3 - Read books by Indigenous authors to your children
This series of blog posts is inspired by the list 21 Things You Can Do to Change the World created by Bob Joseph in his book 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act. Focusing on actionable steps, these blog posts will take each step and provide links, contacts, and suggestion lists.
View all of our 21 Things posts here.
The third Action we chose to highlight is Read books by Indigenous authors to your children
Summer is a great time to encourage your children to read. Books are an amazing window into other cultures and perspectives, and also a good way to introduce harder to talk about topics like race and residential schools to children in a way that is age-appropriate and accessible.
THOSE WHO RUN IN THE SKY AND THOSE WHO DWELL BELOW BY AVIAQ JOHNSTON ARE GREAT BOOKS FOR YOUNG ADULT READERS.
Where do you buy your books? Iron Dog Books and Massy Books are two independent bookstores in Vancouver that are Indigenous-owned and operated. If you like to buy your books online, Strong Nations has a good selection and publishes books by Indigenous authors. Inhabit Media is an Inuit-owned independent publishing company. Native Northwest has absolutely beautiful board books that make great gifts for babies. Another amazing resource is Raven Reads, which is an Indigenous book and giftware subscription box that has boxes for adults and kids alike.
GOOD MORNING WORLD BY PAUL WINDSOR IS A GREAT WAY TO START THE DAY!
If you would like to listen to or read stories in different First Nations languages, check out Little Cree Books and Indigenous Storybooks. Little Cree Books has two open-source stories that you can read in English and the open plain Cree dialect, while Indigenous Storybooks has a dozen open-source stories that you can read or listen to in five different Indigenous languages, as well as English, French, and Spanish (plus more languages to come!). Both sites also contain links to language resources and videos.
We have linked to some reading lists to inspire you.
AWÂSIS AND THE WORLD-FAMOUS BANNOCK BY DALLAS HUNT AND AMANDA STRONG. WE MADE THIS BANNOCK!
For Little Kids:
CBC: 8 of the Best Picture Books by Indigenous Authors
CBC: 14 Inspiring Children's Books from Indigenous Writers
Baby Librarians: 11 Indigenous Canadian Children's Books to Read to Your Children
LITTLE YOU BY RICHARD VAN CAMP AND ILLUSTRATED BY JULIE FLETT IS A SWEET LOVE LETTER TO YOUR CHILD.
MY HEART FILLS WITH HAPPINESS BY MONIQUE GRAY SMITH AND ILLUSTRATED BY JULIE FLETT WAS CHOSEN FOR THE TD GRADE ONE BOOK GIVEAWAY AND WAS GIVEN TO EVERY GRADE ONE STUDENT IN CANADA IN 2019.
For Young Adults:
Raven Reads: Top Books by Indigenous Authors for Young Adults
Raven Reads: Bestselling Teen Fiction by Candian Indigenous Authors
Stories about Residential Schools:
Indigenous Corporate Training Inc: 10 Books About Indian Residential Schools for Young People
Book Riot: Picture Books to Teach Children About Residential Schools
The Orange Shirt Story (partial proceeds from this book go to the Orange Shirt Society)
OWLS SEE CLEARLY AT NIGHT BY JULIE FLETT IS A MICHIF ALPHABET BOOK.
These blog posts are designed to be a starting point to help people toward the path of reconciliation and allyship. We encourage everyone to do their own reading and research. Want to learn more? Check out the Indigenous Relations Academy, which has books, training, and resources. You can also purchase 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act here.