This week’s Learning Together is for our book worms 🐛
Books are one of the ways we learn about the world, understand experiences different from your own, and see ourselves reflected in the stories we read. That makes representation in books incredibly important.
Two recent CBC stories caught my attention. One highlights a new UNESCO list of children’s books that celebrate Indigenous languages in Canada, while another looks at an Edmonton high school that has made a deliberate effort to bring more indigenous books and authors into its library and classrooms.
You can read more here:
Having Indigenous authors and stories represented on our bookshelves is important for everyone. For Indigenous children and youth, seeing their cultures, communities, languages, and experiences reflected in the books they read can help build a sense of identity, pride, and belonging. For those of us who are not Indigenous, these books provide an opportunity to learn directly from Indigenous writers and storytellers and to experience perspectives that may be different from our own.
Representation also matters because many Indigenous stories are limited to books about colonization, residential schools, or historical trauma. Indigenous authors are writing fiction, fantasy, poetry, memoirs, romance, horror, graphic novels, children’s books, and so much more. There are funny stories, beautiful stories, difficult stories, and stories that simply allow us to experience everyday life through an Indigenous perspective.
I also want to encourage us to support Indigenous authors and artists by seeking out their work. One place to start is Kobo’s collection of recommended books by Indigenous writers in Canada:
There are so many great books on this list, including authors such as Richard Wagamese, Michelle Good, Cherie Dimaline, Waubgeshig Rice, Tanya Talaga, Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, Jesse Thistle, Eden Robinson, and many others.
I’ve personally read “Never Whistle at Night” by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr., and really enjoyed it. It’s a collection of Indigenous dark fiction and horror stories from a range of Indigenous writers. It’s a very different way of experiencing Indigenous storytelling and definitely reminded me that there is so much more to Indigenous literature than the books we often encounter when learning about Indigenous history.
So, if you’re looking for something new to read, consider picking up a book by an Indigenous author. You don’t have to read it as “homework” or specifically to learn about Indigenous issues, sometimes it’s just an opportunity to enjoy a really good book while supporting an Indigenous writer.
Thanks for taking a moment to learn together.
