December’s ground floor display is showcasing Indigenous music and art! The display case contains books, films, and CDs that explore artworks, music, and dance from Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island.
There are many books about Indigenous visual art in the OISE collection. The art of the Northwest Coast in particular is well-represented in the library collection, and include titles such as People of the Potlatch: Native Arts and Culture of the Pacific Northwest Coast, Listening to our Ancestors: The Art of Native Life Along the North Pacific Coast, 
Learning by Designing: Pacific Northwest Coast Native Indian Art, and Echoes of the Elders: The Stories and Paintings of Chief Lelooska. Also represented in the display is Inuit visual art, in Art of the Far North: Inuit Sculpture, Drawing, and Printmaking, and Plains ledger art, through the fictional tale The Ledgerbook of Thomas Blue-Eagle. Still other books explore Indigenous art through the process of creation, such as Learning by Doing: Northwest Coast Native Indian Art, Creations from the Heart: Native Crafts & Learning Activities, and I Can Make Art Like Andrew Qappik.
The OISE Library collection also includes audio recordings of Indigenous music, such as The Drum Calls Softly, Ojibway Music from Minnesota: A Century of Song for Voice and Drum, and The Soundtrack of a People: A Companion to the Encyclopedia of Native Music. In addition to audio recordings, the book My Music Reaches to the Sky: Native American Musical Instruments provides a survey of different Indigenous musical instruments accompanied by commentaries from Indigenous musicians from across North America. We also have several books profiling Indigenous musicians, including Great Musicians from our First Nations, Meet a Muscisian: Derek Miller, and Meet a Music Industry Professional: Alan Greyeyes.
In addition to music and visual art, we have books on Indigenous dance. Powwow is full of photographs of a powwow held a Crow Fair, while Long Powwow Nights shares childhood memories of attending powwows. Shannon: An Ojibwe Dancer profiles one young dancer and her experiences dancing at powwows. For younger readers, both Jingle Dancer and Firedancers tell stories of Indigenous children connecting with their heritage through dance.
Film is another art form represented in the OISE Library. Ispayin: Métis youth express yourself! is a compilation of video recordings created by Métis youth and includes many different art forms, such as song, dance, and poetry. Our collection also includes titles such as Kiviuq and Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner.
In addition to the books highlighting Indigenous art, the OISE Library contains books that address the inclusion of Indigenous art and music in the curriculum. These include Teaching Truly: A Curriculum to Indigenize Mainstream Education and Arts-Based Teaching and Learning as an Alternative Approach for Aboriginal Learners and their Teachers.
These books can be found in the glass display case on the ground floor of the OISE Library. All of these books are available to be checked out – please speak to staff at the circulation and reference desks if you need any assistance.
