"Shi-shi-etko" /// Children's Picture Book

"Shi-shi-etko" is a fantastic children's picture book, written by Interior Salish/Metis author Nicola Campbell and illustrated by Kim LaFave. It tells the story of a young girl, Shi-shi-etko, who lives a simple, normal life with her family in her hometown, only to lose everything held dear to her when she leaves for residential school. The story shows Shi-shi-etko doing the things she loves, such as playing in the river, and saying a prayer with her mother in the morning. The illustrations are done in soft watercolour detail, yet with vibrant colours, evoking the sense of importance this child's life has and the significant emotions that are connected to the story.

This book comes highly recommended by numerous Aboriginal sources. Notably, the Indigenous focused website Oyate.org has an entire page dedicated to a review. The reason that this children's story is so strongly recommended is that it deals with the extremely difficult subject of residential schools in a touching and subtle way,while still managing to convey the tragedy of what occurred. A couple of phrases from the review capture this sentiment concisely (2012):

"The brilliance of this book is in the depiction of a life that should have continued, but was cut short"

 and

"Children and adults alike will be able to appreciate the meaning of losing such warmth, stability, and belonging in the world"

Overall, this book is a perfect educational resource, as well as a touching read for any parent and child. 

References:

Campbell, N., & LaFave, K. (Illustrator). (2006). Shi-shi-etko. Toronto: Groundwood Books, Inc.

Garcia, C. (2012). Oyate: Review: Shi-shi-etko. Available online at http://oyate.org/index.php/rss-feed/12-review-shi-shi-etko

"B is for Basketball" /// Children's Picture book

"B is for Basketball: An Alphabet Book" is simply a great read for any child. Written collectively by the students and teachers of School District #50 in the small community of Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, this alphabet book wonderfully portrays their town's love and enjoyment of basketball. The fun and detailed illustrations are done by Judy Hilgemann, a highly respected and award winning artist. The reason this book was created was because the community of Haida Gwaii, which is populated with many First Nations individuals, wanted a special way to represent their lives and culture. They realized that the best way to do this was by showcasing the annual "All Native Basketball Tournament".  According to the foreword of the book, this school competition has become an integral part of the community and is a unique and dearly cherished tradition for the Aboriginal peoples who live near Haida Gwaii.

As this book was created with direct input from the children and educators residing in the area, it does a perfect job of representing the culture of this particular First Nations community. Accordingly, the First Nations Community Reads Awards listed this title as an honouree in their 2014-2015 selections.

In my opinion, this book does a great job of representing a community in an honest and contemporary way. I love looking at the illustrations of the people cheering the players on - they are average, realistic, lovely people - a great portrayal of an Aboriginal community. Another great part of this book are the little sidebars that ask the reader to hunt for objects within the illustrations, along with a small picture of a traditional Aboriginal object beginning with the letter on each page. For example, the letter "T" includes an illustration of a "Talking Stick". These small images are wonderful educational tools as they more deeply engage the reader and allow for further learning opportunities.

References:

School District 50., & Hilgemann, Judy. (Illustrator). (2010). B is for basketball: An alphabet book.

"Scars" /// Grades 7 to 10 YA Graphic Novel

"Scars" by David Alexander Robertson and illustrator Scott B Henderson is an intense and powerful graphic novel for teens. Even though the graphics are only in black and white, it tells an engrossing and moving story of two teens with lives that have direct parallels - one set in the year 1870 and one in current times. The novel flips back and forth between the two teenage boys; one struggles with depression and the other, a Plains Cree boy named 'White Cloud' is faced with choosing to live even after his entire family is wiped out from smallpox. It is a terrible and yet beautiful story: it demonstrates the will of Indigenous peoples to survive even in the midst of personal tragedies. This graphic novel does an excellent job of showcasing a horrid set of historical events in North America with realism, as well as legitimately capturing the challenges that contemporary Aboriginal youth face today.

According to Strongnations.com - a bookseller website that reviews, lists, and details Aboriginal literature, this book is listed in recommended books for teens. The book summary links to an author biography, which states that David Robertson comes from a Swampy Cree background and takes his storytelling seriously. While there is no mention of an Aboriginal ancestry for the illustrator, this does not necessarily take away from the authenticity of the novel as the publisher is Highwater Press, a company that only publishes high quality Indigenous fiction and non-fiction.

I personally think this book is a hard hitting, yet 'cool' way for teens to be educated about the horrors and difficulties that Aboriginal peoples have faced and continue to battle with. Graphic novels are a great alternative format for those who may not want to read a typical informational or educational book about the history of how smallpox affected First Nations peoples.

References:

Robertson, D., & Henderson, S. (Illustrator). (2010). Scars. Winnipeg: Highwater Press.

"Where I Belong" by Tara White /// Grades 7 to 10 YA Novel

This excellent first novel by author Tara White has officially made it onto the list for the 2015 selection of the First Nations Community Reads. While some websites classify this title as a book for children, others have it marked for young adults. Realistically, "Where I Belong" is suitable for grades seven through ten, therefore making it more young adult focused. White tells the story of Carrie, an adopted child who never quite feels at peace, until she discovers her birth father lives in Quebec and makes a journey to discover her roots. It is a beautiful story of redemption and recognition of relationships lost and rediscovered.

This author is Mohawk and draws upon her own experiences and is able to fulfill her childhood dream of writing stories, according to a review from the website GoodMinds.com. This book is on the recommended list of new titles to read from Good Minds, which is a reputable source, as it is managed by a Canadian First Nations family who specifically mention they look for authenticity and realistic depictions of Aboriginal characters. Overall, this book is not to be missed for a young teen audience.

Reference:

White, T. (2014). Where I belong. Vancouver: Tradewind Books.

"The Elders are Watching" /// Children's Picture Book

"The Elders are Watching" by David Bouchard and illustrated by Roy Henry Vickers is an older (2003) but still valuable children's picture book published by Raincoast Books. The author, Bouchard, who is an award winning poet, teamed up with highly regarded artist Roy Vickers to create this timeless message of conservation and recognizing the importance of being considerate of the environment. The story covers serious topics such hunting for sport, destroying forests and over fishing, all under the watchful eye of Elders. It then switches tones and ends on a positive note, asking the reader to do their part to act carefully.

 One of the highlights of this book is that it is set locally - I absolutely loved looking at the illustrations (more like works of art) that depict scenes close to home. There is the Second Narrows bridge, a view of Vancouver, and Coastal scenery. Adults will have no trouble being absorbed in this book, just as children will enjoy listening to the lyrical quartet poetry on each page, accompanied by artwork on the opposite side.

Using the guide set out by Oyate.org it is possible to review this book. Even though author Bouchard may be somewhat of a "cultural outsider" (Oyate, 2015) when it comes to local Aboriginal communities, he makes up for it with his close relationship with First Nations illustrator Vickers, who lives in the Tsartlip Reserve and has Aboriginal ancestry. According to the book jacket, both Vickers and Bouchard have the same goals of reaching out to youngsters and teaching them the importance of being a responsible custodian of the world around us, just as the people who originally inhabited the Coast did. Overall this book is a good choice for a teacher or parent to teach the themes of conservation using traditional Aboriginal perspectives on life.


References:

Bouchard, D., & Vickers, H. R. (Illustrator). (2003). The elders are watching. Vancouver: Raincoast Books.

Oyate.org. (2015). Resources. Retrieved online at http://oyate.org/index.php/resources/42-resources/oyate-s-additional-criteria

"Against the Boards" /// Novel for Grades 3 to 6

"Against the Boards" by Lorna Schultz Nicholson is a solid choice if you're looking for a novel suited for a elementary school aged hockey fan. The book tells the story of Peter, a boy from the Northwest Territories, who has finally made the cut for an AAA Bantam hockey team. Peter is normally quiet and reserved, but when he transitions to a new community with his new 'host' family for hockey, Peter finds himself upset and in trouble. He can't seem to handle the teasing he gets at school because he's 'different' and eventually it gets to him on the ice. This story is a moving depiction of the challenges faced by an Aboriginal teen supplanted in a new city without his normal supports.

The publisher Strong Nations lists this book as a recommended title on their "Canadian Aboriginal Resource List for Elementary School" and contains a short biography of the author, Schultz Nicholson. While the author is not of First Nations heritage herself, she has credible knowledge of sports and hockey related situations. This book is a good example of a children's novel that contains a multi-faceted and realistic lead character who comes from a First Nations background. The only caveat is that this book was published in 2005, and is slightly out of date with the language used and the descriptions of the characters' lifestyles. Otherwise, this book is an exciting and gripping read for children in the age range of seven to twelve.

References:

Nicholson, L. S. (2005). Against the boards. Toronto: J. Larimer Publishers.

"The Caribou Feed Our Soul" /// Information Book

"The Caribou Feed Our Soul" by Pete Enzoe and Mindy Willey is truly an accomplishment in the field of children's non-fiction literature. Published in 2010, with photos by Northern resident Tessa Macintosh, this book is culturally accurate and stays true in the portrayal of a Northern First Nations community. Additionally, this book is relevant as it not only draws upon the history of the author's ancestors, with sacred stories and long held traditions, but it also demonstrates modern living and contemporary practices of the Northwest Territories' community of Lutselke, the Chipewyan people. This book is a standout among other information books aimed at upper elementary school children (ages 8 to 12 most likely) as it has authenticity and specificity not matched in many older (published over 10 years ago) non-fiction titles still available for purchase.

One of the authors comes from the Aboriginal community (as explained in the introduction as well as a biography at the end of the book) and the other author acknowledges her sincere appreciation for being allowed to immerse herself in the community the book is based on, even though her hometown is Yellowknife.

The real highlight of this book are the intimate photos, which do an excellent job of capturing life and hunting caribou practices. Individuals in the community are named, and the reader should feel privileged to catch a glimpse of this special way of life. Interspersed with the details of hunting and the land are traditional stories and definitions of terminology and language used.
In sum, "The Caribou Feed Our Soul" is the type of non-fiction feature that deserves a spot in any library collection.

(Note: picture of book shown is slightly different than version described in review).

Reference: Enzoe, P., Willey, M., & Macintosh, T. (Illustrator). (2010). The caribou feed our soul. Markam, Ontario: Fifth House Publishing.