NATIONAL INDIGENOUS HISTORY MONTH
In June, Canadians celebrate National Indigenous History Month to honour the history, heritage and diversity of Indigenous peoples in Canada.
Take this opportunity to recognize the contributions Indigenous peoples have in Canada and explore their history.
The links on this page will direct you towards resources to help you better understand Indigenous culture and the spirit of National Indigenous History Month.
If you have additional resources you’d like included on this page, or have any suggestions on how we can improve our post, please contact us using the form below.
BOOKS TO READ
CBC.CA Suggestions for National Indigenous History Month
Mamaskatch
Darrel J. McLeod
Darrel J. McLeod’s Mamaskatch is a memoir of his upbringing in Smith, Alta., raised by his fierce Cree mother, Bertha. McLeod describes vivid memories of moose stew and wild peppermint tea, surrounded by siblings and cousins. From his mother, McLeod learned to be proud of his heritage and also shares her fractured stories from surviving the residential school system.
Mamaskatch won the 2018 Governor General’s Literary Award for nonfiction.
McLeod is a Cree writer from treaty eight territory in Northern Alberta. Mamaskatch is his first book.
Source: https://www.cbc.ca/books/mamaskatch-1.4761569
Moon of the Crusted Snow
Waubgeshig Rice
A northern Anishinaabe community loses power just as winter arrives, burying roads and creating panic as the food supply slowly runs out. Newcomers begin to arrive on the reserve, escaping a nearby crisis, and tension builds as disease begins taking lives. As chaos takes hold, a small group turns to the land and Anishinaabe tradition to start rebuilding and restoring harmony.
Waubgeshig Rice is an Anishinaabe author, journalist and radio host originally from Wasauksing First Nation. He is also the author of Legacy and Midnight Sweatlodge. He used to be the host of CBC Radio’s Up North.
Source: https://www.cbc.ca/books/moon-of-the-crusted-snow-1.4761526
Bone Black
Carol Rose GoldenEagle
When her twin sister Raven goes missing, Wren StrongEagle immediately reports it to the local police. Feeling dismissed and worrying the case won’t be investigated properly, Wren launches into action and decides to find justice on her own.
Carol Rose GoldenEagle is a Cree and Dene author whose books include the novel Bearskin Diary and the poetry collection Hiraeth.
Source: https://www.cbc.ca/books/bone-black-1.5225401
Peace and Good Order
Harold R. Johnson
Harold R. Johnson is a former prosecutor and the author of several books. In his latest, Peace and Good Order, Johnson makes the case that Canada is failing to fulfil its legal duty to deliver justice to Indigenous people. In fact, he argues, Canada is making the situation worse and creating even more long-term damage to Indigenous communities.
Johnson is the author of several works of both fiction and nonfiction. His nonfiction work Firewater: How Alcohol Is Killing My People (and Yours) was a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award for nonfiction.
Source: https://www.cbc.ca/books/peace-and-good-order-1.5223575
In My Own Moccasins
Helen Knott
Helen Knott is a poet and writer of Dane Zaa, Nehiyaw and European descent. Her memoir, In My Own Moccasins, is a story of addiction, sexual violence and intergenerational trauma. It explores how colonization has affected her family over generations. But it is also a story of hope and redemption, celebrating the resilience and history of her family.
Knott is a social worker and writer. In My Own Moccasins is her first book.
Source: https://www.cbc.ca/books/in-my-own-moccasins-1.5220779
Source: https://www.cbc.ca/books/35-books-to-read-for-national-indigenous-history-month-1.5585489
