“I am more convinced everyday that without a single exception I did right. And I have always believed that, as I have acted honestly, the time will come when the people of Canada will see and acknowledge it.” – Louis Riel

“We must cherish our inheritance. We must preserve our nationality for the youth of our future. The story should be written down to pass on.” – Louis Riel

Today on November 16^th we join the Métis Nation to mark the 133^rd anniversary of the execution of Louis Riel. This is an important day for Métis people across the Métis Homeland as it is an opportunity to honour the sacrifice made by Louis Riel who gave his life in order to defend Métis rights. This post is a part of our series for Indigenous Education Month throughout November.

Louis Riel was a political leader who led the Red River Resistance, an important time in the history of the Métis Nation leading up to the 1869 establishment of the Provisional Government. Later he also fought the Canadian Government in the North-West Resistance, culminating in the Battle of Batoche. Because of his leadership role in this resistance, Louis Riel was eventually executed for treason by the Canadian Government.

In this list of resources, OISE Library compiled materials on the importance of Louis Riel, and also the history of the Métis Nation. For a more thorough understanding of Métis identity and nationhood, please see Métis: race, recognition, and the struggle for Indigenous peoplehood by Chris Andersen. At the end of this post, there will be a list of prominent Métis scholars as well.

Louis Riel by Terry Barber is a resource about the life of Louis Riel targeted at reluctant readers. Through the use of repetition of vocabulary, students will learn about the history of the Red River Settlement and Riel while also developing a greater appreciation for reading. This resource is especially appropriate for English Language Learners learning about Indigenous peoples through literature.

The Métis: a visual history is a stunning collection of art and history created by the Gabriel Dumont Institute, meant to highlight the history of the Métis from the birth of the Métis Nation to the near past. This is an important resource for authentic Métis voices in the telling of the birth and movement of the Métis Nation. This resource will not only offer a better understanding of the history, but also the sovereignty and development of Métis nationhood.

Storm at Batoche is a fictionalized account of a boy, James, who meets Louis Riel during a storm. During this encounter, Riel teaches James how to make bannock and reminds him that there are similarities and differences between their cultures. Riel stresses that both need to be celebrated. Later in the book, there is an easy recipe for how to make bannock.

The Riel Rebellion: A biographical approach encourages students to engage with primary sources to critically think about Louis Riel and his legacy. Through activities such as creating comic strips, evaluating monuments and comparing  newspaper articles, students are encouraged to develop critical thinking skills through inquiry based learning.

There are many Métis scholars who continue to advance work in Métis identity and ways of knowing. Some of these people include:

Chelsea Vowel, Zoe Todd, Chris Andersen, Michelle Murphy, Kim Anderson, Chelsea Gabel, Brenda Macdougall, Janet Smylie, Jennifer Adese and Adam Gaudry.

In honour of National Inuit Day on November 7, OISE Library has compiled a few of the resources available in the collection about Inuit stories, lives and culture. National Inuit Day falls within Indigenous Education Month, and this post is part of our celebration of this month.

Here in Toronto, there is a growing community of Inuit people. There are a number of organizations and community gatherings that bring Inuit people and their friends together. To learn more about Inuit people in the Toronto area, there is the Toronotomiutaugjugut (Toronto’s Inuit Youth) and the Toronto Inuit Association.

Fishing with Grandma follows a Grandma as she takes her two grandchildren on an adventure to fish. After preparing everything they need for fishing, they spend the day jigging in the ice for fish. This book shows traditional Inuit skills, but also highlights a tender and exciting day with family.

Sila and the Land is a book that was created by three Indigenous women to share perspectives on the Land that are common across First Nations, Métis and Inuit cultures. This is a story about an Inuit girl, Sila, who travels around Turtle Island, learning about perspectives on respecting the Land in the Four Directions.

Ilagiinniq : interviews on Inuit family values from the Qikiqtani Region prominently features interviews with Elders from three regions of Nunavut. In these interviews, they speak of the family values held by Inuit peoples – relationships between siblings, Elders and grandchildren, uncles and aunts, husbands and wives, and in-laws are all covered. This is an invaluable resource on relations in Nunavut.

Inuit qaujimajatuqangit : what Inuit have always known to be true is a key resource on Inuit knowledge. While there has been much research done into colonizing forces that have tried to take away Inuit knowledge, there has not been many resources speaking to the strength and the value of that knowledge. This book, with its Inuktitut title meaning “all the extensive knowledge and experience passed from generation to generation”, provides perspectives on relating to human and non-human kin, as well as to the Land.

Qanuq pinngurnirmata : [Inuit unikkaangit qanuq pinngurnirmangaata] is a collection of Inuit Creation stories written in Inuktitut. In its nuanced prose, it introduces readers to the powerful teachings central to an Inuit worldview, coming from Inuit knowledge.

November 5 – 10 is Treaty Recognition Week in Ontario. This is part of a series of days bringing awareness to Indigenous issues known as Indigenous Education Month. OISE Library has a number of valuable materials for K-12, postsecondary and graduates students alike on Treaty Education.

The Land which is now known as Toronto has been the subject of a treaty since the Toronto Purchase in 1787. It is also subject to the Williams Treaties. The current stewards and treaty holders for Toronto are the Mississauga of the New Credit First Nation. For more information on the treaties affecting Toronto, please see the Mississauga of the New Credit First Nation website on the Toronto Purchase and Treaty Lands & Territory. The University of Toronto Libraries also has a Research Guide entitled The Indigenous History of Tkaronto.

Treaty Baby is written by two Mohawk sisters, Sara and Alyssa General. This book explains the concept of treaties to children from Kindergarten to Grade 2. On the cover, two babies hold up a Wampum belt, representing the Haudenosaunee Tree of Peace. This book begins at birth and illustrates throughout early life why treaties are important and that we must honour them. The characters further speak about connection to the Land and the importance of stewardship and how treaties respect boundaries and relationships between people.

Nation to Nation: A resource on treaties in Ontario is a useful guide for educators to bring into upper year classrooms. It is filled with information about the treaties in Ontario. It begins with the Royal Proclamation of 1763 and shows a timeline of subsequent treaties. Other treaties that are detailed and explored in this resource include Treaty of Niagara 1764, Chippewa Treaties, Manitoulin Treaties, Robinson Superior Treaty, Robinson Huron Treaty, and Williams Treaties. It is also available in French.

Treaty Tales: We are all Treaty People is one book in a trilogy exploring the history of treaties, known ass the Treaty Tales. It follows the adventures of Neepin and his kookoo as they walk through the history of relationships between settlers and Indigenous nations.

From Treaty Peoples to Treaty Nation: A Road Map for All Canadians is an important title in the scholarly conversation around the values of treaties to Indigenous peoples. This resource sheds light on the various debates on Indigenous sovereignties and what court decisions and developments have meant for treaty relationships. The central question that they seek to address is how Canadians should move forward with Indigenous peoples as treaty people.

For a full list of materials on Treaty Education, please see our Treaty Education and Geography display list.