This October, we are putting the spotlight on Indigenous story work and Indigenous literature! The display case on the ground floor of the OISE Library contains both traditional stories and legends from Indigenous peoples across Canada as well as contemporary literature by Indigenous authors. Every book in this display was written by an Indigenous author or illustrated by an Indigenous artist – be sure to check it out!

For some background on Indigenous stories, check out Jo-Ann Archibald’s Indigenous Storywork: Educating the Heart, Mind, Body, and Spirit (also available as an e-book). Also on display is Thomas King’s The Truth About Stories: A Native Narrative. Both of these books address Indigenous story work in a broad sense, discussing the role of stories in society and how storytelling can be used in education. Teachers interested in bringing Indigenous literature and storytelling into the classroom will want to check out OISE’s Deepening Knowledge project for additional resources and suggestions.

Many of the picture books on display come from our collection of traditional Indigenous stories and legends. The books in the OISE Collection include stories from many different Indigenous peoples across North America. On display, you will find tales such as The Hunter’s Promise: An Abenaki Tale, The Legend of the Fog, How the Bees Got Their Stingers, The Giant Bear: An Inuit Folktale, How Two-Feather was Saved from Loneliness, and More Tales from the Igloo. Many stories have been published as bilingual books as well, with the story written in both English and an Indigenous language: Muin and the Seven Bird Hunters: A Mi’kmaw Night Sky Story (Mi’kmaq), Wesakejack and the Flood (Cree), We-Gyet Wanders On: Legends of the Northwest (Gitksan), How Fox Saved the People (Dogrib), How the Birds Got Their Colours (Ojibwe), and Unipkaaqtuat Arvianit: Traditional Inuit Stories from Arviat (Inuktitut).

Any display showcasing Indigenous literature wouldn’t be complete without the inclusion of contemporary stories in addition to the traditional stories. We’ve got a great collection of contemporary works written by Indigenous authors available here at the OISE library. These contemporary works include quite a few novels, for all different reading levels and interests: Keeper’n Me, Stray Dog Moccasins, Slash, Nobody Cries at Bingo, Lightfinder, The Dark Pond, April Raintree, Wrist, and Goodbye Buffalo Bay.These novels tell stories about everything from family life in a First Nation to residential school experiences to a horror story involving dinosaur fossils.

In addition to novels, anthologies of Indigenous literature such as Blue Dawn, Red Earth: New Native American Storytellers and Paper Stays Put: A Collection of Inuit Writing can be found in the display. Another anthology of Indigenous story work, Dreaming in Indian: Contemporary Native American Voices, expands on the idea of storytelling: these stories are presented using creative visual media in addition to textual storytelling. We’ve also got books by Indigenous poets in our collection, such as Rita Joe’s For the Children and Jeanette Armstrong’s Breath Tracks. And for those of you looking to capture the interest of younger readers, check out graphic novels such as Stone and picture books such as Firedancers, Hide and Sneak, Sky Sisters, and What’s the Most Beautiful Thing You Know About Horses?

Storytelling is not limited to books and vowels, however! Film is another form of story work. Included in this month’s display are films by Indigenous filmmakers Alanis Obomsawin, Sigwan, and Ryan McMahon, Colonization Road. The OISE Library also has DVDs of the children’s television show Raven Tales, which adapts traditional Haida stories. One of these episodes, The Gathering, is also on display. These Raven Tales stories are also available in graphic novel format.

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.