LibGuides: Indigenous Studies: Indigenous Children's and Young Adult Literature

Introduction

This guide provides OC Library and web resources related to Indigenous Children's and Young Adult Literature as well as search strategies on this and related topics. Included are resources for educators and caregivers on the importance of accurate representation of Indigenous peoples, on ways to evaluate representation, as well as book and publisher lists.

Featured Videos

"Dr. Jo-Ann Archibald (Q'um Q'um Xiiem; Sto:lo Nation) provides a framing for Indigenous stories and storywork that might allow their pedagogical potential to emerge in educational contexts. Notably, she emphasizes the importance of metaphor, the plurality of understandings, and the open-ended process of storywork."

IMPORTANT: the dominant structure for organizing information is from a western perspective, for this reason you may need to use outdated (sometimes offensive) terminology to find resources related to Indigenous peoples; please contact us if you'd like assistance navigating this.

Combine keywords related to the concept of Indigenous identity with keywords related to your area of interest.

For example:

Indigenous	Aboriginal	"First Nations"
Inuit	Métis	"Indians of North America"
Indian	Native	Name of Nation or Community (e.g. Secwépemc)

AND

"Picture books"	"Board books"	"Young adult fiction"
"Children's literature"	"Juvenile fiction"	"Young readers" or "Early literacy"
"Children's stories"	"Critical literacy"	Specific topic (e.g. musicians, climatic changes)
"Deakin collection"	OwnVoices	Specific language (e.g. Cree, Inuktitut)

Search Tips:

Use quotation marks to search for a phrase (e.g. "children's books").
Use an asterisk to search for words with the same stem (e.g. child* retrieves child, child's, children)
Terminology changes over time. You many need to search for alternative spellings of a word, for example: Sto:lo, Stó:lô, Staulo, Stahlo or you may need to search for alternate words, for example: Kwakiutl/Kwakwaka'wakw or Nootka/Nuu-chah-nulth
The Deakin Children's Literature Collection is a special collection of thousands of children and young adult fiction and non-fiction titles held at OC Library (mainly at the Kelowna campus). Including "Deakin Collection" in your search will help find books that are part of that collection. You can also use the "location" limiter to refine your search results by selecting "Kelowna Deakin Collection" and/or "Vernon Deakin Collection."

Subject headings are a tool designed to help researchers find similar materials. These are only some examples of the many subject headings that Okanagan College Library uses. Spend a few minutes exploring them when you find a book in the catalogue that supports your research.

Search by Subject Terms

Picture books for children
Cree language -- Vocabulary -- Juvenile literature
Young Adult nonfiction / People & Places / Aboriginal & Indigenous
Gitxsan Indians -- British Columbia -- Juvenile literature
Inuktitut language materials -- Bilingual
Inuit -- Canada -- Residential Schools -- Juvenile literature

Featured Books

Children's Books about Indian Residential Schools

Children's Resources about the Indian Residential School System

10 books about residential schools to read with your kids
[CBC, 2015]
Orange Shirt Day Reading List
[The Canadian Children's Book Centre, 2018]
Residential School/Project of Heart
[Strong Nations] Includes link to the TRC report: They Came for the Children as well as a selection of children's books that address the topic of residential schools.
Resources for Discussing Residential Schools and Indigenous Issues
[The Canadian Children's Book Centre] Resources for educators, librarians and parents to facilitate discussion.

Featured Articles and Books

An Indigenous Critique of Whiteness in Children’s Literature
Reese, D. (2019). An Indigenous critique of whiteness in children’s literature. Children & Libraries: The Journal of the Association for Library Service to Children, 3–11.
Rights of Indigenous Children: Reading Children's Literature through an Indigenous Knowledges Lens
Stagg Peterson, S., & Robinson, R. B. (2020). Rights of Indigenous children: Reading children’s literature through an Indigenous knowledges lens. Education Sciences, 10.
The Stories are the People and the Land
Korteweg, L., Gonzalez, I., & Guillet, J. (2010). The stories are the people and the land: three educators respond to environmental teachings in Indigenous children’s literature. Environmental Education Research, 16(3/4), 331–350.
The Trouble with the Town: Reading for Peoplehood in Métis Children’s Literature
Adese, J. (2020). The Trouble with the town: Reading for peoplehood in Métis children’s literature. University of Toronto Quarterly, 89(1), 107–125.

Self-Determined Stories: The Indigenous Reinvention of Young Adult Literature
As the first book-length study of Indigenous-authored Young Adult literature, this project advances conversations in Native Studies about the meaning of Indigenous sovereignty and expands conceptualizations of power dynamics and genre in YA Literary Studies.

Featured Podcasts

Unreserved
Feb 3, 2019: The Rise in Indigenous storytelling for kids
Diving into the explosion of Indigenous authors wading into children's literature - and the increasing number of books being translated into Indigenous languages.
masinahikan iskwêwak – Book Women Podcast
Season 3, Episode 3: Indigenous Children's Books
The hosts discuss three Indigenous children’s books: What’s My Superpower? by Aviaq Johnston, The Walrus Who Escaped by Rachel and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley, and Elisapee and Her Baby Seagull by Nancy Mike.
Warrior Kids
Season 3, Episode 1 Nancy Mike reads Elisapee and her Baby Seagull
Inuit artist, musician and author, Nancy Mike, shares her Inuit culture and language through her stories. She reads her book - Elisapee and Her Baby Seagull - in her own language of Inuktitut and then again in English.
Identity Talk 4 Educators LIVE
August 25, 2021 Selecting & Using Indigenous Children's Books in Our Classrooms
Dr. Reese goes in depth about her personal journey in education, the founding of her organization, American Indian in Children's Literature (AICL), the misrepresentation of Indigenous peoples in children's books, and more.
Kidlit These Days
September 5, 2019 An Indigenous Peoples' History
The hosts talk about looking honestly at history, tribal land acknowledgements, and engaging young people in the history going on today. Special guests Debbie Reese and Jean Mendoza, authors of An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People, adapted from the book by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz.
Remember Reading
May 12, 2021 Representation Matters
Representation matters, especially in children’s literature and stories that represent Native American people. This episode focuses on Heartdrum, an imprint about stories by Native American creators who publish stories with an emphasis on the present and future of Indian Country, and on the strength of young Native American heroes.

Literature Awards

American Indian Youth Literature Awards are awarded biennially. They identify and honour the best writing and illustrations by Native Americans and Indigenous peoples of North America. Visit their website for information on previous winners.

2022 Award Winners

Best Picture Book: Herizon
Best Middle Grade Book: Healer of the Water Monster
Best Young Adult Book: Apple Skin to the Core

2020 Award Winners

Best Picture Book: Bowwow Powwow: Bagosenjige-niimi'idim
Best Middle Grade Book: Indian No More
Best Young Adult Book: Hearts Unbroken

CODE Burt Award for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Young Adult Literature

A Canadian literary award and readership initiative that recognizes excellence in Indigenous-authored literature for young adults (ages 12-18). In 2019, they announced a new award in an Indigenous Language category. This award is currently on hold due to the passing of their main benefactor.

2019 Winner, Indigenous Language: Inconvenient Skin (available at OC)
2019 Winner, English Language: Moccasin Square Gardens (available at OC)
2018 Winner: The Marrow Thieves (available at OC)

First Nation Communities READ: PMC Indigenous Literature Award

First Nation Communities READ is an annual reading program that was launched by the First Nations public library community in Ontario. The award is sponsored by Periodical Marketers of Canada and winners are chosen by a jury of Indigenous librarians from across Ontario. Visit the website to view previous winners.

2021-22 Children's Category Winner: It's a Mitig!
2021-22 Young Adult/Adult Category Winner: Orange Shirt Day September 30

Bibliographies

American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL)
AICL was established in 2006 by Dr. Debbie Reese of Nambé Pueblo and provides critical analysis of Indigenous peoples in children's and young adult books. This page includes links to lists for "Best Books" from 2010 to now (updated yearly).
The Canadian Children's Book Centre
Theme Guide on books about First Nations, Inuit and Métis to be used in classrooms and libraries.
Canadian Indigenous Books for Schools
From the Association of Book Publishers of British Columbia, selected and evaluated by teacher-librarians and educators. Lists from 2007 - now (updated yearly).
Native Children’s and Young Adult Books
YA author Cynthia Leitich Smith has curated lists of both historical and contemporary Native American young adult and children's books. Started in 2017 and updated periodically. Additional resources are also available for teachers and librarians.
Our Spirits Soar
Website created by UBC Grad student focusing on Early Childhood Education. Includes printable annotated bibliographies to help guide teachers when searching for children's literature about Indigenous culture, history, and contemporary realities.
Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer Children's and YA Book Lists
The intersection of Indigenous and Queer identities is underrepresented in literature, especially among materials for children and young adults (YA). This project addresses the need for representation through two book lists, one of YA literatures and one of children’s literatures, highlighting positive Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer representations.

Indigenous Specific Publishers

Eaglecrest Books
Specializes in providing educators with quality early literacy books that feature First Nations children.
Gabriel Dumont Institute
Promotes the renewal and development of Métis culture through research, materials development, collection and distribution of those materials and the design, development and delivery of Métis-specific educational programs and services.
Heartdrum
An imprint of Harper Collins showcasing Native American authors for kids 8+.
HighWater Press
An imprint of Portage & Main Press, publishes award-winning stories by emerging and established Indigenous writers.
Inhabit Media
Inuit-owned, independent publishing company in the Canadian Arctic.
Kegedonce Press
Indigenous owned and operated. Committed to the development, promotion, and publication of the work of Indigenous writers nationally and internationally.
Pemmican Publications
Promotes Métis authors, illustrators and stories. A not-for-profit company that operates as an arm’s-length affiliate of the Manitoba Métis Federation.
Theytus Books
First Nations owned and operated and a leading North American publisher of Indigenous voices.

Other Resources

American Indians in Children's Literature (Blog)
Provides critical analysis of Indigenous peoples in children's and young adult books.
Authentic First Peoples Resources
[First Nations Education Steering Committee] Using authentic First Peoples voice is one part of helping to address colonial legacies, ensuring that First Peoples’ cultures and perspectives are portrayed accurately and authentically, and providing opportunities for diverse First Nations, Métis, and Inuit voices in Canada to be recognized and celebrated.
The Conscious Kid
An education, research and policy organization that supports families and educators in taking action to disrupt racism, inequity and bias.
Oyate: Resources
Provides information on how to evaluate children's books for respectful representation of Indigenous peoples.
WNCP Common Tool for Assessing and Validating Teaching and Learning Resources for Cultural Appropriateness and Historical Accuracy of First Nations, Métis and Inuit Content
[Western and Northern Canadian Protocol for Collaboration in Basic Education, 2011]