Stories & Features

Whether you're heading to the campground or the couch this summer, consider adding some of these great reads by Indigenous authors to your reading list. From YA novels to poetry, there's something for everyone.

Race to the Sun

Rebecca Roanhorse (Indigenous group: Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo)

A Diné teen teams up with her younger brother and her best friend to battle monsters threatening their world. After seventh grader Nizhoni Begay senses a monster lurking in the stands during her basketball game, she tells her younger brother, Mac. Timeless themes such as the importance of family and respect for the land resonate in this funny, fast-paced, and exciting adventure set in the American Southwest.

Embers: One Ojibway's Meditations

Richard Wagamese (Indigenous group: Ojibway)

Honest, evocative and articulate, Wagamese explores the various manifestations of grief, joy, recovery, beauty, gratitude, physicality and spirituality – concepts many find hard to express. But for Wagamese, spirituality is multifaceted.

Buffalo Is The New Buffalo

Chelsea Vowel (Métis from manitow-sakahikan)

These eight short stories of "Métis futurism" explore Indigenous existence and resistance through the specific lens of being Métis. Expansive and eye-opening, Buffalo Is the New Buffalo rewrites our shared history in provocative and exciting ways.

Jonny Appleseed

Joshua Whitehead (Oji-Cree/nehiyaw of Peguis First Nation (Treaty 1))

A 2021 Canada Reads Winner and Globe and Mail Best Book of the Year, Jonny Appleseed is a tour-de-force debut novel about a Two-Spirit Indigiqueer young man and proud NDN glitter princess who must reckon with his past when he returns home to his reserve.

Firekeeper’s Daughter

Angeline Boulley (Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians)

In this YA thriller, eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine must root out the corruption in her community.

nedí nezų (Good Medicine)

Tenille K. Campbell (Dene/Métis from English River First Nation in Treaty Ten)

nedí nezų is a smart, sensual, and scandalous poetry collection dripping in Indigenous culture yet irresistible to anyone in thrallto the magnificent disaster that is dating, sex, and relationships.

Son of a Trickster

Eden Robinson (Haisla and Heiltsuk First Nations)

A striking and precise coming-of-age novel, in which everyday teen existence meets Indigenous beliefs, crazy family dynamics and cannibalistic river otters.

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants 

Robin Wall Kimmerer (Citizen Potawatomi Nation)

Drawing on her life as an Indigenous scientist, and as a woman, Kimmerer shows how other living beings—asters and goldenrod, strawberries and squash, salamanders, algae, and sweetgrass—offer us gifts and lessons, even if we've forgotten how to hear their voices.

Support local, support Indigenous. Order from Indigenous owned Massy Books based in Vancouver.

You might have enjoyed delicious bannock in the past as a literal taste of Indigenous culture.

We've got a recipe for you to create your very own bannock right at home which includes ingredients you probably already own:

Navajo Fry Bread/deep fried bannock recipe

• 3 cups of unbleached flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 cup milk mixed with 3/4 cup hot water (hot enough so mixed liquid is almost too hot to touch
• 1 tbsp oil or shortening oil or shortening for deep frying (heated to 360°F)

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir in milk/water mixture and knead briefly with lightly oiled hands until smooth. Rub the remainder of the one tbsp of oil over the dough. Cover and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Pat or roll enough dough to fit in the palm of your hand in a circle about 1/8" thick (at least, a touch thicker is better). Deep-fry the dough in hot oil or shortening for about one minute per side, or until golden brown. Makes 10-12 pieces.

Not much of a cook? If you're located in Vancouver, Merritt, or West Kelowna – you're in luck. You can support local Indigenous restaurants and get some delicious take out.

From Spotify to Apple Music, many of us have access to a wider range of new artists and musicians than ever before. You might be familiar with artists like The Halluci Nation or Buffy Sainte-Marie. These great artists are just a few of the ones you can enjoy, however you consume your music.

If you've been looking for some new sounds to add to your daily soundtrack, we can get you started with suggested playlists and tunes from contemporary artists.

• Apple Music: National Indigenous Peoples Day playlist
• CBC Music: Indigenous Music Awards Nominees playlist
• Spotify: exist&resist&indigenize&decolonize playlist

Canadian artists

Looking for your next great film or binge-worthy show? Consider tuning into one of the below films and TV shows to be entertained while also learning about Indigenous culture.

Film

Prey – Disney +

Set in the Comanche Nation 300 years ago, this is the story of Naru, a fierce and highly skilled warrior, raised in the shadow of legendary hunters who roam the Great Plains. When danger threatens her camp she sets out to protect her people.

Monkey Beach – CBC Gem

Monkey Beach is the spiritual home of Lisa Hill, a young Haisla woman dealing with her rebellious past, dark supernatural gifts, and who is obsessed with preventing the death of her younger brother, who is lost out at sea.

Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner – Netflix

In this captivating retelling of an Inuit legend, a romantic rivalry leads to tragedy among a small community in the remote Arctic wilderness.

The Grizzlies – iTunes (rent $5.99, buy $12.00)

In a small Arctic town struggling with the highest suicide rate in North America, a group of Inuit students' lives are transformed when they're introduced to the sport of lacrosse.

Indian Horse – iTunes (rent $5.99, buy $4.99)

Follows the life of Native Canadian Saul Indian Horse as he survives residential school and life amongst the racism of the 1970s. A talented hockey player, Saul must find his own path as he battles stereotypes and alcoholism.

Edge of the Knife – iTunes (rent $6.99, buy $12.99)

When a man accidentally causes the death of the son of his best friend, the man is wracked by grief and runs off into the woods.

Blood Quantum – iTunes (rent $5.99, buy $9.99)

The dead are coming back to life outside the isolated Mi'gMaq reserve of Red Crow, except for its Indigenous inhabitants who are strangely immune to the zombie plague.

You can also explore a free, extensive online library of over 200 films by Indigenous directors provided by the National Film Board of Canada.

TV

Reservation Dogs – FX on Disney +

Following the exploits of four Indigenous teenagers in rural Oklahoma who steal, rob and save in order to get to the exotic, mysterious and faraway land of California.

Rutherford Falls – Amazon Prime 

The series tracks the relationship between two lifelong friends, Nathan Rutherford and Reagan Wells who find themselves at a crossroads when a statue of the founder of the town — and Nathan's ancestor — comes under scrutiny and many want it to be removed.

Molly of Denali – CBC GEM (free)

Check out this kid's show where you can join Molly, an Alaska Native girl, her dog Suki, and friends Tooey and Trini on their adventures in epically beautiful Alaska. And along the way, Molly’s life is enhanced, kept on track, and flat-out SAVED by maps, guide books, websites, weather reports, and more.

Mohawk Girls – CBC GEM (free)

Mohawk Girls is a half- hour dramatic comedy about four young women figuring out how to be Mohawk in the 21st century. The series centers around four twenty-something Mohawk women trying to find their place in the world.

Tribal – APTN (subscribe, try for free)

The controversial new Chief of Tribal Police is forced to partner with a big-city cop amid allegations of corruption from the federal government.

First Contact – APTN (subscribe, try for free)

First Contact takes six Canadians on a 28-day journey intended to challenge attitudes and shed a light on the true Indigenous experience. The travellers, all with ignorant views about Indigenous People, have been invited to leave their everyday lives behind and embark on a unique journey, travelling deep into the Indigenous communities throughout Canada.

From bath bombs to beauty products, Indigenous-owned businesses from across Canada offer a wide range of amazing products. They make great gifts – or treat yourself.

Wellness products

Sister's Sage: Gitxaala, Nisga'a, Metis

Self-care products made from traditional ingredients

Up the Hill at Loakin: Secwepemc

Indigenous personal and medicinal care herbal products

Cheekbone Beauty: Ontario

Makeup brand featured on Dragon's Den

Yukon Soaps Company: Mayo, Yukon

Handmade soaps made from scratch

Clothing

Ay Lelum: Nanaimo

Clothing and fabrics

Wolf Pack Apparel: Various

Clothing showcasing authentic Indigenous art and designs

Art and jewelry

Cedar Hill Long House

Prints from various Indigenous artists

Lady Bear Designs: Mohawk, Ojibway and Cayuga

Handcrafted jewelry