In Field Notes for the Self by Randy Lundy, a member of the Barren Lands (Cree) First Nation, the poems evoke darkness and light through ceremony, memory, naming, understanding, truth and meditations through time. Examples of the poems include A Minor Apocalypse, The Definition of Poverty, Seeking, Thinking of Nothing, and others beautifully written through seasons and relationships.
The Stories from the Magic Canoe of Wa’xaid are those of Cecil Paul, also known by his Xenaksiala name, Wa’xaid, and who is a respected Xenaksiala elder, activist and orator, and one of the last fluent speakers of his people’s language. Who better to tell the narrative of our times about the restoration of land and culture than Wa’xaid (the good river), or Cecil Paul, who pursued both in his ancestral home, the Kitlope — now the largest protected unlogged temperate rainforest left on the planet.
On pleure pas au bingo par Dawn Dumont (Plains Cree) est traduit par Daniel Grenier. Tout est là : voici la vie sur la réserve, en haute définition. Dawn, la narratrice, revisite sa vie familiale, se replonge dans ses années d’école et s’engage résolument sur la voie de l’avenir. Situé quelque part entre le roman d’apprentissage et le récit autobiographique, On pleure pas au bingo est un livre qui célèbre les différences culturelles et la puissance de la prise de parole par le moyen de ce remède traditionnel et universel qu’est le rire.
Blue Bear Woman by Virginia Pesemapeo Bordeleau, Cree and mixed heritage, translated from French by Susan Ouriou and Christelle Morelli, is a story about Victoria, a Cree woman’s search for her roots and identity.
Breakdown is the first book in The Reckoner Rises series by David A. Robertson, Norway House Cree, and illustrated by Scott B. Henderson and Donovan Yaciuk. Breakdown continues to delivers suspense, adventure, and humour in this stunningly illustrated graphic novel continuation of The Reckoner trilogy. In Breakdown, Cole and Eva arrive in Winnipeg, the headquarters of Mihko Laboratories, intent on destroying the company once and for all. Their plans are thwarted when a new threat surfaces, and Cole is mired in terrifying visions.
The Beadworkers - Stories - by Beth Piatote, Nez Perce enrolled with Colville Confederated Tribes, is a book of poetry, verse, and prose. The four parts of The Beadworkers is an exploration of Native American life through land and life, Indian Wars, I tell my story/I conjure my powers/I make a wish and, human beings. Each story is a gift. Feast I, Feast II and Feast III introduce The Beadworkers moving to Indian Wars in The News of the Day and Fish Wars and include stories about treaties and rights. These actions and reactions of these stories resonate long after the events.
Moving Forward: A Collection about Truth and Reconciliation supports the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action in this 73-page anthology from Nelson's iLit Series. The reviewers are Melanie Brice (Métis from Saskatchewan), Jo-anne (J0) L. Chrona (Member of the Kitsumkalum, Band of the Ts'msyen Nation), Elizabeth Anne Cremo (Eskasoni First Nation), Troy Wm. Maracle (Mohawk), Eileen Marthiensen (Inuvialuk from Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories), Shirley S. Nepinak (Member of the Anishinabe, Pine Creek First Nation), Jill Oman (Ojibway from Sagkeeng First Nation).
Strength and Struggle: Perspectives from First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples in Canada is the second edition of this book and includes a rich array of graphic novel panels, speech excerpts, song and rap lyrics, recipes, interview, short stories, poetry, photographs, graphic art, articles, essays, and other pieces. This 2019 anthology edited by education advisors Rachel Mishenene (Anishinaabe), and Dr. Pamela Rose Toulouse (Sagamok First Nation), addresses the need for Indigenous Literature course content in secondary school and college.
An American Sunrise by Jo Harjo, Mvskoke, and first Native American Poet Laureate of the United States, is an anthology of poetry informed by her history and connection to the land. Mvskoke people were forcibly removed from their original lands east of the Mississippi to Indian Territory, now part of Oklahoma. Jo Harjo returns to these lands and opens up a dialogue with history through her personal life stories through poems.
