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The Skeena, second longest river in the province, remains an icon of British Columbia’s northwest. Called Xsien (“water of the clouds”) by the Tsimshian and Gitksan, it has always played a vital role in the lives of Indigenous people of the region. Since the 1800s, it has also become home to gold seekers, traders, salmon fishers and other settlers who were drawn by the area’s beauty and abundant natural resources.

Voices from the Skeena takes readers on a journey inspired directly by the people who lived there. Combining forty illustrations with text selected from the pioneer interviews CBC radio producer Imbert Orchard recorded in the 1960s, the book follows the arrival of the Europeans and the introduction of the fur trade to the Omineca gold rush and the building of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railroad.

Open the pages to meet Robert Cunningham, an Anglican missionary who would later become the founder of the thriving Port Essington. Here too is a man called Cataline, a packer for whom no settlement was too remote to reach, and the indominable Sarah Glassey, the first woman to pre-empt land in British Columbia. At the heart of these stories is the river, weaving together a narrative of a people and their culture. Pairing the stories with Roy Henry Vicker’s vibrant art creates a unique and captivating portrait of British Columbia that will appeal to art lovers and history readers alike.

Additional Information
112 pages | 11.00" x 8.00" | 40 colour illustrations

This work has received the Authentic Indigenous Text label because of the interviews/contributions with Indigenous people like Vicky Sims and Chief Jeffrey H. Johnson. It is up to readers to determine if this work is authentic for their purposes.

Voici Tom Longboat, originaire des Six Nations en Ontario, un coureur onondaga renommé dans le monde entier qui a battu les records et brisé les stéréotypes.

En avril 1907, par une journée glaciale et venteuse, Tom Longboat remporte le célèbre marathon de Boston, battant à plate couture une foule de coureurs hors pair. Par la suite, il a pulvérisé record après record et s'est fait des légions d'admirateurs au Canada et dans le monde entier. Mais Tom était bien plus qu'un athlète inspirant : il s'est engagé durant la Première Guerre mondiale et a combattu vaillamment. Tom était aussi un père de famille et un citoyen dévoué. Il n'a pas gagné toutes ses courses, mais il a toujours marché la tête haute.

Durant sa carrière, Tom a toujours pris ses propres décisions… et il a connu le succès par ses propres moyens.

Educator Information
Recommended Ages: 6-10.

Additional Information
32 Pages

Viola Desmond was one brave woman! Now come on here, listen in close and I’ll tell you why …

In Nova Scotia, in 1946, an usher in a movie theater told Viola Desmond to move from her main floor seat up to the balcony. She refused to budge. Viola knew she was being asked to move because she was black. In no time at all, the police arrived and took Viola to jail. The next day she was charged and fined, but she vowed to continue her struggle against such unfair rules.

Viola’s determination gave strength and inspiration to her community at the time. She is an unsung hero of one of Canada’s oldest and most established black communities. Like Claudette Colvin and Rosa Parks, who many years later, in 1955, refused to give up their bus seats in Alabama, Desmond’s act of refusal awakened people to the unacceptable nature of racism and began the process of bringing an end to racial segregation in Canada.

Reviews
"Rudnicki’s vivid, dramatic art intensifies the danger that Desmond’s stubborn determination brought her, and it lends itself well to the warm recounting of the unnamed narrator.” — Booklist

“Varying perspectives heighten the emotional intensity, as do the excellent layout and design. This unique offering will be of particular value when studying women’s or black history.” — School Library Journal

“Desmond’s story should prove eye-opening to readers whose civil rights references are limited to American figures.” — Publishers Weekly

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 5-9.

An afterword provides a glimpse of African Canadian history.

The African Canadian community in Nova Scotia is one of Canada's oldest and most established black communities. Despite their history and contributions to the province the people in this community have a long experience of racially based injustice.

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.00" x 10.00"

Le printemps est une saison merveilleuse, si ce n'est l'arrivée de milliards de mouches noires et de maringouins. Mais Hélène a une solution.

One day Helen wakes up and it's SPRING! The snow has melted and the sun is shining. But Helen knows that the blackflies will be coming out soon. So she does what any smart kid would do: she sends her little sister outdoors to check! When the blackflies and mosquitoes carry her away, Helen tells her dad, who rushes outside and is carried away himself. Now Helen needs to rescue BOTH of them, along with a wolf and a very clever bear...

Educator Information
This resource is also available in English as Blackflies.

Recommended Ages: 3-8.

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.02" x 9.98"

All Viivi wants for her ninth birthday is a pair of kamiks. How can she show her parents that she's ready?

This book uses a humorous story to introduce children to kamiks, a traditional boot Inuit have worn for hundreds of years. An explanatory note helps children understand what kamiks look like and why they are worn.

Educator Information
This book is part of the Nunavummi Reading Series, a Nunavut-developed series that supports literacy learning while teaching readers about the people, traditions, and environment of the Canadian Arctic. Viivi's New Kamiks is a Level 9 book in the series.

Nunavummi Reading Series books have also been officially levelled using the Fountas & Pinnell Text Level Gradient™ Levelling System. Viivi's New Kamiks' F&P Level is I.

Recommended for ages 5-7.

This resource is also available in French: Les nouvelles kamiks de Viivi

Additional Information
28 pages | 8.00" x 8.00"

8.5” x 11”, 32 pages
soy-based ink and non-toxic coatings
premium paper perfect for colouring

Children and teenagers stroll between the skyscrapers in Vancouver, and experience the city in a different way that adults do. They have helped Vancouver transform from humble trading post to towering metropolis, yet how often are they asked to tell their side of the story? Vancouver Kids is a collection of tales about the unforgettable young people of the city of Vancouver. Based on personal interviews and thorough archival research, each true story is narrated in the voice of a young Vancouverite. Join in the adventure as these kids dodge the first cars on newly paved streets, watch the famous Stanley Park take shape, gaze up at brand new high-rises, and even learn the secrets and dangers behind big city crime. Vancouver Kids arrives just in time to celebrate the 125th birthday of the city of Vancouver on April 6th, 2011.

Educator & Series Information
It is the fifth book in the Courageous Kids series, which includes Kidmonton: Stories of River City Kids, Rocky Mountain Kids, Island Kids, and Northern Kids. 

Content Note: Not solely Indigenous content.

Additional Information

Nine-year-old Sheyenne lives in Sambaa K’e, Northwest Territories - that’s Trout Lake in English. Come learn with her as she takes you on a journey to her community in the fall, the season of moose.

This is the fourth book in the popular series “The Land Is Our Storybook” and features the Dehcho region of the Dene.

Awards

• 2010 OLA Best Bets - Junior Non Fiction
• Canadian Best Bets list - Junior Non-fiction, 2011
• Resource Links Best Books 2010 - Non-Fiction K - Grade 6
• First Nations Communities Read selection, 2009
• 2011 Vancouver Children's Literature Roundtable - Information Book Award

Educator & Series Information
This is the French version of Come and Learn With Me. 

This book is part of the series The Land Is Our Storybook, which considers the diverse lands and cultures of Canada's Northwest Territories. 

This resource is also available in English: Come and Learn With Me: Ewo, seh Kedjdjh

Additional Information
32 pages | 8.25" x 8.25"