I am grateful to be learning within the traditional territory of the Ktunaxa Nation. I would like to acknowledge the ancestral preservation of the pristine land I enjoy everyday. The beautiful mountains are a peaceful presence for reflecting and adapting lessons. The lovely forests create engaging environments for outdoor learning and play. I promise to follow the lead of the Indigenous community to maintain this land for future generations.
Roxanne Harde:
Roxanne is the author of the article Putting First Nations Texts at the Center which focuses on finding appropriate Indigenous resources. She free-lanced as a library consultant for the Little Red River School, north of Prince Albert. Roxanne and her team worked to go through the library and get rid of books that were not considered authentic. She shared a bit about her process:
“Think of it this way: when a story is written about a white child, the child is seen as an individual, so the Native child as an individuated subject became the basis of my criteria for the collection. Therefore, I discarded those stories about the Native child that used that child to stereotype, moralize, generalize, and objectify—to write about a nation, a people, instead of about a child.”
Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop:
Rudine published a groundbreaking essay “mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors” in 1990. She was a decorated scholar, college professor, and author and pioneered the concept. This concept was influential for creating vital experiences for children of ALL backgrounds in reading. I will use this idea when I am creating a classroom library to ensure all of my students can find books where they are represented. In order to achieve this goal it is vital that I know my students and make connections with their families to learn about their history. I will also need to be constantly updating my library and willing to follow the advice of the most current research. Check out the concept below:
A Sample of my Library:
Following the research of Roxanne Harde’s criteria for an authentic source that sees the child as an individual and Dr. Rudine Sims Bischop’s theory on children’s vital experiences in reading I have put together a sample of a handful of books I will be including in my library to ensure I have authentic sources for my Indigenous children to relate to.
“Sometimes I feel like a Fox” introduces the reader to 12 totem animals and their associated meaning in Anishinaabe tradition. Each page introduces a new animal in short, two sentence poems detailing the unique characteristics of that animal.
This book is created by Canadian and Indigenous author Danielle Daniel and is an authentic source representing the Anishinaabe community.
Kyukyit is a book written completely in the Indigenous language Ktunaxa. This book is about a young girl who is greeting different animals local to the Kootenay area.
This book is Created by the Ktunaxa Nation and represents the community local to the Kootenay area.
This is the story of a young Ojibwe girl who has been taught by her elder grandmother that water is sacred. When the girl learned of a prophecy that the “black snake” will destroy her lands and her water she is prepared to fight back to protect those that cannot protect themselves.
This book is created by Carole Lindestorm, an Indigenous woman who is a part of and represents the Ojibwe community.
“How Raven Stole the Sun” is an origin story from the Tlingit community of how a once pure white raven became black as coal while releasing the light that has been held captive.
This book is written based on the oral stories passed down by the Tlingit community and is written by a Tlingit woman named Maria Williams and Illustrated by Felix Vigil.
If you would like to find more local Indigenous resources check out the article 14 inspiring children’s books from Indigenous writers shared by the CBC.
BC Curriculum Connections:
**** connections are made to the grade 5 English Language Arts Curriculum, similar connections can be made at both older and younger grade levels
Big Ideas:
- Texts can be understood from different perspectives. (by using texts from people of all backgrounds you are teaching your students that everyone has a unique perspective and every voice matters)
Curricular Competencies:
- Access information and ideas from a variety of sources and from prior knowledge to build understanding (Students will learn that when gathering sources it is important to gather data from a variety of unique perspectives)
- Identify how story in First Peoples cultures connects people to land
- Demonstrate awareness of the oral tradition in First Peoples cultures and the purposes of First Peoples texts
Content:
- perspective/point of view
