Content warning: many (if not most) of these resources contain disturbing content and references to trauma which may be triggering for those who have experienced racism, violence against indigenous women, residential school trauma or other forms of colonial violence. The 24-Hour Residential School Crisis Line is available for emotional support at 1-866-925-4419 and the First Nations Health Authority has a comprehensive list of supports.
June is Pride month and it is also National Indigenous Heritage month so lots of reading is happening over here (as is almost always the case in summer) with a couple of movies and podcasts thrown in. Here are a collection of some of my favourite works by indigenous authors as well as some critically important resources.
- Joy Harjo (poetry), especially – She Had Some Horses, Weaving Sundown in a Scarlet Light, and How We Became Human
- Thomas King – The Inconvenient Indian and Green Grass, Running Water
- Carole Lindstrom – We are Water Protectors (kids)
- Elder Dr. Albert D. Marshall and & Louise Zimanyi- Walking Together (kids)
- Lee Maracle – Daughters are Forever and Ravensong
- Richard Wagamese – Indian Horse (also a great movie on Netflix)
- Tanya Tagaq – Split Tooth
- Joseph Boyden – Through Black Spruce (also a movie)
- Tanya Talaga, 7 Fallen Feathers
- Joshua Whitehead – Johnny Appleseed
- Eden Robinson – Son of a Trickster and Monkey Beach (also a movie)
- Robin Wall Kimmerer – Braiding Sweetgrass
- Joseph Dandurand (poetry) – The East Side of it All
- Therese Marie Mailhot – Heart Berries
- Paul G. Zolbrod – Diné Bahane’: The Navajo Creation Story
- Bob Joseph – 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act
- The Essential History of Residential Schools from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
- There is also A Knock on the Door: the essential history of residential schools from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
Movies & TV
- Alaska Daily (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls)
- Beans (Oka crisis)
- Brother, I cry (DTES struggles)
- Highway of Tears (BC Missing and Murdered indigenous women & Girls)
- We were children (indigenous schools)
- Monkey Beach (also a book)
- Dance me Outside
- Indian Horse (also a book)
- Through Black Spruce (also a book)
- Check out the Indigenous Cinema directory by the National Film Board of Canada for more great picks.
Podcasts
- Thunder Bay (Canadian racism and indigenous struggles)
- Missing & Murdered: Finding Cleo (BC MMIWG)
- The Secret Life of Canada
