Start a learning journey and celebrate National Indigenous History Month by picking up one of these five books written by Indigenous Canadian authors.
1. Five Little Indians by Michelle Good
Cree Canadian author Michelle Good’s first novel is a great place to start, having already been crowned CBC’s number one bestselling book in 2021 and now being optioned as a limited series for television.
Five Little Indians follows five survivors of Canadian residential schools as they try to rebuild their lives in Vancouver while struggling with the trauma of their past.
2. Eskimo Pie: A Poetics of Inuit Identity by Norma Dunning
Those who enjoy reading poetry may be interested in Edmonton-based Inuk author Norma Dunning’s Eskimo Pie.
Dunning explores her Inuit identity with sharp wit and dark humour, breaking down stereotypes and ultimately celebrating her heritage.
3. Hope Matters by Lee Maracle, Columpa Bobb and Tania Carter
Lee Maracle was one of the first Indigenous writers published in Canada and has a legacy of challenging colonial structures in Canadian literature and sharing her perspective as an Indigenous woman. Consider reading the final book she wrote before her death.
A collaboration with her two daughters, Hope Matters is a book of poetry which focuses on the experiences of Indigenous Peoples from colonization to reconciliation, as well as personal stories of Maracle and her daughters.
4. Blanket Toss Under Midnight Sun by Paul Seesequasis
Get a glimpse into the past with Willow Cree author Paul Seesequasis’s book of archival photographs, which captures life in eight Indigenous communities. Seesequasis was inspired to collect the images to better understand the experiences of his mother, a residential school survivor.
5. The Case of the Burgled Bundle by Michael Hutchinson
For something to suit all ages, look to Michael Hutchinson’s mystery series, which includes information about Cree culture and contemporary Indigenous issues.
In The Case of the Burgled Bundle, four cousins in Windy Lake First Nation have to figure out who stole a treaty bundle from the National Assembly of Cree Peoples.