Episode 009 - Aboriginal, Indigenous, and First Nations Books

In our ongoing quest to become better librarians by reading every genre (regardless of our actual interest) we tackle Aboriginal, Indigenous, and First Nations Books.

This episode we're looking at another thematic genre/non-genre, so join us as we discuss the problems of reading aboriginal or indigenous characters written by non-indigenous authors, how we really didn’t get enough education in First Nations/Native Americans in school, and why it’s hard to find Australian Aboriginal or Sami books in Vancouver libraries.

Your Hosts This Episode

Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | Amanda Wanner

Recommended

• A Short History of Indians in Canada: Stories by Thomas King (Cherokee)
• The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie (Spokane/Coeur d'Alene)
• Two Old Women: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival by Velma Wallis (Gwich'in Athabascan)

Read

• The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf (The Tribe #1) by Ambelin Kwaymullina (Aboriginal Australian - Palyku)
• Sweat by Lesley Belleau (Anishinaabe)
• Three Feathers by Richard Van Camp (Dogrib [Tlicho] Dene) (Comic)
• Walking the Clouds: An Anthology of Indigenous Science Fiction edited by Grace L. Dillon (contributors include Native American, First Nations, Aboriginal Australian, and Maori)
• War Dances by Sherman Alexie (Spokane/Coeur d'Alene)

Children's Picture Books

• The Giant Bear: An Inuit Folktale by Jose Angutingunrik, illustrated by Eva Widermann (Inuit folktale - not certain how the author identifies)
• Missing Nimama by Melanie Florence (Cree), illustrated by François Thisdale (Québécois)
• The Son of the Sun and the Daughter of the Moon by Holly Young Huth, Illustrated by Anna Vojtech (Sami folktale by non-Sami author & illustrator)
• The Reindeer People by Ted Lewin (American writing about Lapland)

Did Not Finish

• Forty Days Without Shadow by Olivier Truc (French author writing about Sami)
• Bearheart: The Heirship Chronicles by Gerald Vizenor (Anishinaabe)
• Born with a Tooth by Joseph Boyden (Métis) (worth returning to)

Other titles mentioned

• Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
• Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell (our youthful memories recommend this one)
• • Recently featured on the Overdue podcast
• Morning Girl by Michael Dorris