy Orange • Mona Susan Power • Marcie R. Rendon • Waubgeshig Rice • Rebecca Roanhorse • Andrea L. Rogers • Morgan Talty • D.H. Trujillo • Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. • Richard Van Camp • David Heska Wanbli Weiden • Royce Young Wolf • Mathilda Zeller
Many Indigenous people believe that one should never whistle at night. This belief takes many forms: for instance, Native Hawaiians believe it summons the Hukai’po, the spirits of ancient warriors, and Native Mexicans say it calls Lechuza, a witch that can transform into an owl. But what all these legends hold in common is the certainty that whistling at night can cause evil spirits to appear—and even follow you home.
These wholly original and shiver-inducing tales introduce readers to ghosts, curses, hauntings, monstrous creatures, complex family legacies, desperate deeds, and chilling acts of revenge. Introduced and contextualized by bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones, these stories are a celebration of Indigenous peoples’ survival and imagination, and a glorious reveling in all the things an ill-advised whistle might summon.
Reviews
“All combined, these powerful pages use fantastical elements to create very human characters who suffer very real horrors, like oppression, poverty, abuse, mental illness and the erasure of long-existing cultures and traditions. This volume is a must for any library collection and will be devoured by speculative fiction fans who enjoy a sprinkle of social commentary within their scary books.” —Booklist
“Never Whistle at Night is all I’ve ever wanted in an Indigenous horror anthology. From doubles, to Empty People, to story theft, to zombies, this anthology explores the horror that lives in colonial violence, generational love and trauma, and our everyday lives. It’s a joy to see such a diverse representation of experience, background, and style in this carefully curated and terrifying collection.”—Jessica Johns, author of Bad Cree
“Story to story, Never Whistle at Night never failed to surprise, delight, and shock me. I’m a big fan of stories that make you feel like you’re standing at the edge of a cliff with a stranger’s fingers on the tip of your spine—and this anthology has that ungoverned, go-for-broke aesthetic that I love.”—Nick Cutter, author of Little Heaven
“An extensive collection of Indigenous stories ranging from the humorous to the terrifying, this anthology is a must-read for everyone. Your new favorite author is absolutely in this book.”—Amina Akhtar, author of Kismet
“Melodious, haunting, and visceral, Never Whistle at Night enchants from the very start with fiery confidence and merciless ghosts. These are stories that dig their fingers inside you and carve something truly special. An absolute must-read.”—Hailey Piper, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Queen of Teeth
"Can you draw power from the spirit of a story? If the twenty-six tales in the essential Never Whistle at Night anthology are any indication, the answer is an emphatic yes. The title itself provides its own warning, but I'll go one step further: Never read this collection of spine-chilling stories alone at night. You just might not make it to morning."—Clay McLeod Chapman, author of Ghost Eaters
Additional Information
416 pages | 5.19" x 8.00" | Paperback
Synopsis:
In the Fall of 1900, a young American anthropologist named John Swanton arrived in the Haida country, on the Northwest Coast of North America, intending to learn everything he could about Haida mythology. He spent the next ten months phonetically transcribing several thousand pages of myths, stories, histories and songs in the Haida language. Swanton met a number of fine mythtellers during his year in the Haida country. Each had his own style and his own repertoire. Two of them—a blind man in his fifties by the name of Ghandl, and a septuagenarian named Skaay—were artists of extraordinary stature, revered in their own communities and admired ever since by the few specialists aware of their great legacy.
Nine Visits to the Mythworld includes all the finest works of one of these master mythtellers. In November 1900, when Ghandl dictated these nine stories, the Haida world lay in near ruins. Wave upon wave of smallpox and other diseases, rapacious commercial exploitation by fur traders, whalers and miners, and relentless missionization by the church had taken a huge toll on Haida culture. Yet in the blind poet’s mind, the great tradition lived, and in his voice it comes alive. Robert Bringhurst’s eloquent and vivid translations of these works are supplemented by explanatory notes that supply the needed background information.
Additional Information
224 pages | 5.50" x 8.50" | b&w photographs | Paperback
Synopsis:
The first book in Isabelle Picard’s bestselling coming-of-age series about Innu twins, Léon and Éloïse.
In this acclaimed book, readers meet thirteen-year-old twins Leon and Eloise who live in Matimekush, an Innu community in Northern Quebec.
While Leon spends all his free time playing hockey, and wondering how he can prove he has the talent to make it big in a place with no competition, Eloise works on a school project that opens her mind to the history of her people — their victories and their battles lost.
But when their father gets sick and needs treatment almost 1000 km from home, and someone from their village mysteriously disappears, the twins learn lessons about the fragility of humanity and the dangers of the land they call home.
Educator & Series Information
Recommended for ages 10 to 14.
Translated by Kateri Aubin Dubois, a freelance translator and a prolific beadworker. Her beadwork can be found under her Indigenous name, Nisnipawset. Kateri is from the Wolastoqiyik Wahsipekuk First Nation. She lives with her husband, two children and a fluffy cat in Terrebonne, Quebec.
This is the first book in the Nish series.
Additional Information
304 pages | 5.00" x 7.75" | Paperback
Synopsis:
Journey to the southernmost tip of the territories held by Canada. North of Middle Island opens with a collection of individual poems that capture the spirit of the relatively isolated, sparsely populated community of Pelee Island.
The pieces explore contemporary Indigenous experience in the natural and built environments of the island and surrounding waters. The book concludes with an epic, "rarely true" narrative of modern-day warriors, told in traditional Anglo-Saxon style-a new Lenape myth of how Deerwoman (Ahtuhxkwe) comes to Pelee Island. The events of this epic tale are loosely based on the infamous professional wrestler and actor Rowdy Roddy Piper's time on the island and Wrestlemania XII, Piper's notorious "Backlot Brawl" with fellow wrestler Goldust (Nkuli Punkw). Follow acclaimed Moravian of the Thames First Nation poet D.A. Lockhart on this lyrical, epic journey into the unique culture and landscapes that lie just North of Middle Island.
Additional Information
93 pages | 5.50" x 8.50"
Synopsis:
Nahganne: Tales of the Northern Sasquatch is about giant bipedal, forest dwelling, hirsute hominoid entities. For as long as humans have been around the North, the activities of these giants have been observed in many places, but only a few people have taken the time to share their stories of coming in contact with these forest giants. In the North they have been given many regional names; although they are commonly known as Nahganne or Sasquatch. The book presents activities occurring in the North such as sightings, strange vocals, discovery of large human-liked footprints, strange animal reaction, and weird tree events. It also contains bits of history about northern North America plus details about the First Nation Peoples and their history. In the book, Red Grossinger investigates and analyses the many reports that he has received with details about the encounters and occurrences.
Reviews
"A tale as old as the North. We’ve heard of Nahganne for many generations. The North is under-explored and we don’t know what’s out there. " —Lawrence Nayally, CBC North
"As an academic I appreciated the scientific analyses of the various Sasquatch sightings and the attention paid to details. As a First Nations person I enjoyed the storytelling qualities and humanistic approach of the book. Even though I have delved into the topic at various times myself, I have been surprised by how many sighting there have been! I have friends and family that have seen the Sasquatch, and this book assures that many of the stories won’t be lost through time. I applaud Mr. Grossinger for adding an important aspect of Yukon people’s experiences to local history." — Ukjese van Kampen PhD
"Red Grossinger has put together an enthusiastic and insightful inspection of Nahganne or the Northern Sasquatch using intriguing real-life examples, many of which he investigated himself. He believes Nahganne is scientifically “obvious” and details a history of research and encounters that date back more than a century. His only request of readers is to keep an open mind. When you finish this book, perhaps you too will believe." — John Firth, author of The Caribou Hotel: Hauntings, hospitality, a hunter and the parrot and One Mush: Jamaica's Dogsled Team
288 pages | 6.00" x 9.00" | 15 b&w illustrations | Paperback
Synopsis:
We all share a common humanity. No matter how long or difficult the path ahead, we are all one.
Reconciliation belongs to everyone. In this profound book, Chief Robert Joseph, globally recognized peacebuilder and Hereditary Chief of the Gwawaenuk People, traces his journey from his childhood surviving residential school to his present-day role as a leader who inspires individual hope, collective change, and global transformation.
Before we get to know where we are going, we need to know where we came from. Reconciliation represents a long way forward, but it is a pathway toward our higher humanity, our highest selves, and an understanding that everybody matters. In Namwayut, Chief Joseph teaches us to transform our relationships with ourselves and each other. As we learn about, honour, and respect the truth of the stories we tell, we can also discover how to dismantle the walls of discrimination, hatred, and racism in our society.
Chief Joseph is known as one of the leading voices on peacebuilding in our time, and his dedication to reconciliation has been recognized with multiple honorary degrees and awards. As one of the remaining first-language speakers of Kwak'wala, his wisdom is grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing while making space for something bigger and better for all of us.
Additional Information
200 pages | 5.25" x 8.00" | Hardcover