In celebration of National Aboriginal Day on June 21st, OISE Library has put together a display highlighting materials that focus on Aboriginal traditions, culture and education.

OISE Library has a number of new titles in the graphic novel series “The Adventures of Rabbit and Bear Paws”, by Chad Solomon and Christopher Meyer!  Set in the 1750s colonized North America, the series follows two brothers, Rabbit and Bear Paws, as they travel from coast to coast with the fur trade. The two brothers find adventure wherever they are and through these humorous adventures your students will learn about the different cultures of this time period. Each picture book also comes with an audio eBook so your students can listen to their favorite stories! Some of our new titles include: “The Sugar Bush”, “Tall Tale”, “The Voyageurs”, “True Hearts”, and “Bear Walker”.

You can also follow Rabbit, his brother Bear Paws, and Strawberry in the new picture book series “Rabbit and Bear Paws: Sacred Seven”. This series, written in dual language Ojibwe and English, follows the three characters as they try to understand the Seven Grandfather teachings, teachings which form the foundation of the Aboriginal way of life. According to Aboriginal tradition, each teaching is embodied by an animal : Eagle (Love), Bear (Courage), Buffalo (Respect), Mouse (Humility), Sabe /Big Foot (Honesty), Turtle (Truth), and Beaver (Wisdom). By interacting with the animal each teaching embodies, the characters learn the sacred teachings, but they also get into funny situations.

Along with these great graphic novels, OISE Library has a large collection of children’s books that bring to life various aboriginal stories. Award-winning Metis author and former teacher and principal David Bouchard retells a number of indigenous stories through his children’s books. In “Rainbow Crow: Nagweyaabi-Aandeg” (English and Ojibwe), we learn about the legend of the Rainbow Crow and the courage and sacrifice he displayed when he flew to the heavens to seek help from the Creator. Teach your students about the creation of Grandmother Moon in Bouchard’s “Beneath Raven Moon” (English and Kwakwala) and share the importance of culture and identity in Bouchard’s “Long Powwow Nights” (English and Mi’kmaq). All of these books come with an audio CD which include the dual language reading of the stories and beautiful music by Native American artists.

You can also check out these beautifully illustrated children’s books that share Objibwe, Mohawk, and Inuit stories: “Hiawatha and the Peacemaker” , “The Legend of the Beaver’s Tail”, “The Legend of Lighting and Thunder”, “Nanabosho and the Woodpecker”, and  “Nanabosho: How the Turtle Got its Shell”. For an interactive lesson, don’t forget to include the Storytellers puppets! OISE Library has a number of unique puppets including Boomer the Thunderbird, Splash the Ora, Tricky the Raven, and Shelly the Turtle.

Teach your students about specific Aboriginal cultures through the series Canadian Aboriginal Art and Culture, a series designed to recount the history of Canada’s Aboriginal Peoples. Each book in the series describes the groups’ traditional ways of life, religious beliefs, celebrations and artwork and includes activities to make the learning experience fun and interactive. Great for students in grades 4-6, you can share the history of “The Algonquin”, “The Blackfoot”, “The Huron”, “The Ktunaxa”, and “The Sioux” with your students using these books. You can also use the Aboriginal First Nations map of Canada to show your students where each group originated.

For materials that focus on teaching in aboriginal communities or teaching aboriginal students check out “The First Nations Series for Young Readers Teacher Resource” for grades 4-10. This teacher guide is designed to be used with the Second Story Press’ “First Nations Series for Young Readers”, including “Great Writers from our First Nations” , and “Environmentalists from Our First Nations”. This resource supports Native American holistic concepts of community and how teachers can use these ideas to help support differentiated instructions. You can also use “Culturally Relevant Aboriginal Education” and “Approaches to Aboriginal Education in Canada” for additional information on aboriginal pedagogy and current issues around supporting aboriginal pedagogy.

Share the work of first nations authors with your students, including “Night is Gone, Day is still Coming”, a collection of stories and poems written by Aboriginal youth between the ages of eleven and twenty-two. You can also check out “Strength and Struggle: Perspectives from First Nations, Inuit, and Metis Peoples in Canada”. This collections of short stories, poetry, music lyrics, graphic art, essays, and other pieces is a true celebration of First Nations, Inuit and Métis writing and art.

As we celebrate Aboriginal culture and traditions, we must also remember the history of our First Nations communities and the residential schools that forced the assimilation of our Aboriginal Peoples into Anglo-Canadian culture. Honor the survivors and share their experience with your students with “Residential Schools : With Words and Images of Survivors”. This collection of 70 memoirs includes 125 archival and contemporary images is a great resource for high school students to gain a deeper understanding of the residential school system and its impact on Aboriginal communities. Also check out “Broken Glass : The Dark Legacy of Indian Residential Schools: A Memoir” and “Sugar Falls: a Residential School Story”.

OISE Library has all the resources you need to celebrate National Aboriginal Day. All of these and many more materials can be found in the book display case on the Ground Floor of OISE Library. They are available for check out too! Simply speak with the Circulation staff at the Service Desk and they’ll help you out!