March 31 is National Aboriginal Languages Day, and OISE Library has put together a display celebrating some of the vast array of Indigenous languages across Turtle Island! This display includes items from our Stacks, Curriculum Resources and Children’s Literature Collections. As an additional celebration of Indigenous Languages, an infographic was prepared regarding Indigenous Languages in Canada and displayed next to the physical Display. Below are a selection of some of the items in this display.
Basil Johnston’s book of Anishnaabe teachings, Meeya-ossaewin (Walking in Balance), are presented in a dual language format, in Anishnaabemowin and English. This resource presents an Indigenous worldview through the experiences of a family: a grandmother, a mother, a father and four brothers. This is a valuable resource for Indigenous language instruction and also to expose non-Indigenous readers to Indigenous voices. Another Anishinaabemowin book included in the display is Mino-nawae indauwaewin (Living in Harmony).
Chickasaw Astronaut John Herrington’s Mission to Space is 
a fun adventure book following his life’s journey from his dreams of flying to space to his safe return to Earth. Included in this book are a number of Chickasaw words and their literal meanings.
In Unipkaaqtuat Arvianit (Traditional Inuit stories from Arviat), Mark Kalluak gathered stories from the Elders of his community of Arviat and carefully wrote and translated them. Unipkaaqtuat Arvianit features traditional stories written in Inuktitut and made available for everyone to enjoy!
Li Minoush is a story about a Metis boy named Thomas 
and his pet cat. Throughout the story, Thomas learns about his heritage and his language through his mother, all the while bonding with his new pet. Li Minoush is a dual language book written in Michif and English and is recommended for early elementary school use.
Aboriginal Languages in Ontario is a report prepared in 1979 by Dr. Barbara Burnaby for the Ontario Ministry of Education. In it, Dr. Burnaby outlines the distribution and uses of Cree, Ojibwe, Potawatomi, Delaware, Mohawk, Oneida, Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, and Tuscarora in Ontario. This report largely focuses on Haudenosaunee and Algonquian languages. Other research on Indigenous Languages included in the display include Report on the Status of B.C. First Nations Languages 2010, Quebec’s Aboriginal Languages: Theory, Planning, Development and Native languages : a support document for the teaching of language patterns : Ojibwe and Cree : a resource guide.
This Display includes resources that are appropriate for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous learners of all age groups. The Display is located on the Second Floor of the OISE Library. If you would like to check out an item on display, don’t hesitate to ask a staff member for assistance, as all items are available to be borrowed!