Indigenous Stories and Reconciliation: 11 Must-Reads

If you haven’t already, now’s a great time to get started on learning more about the complete history of Canada, reconciliation and Indigenous perspectives on the ongoing impact of colonization.

Learn more about the diverse cultures and rich historical narratives that make up the Indigenous People who live in what we now call Canada.

This book list is a great start for anyone committed to embarking on a journey of reconciliation.

1. In Search of April Raintree, opens a new window by Beatrice Mosionier

Two sisters separated at a young age and placed into different foster homes share a family bond that unites them throughout the years. One sister attempts to maintain her Métis heritage while the other tries to assimilate into her foster family’s culture. 

It’s a sad and difficult story, opens a new window but a necessary one for anyone who’s interested in learning about the Sixties Scoop and the experiences of the people involved.

In Search of April Raintree is available as a book. There is also a revised version of the novel intended for students in grades 9 through 12, available as a book, opens a new window and eBook, opens a new window.

2. Bearskin Diary, opens a new window by Carol Daniels

Taken away from her family as a baby during what is now known as The Scoop, Sandy tells the story of growing up in a Ukrainian adopted family and being the only Indigenous kid in a white town. 

By finding her roots and gaining strength from her traditional heritage, Sandy’s story, opens a new window is one that overcomes racism and the experience of being ostracized so early in life, but it is important to remember that not all were so lucky.

Bearskin Diary is available as a book, opens a new window, eBook, opens a new window and DAISY accessible audiobook, opens a new window.

3. A Short History of Indians in Canada, opens a new window by Thomas King

A great introduction to the structure of Indigenous story-telling, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better book out there that epitomizes the style of Indigenous story-telling than this one. Thomas King offers 20 short stories filled with mysterious prose and loaded with ambiguity, drifting into the darkness here and there but also containing lightness and laughter too. 

The stories, opens a new window often feel unresolved and confusing; they leave the mind curious and searching for meaning, perhaps desiring that bright and shining moral centrepiece, so common a characteristic of mainstream storytelling. Although each tale is quite different, they are all connected by that unique style and authenticity that makes Indigenous-told histories stand out.

A Short History of Indians in Canada is available as a book, opens a new window and eBook, opens a new window.

4. Bad Medicine, opens a new window by John Reilly

For anyone who is still learning about the very real issues Indigenous Canadians face, this book will be an eye-opener. Provincial Court of Alberta Judge John Reilly shares his personal experiences as he examines the deeply seated corruption and mistreatment that plagues First Nations People living in Canada. 

He explains with sobering clarity exactly how the Canadian justice system fails to provide these communities with solutions to endemic problems such as suicide, drug and alcohol abuse and domestic violence. If you are interested in the concept of restorative justice, this is a must-read, opens a new window.

Bad Medicine is available as a book, opens a new window and eBook, opens a new window.

5. Coppermine, opens a new window by Keith Ross Leckie

Coppermine is a historical novel based on the true case of two Inuit men tried in Edmonton for the murder of two French missionaries in the Arctic Coppermine region in 1917. 

Part legal thriller, part adventure-survival story, opens a new window, the story follows Jack Creed, a young Canadian Mounted Police officer, as he tracks down the suspected killers and then brings them back to Edmonton for trial. The descriptions of the North are breathtaking, and the revelations of Inuit culture and belief systems keep the pages turning.

Coppermine is available as a book, opens a new window and eBook, opens a new window.

6. Indian Horse, opens a new window by Richard Wagamese

Saul Indian Horse has hit rock bottom after his latest booze binge lands him in a treatment facility. From this vantage point, he looks back on his life and experiences growing up in northern Ojibway, being forced into a residential school in Canada and being really good at hockey. 

Author Richard Wagamese writes a perfect picture of landscape and life, mystery and myth, of innocence lost and the journey back to peace in this moving novel, opens a new window.

Indian Horse is available as a book, opens a new window, eBook, opens a new window and DAISY accessible audiobook, opens a new window.

7. Night Moves, opens a new window by Richard Van Camp

Richard Van Camp’s set of short stories does not disappoint. His knack for making characters so real you’ll swear you saw them walking down the street last week is nothing short of magical. 

The stories, opens a new window are crazy and mystical and make the reader feel privileged to be taken into the world of northern Canadian life—what a wild ride!

Night Moves is available as a book, opens a new window and eBook, opens a new window.

8. Pilgrimage, opens a new window by Diana Davidson

Set in 1867, Diana Davidson’s novel involves the lives of Metis Settlers at Manito Sakahigan (Spirit Lake or Lac St. Anne, Alberta, as the maps say today). This is one story of many who lived and survived in the harsh northern land of what would eventually be known as Canada. 

It is also worth noting that the author finishes this book, opens a new window with a discussion on appropriation, specifically one white woman’s experience writing about historical Indigenous characters and the challenges and anxieties she felt while doing so. It is a thought-provoking topic worth considering.

Pilgrimage is available as a book, opens a new window and eBook, opens a new window.

9. The Outside Circle by Patti LaBoucane-Benson

Patti Laboucane-Benson and artist Kelly Mellings together have created something really special in this graphic novel set in Edmonton. Generational trauma is a term that’s gaining prominence, and its sad repercussions can often inspire feelings of hopelessness and defeat. 

In this book, opens a new window, the reader is taken on a visual journey that reveals new possibilities along with much-needed answers to how the endless cycle of abuses and pain that affect Indigenous communities can be turned around for new generations through healing and ceremony. This book gives us hope for the future and the strength to help our brothers and sisters.

The Outside Circle is available as a graphic novel, opens a new window.

10. The Reason You Walk, opens a new window by Wab Kinew

When Wab Kinew, a Canadian musician and broadcaster, learned that his father, Chief Tobasonakwut, had been diagnosed with terminal cancer, he decided to dedicate his time to reconnecting with his father and his past. 

In this book, we learn of the Anishinaabe word Kiizhewaatiziwin, roughly meaning to live a life governed by humility, kindness and respect—important virtues that are all too often forgotten, or worse, considered a weakness. 

At its core, this is a book, opens a new window of growth, teaching and understanding how we can take the pains of the past and use them to guide us to a future where we can be better—where we are better.

The Reason You Walk is available as a book, opens a new window and eBook, opens a new window.

11. They Called Me Number One, opens a new window by Bev Sellars

They Called Me Number One is a story of resilience. Bev Sellar’s memoir is not just about her experiences at St. Joseph’s residential school in British Columbia, but how she overcame the abuse and suffering afterwards and became Williams Lake’s Chief of Xat’sull First Nation. 

One cannot help but feel profound respect for the author. Reading this memoir, opens a new window is a humbling experience and gives us hope that the wounds of the past do not always dictate the possibilities of the future.

They Called Me Number One is available as a book, opens a new window and eBook, opens a new window.

Discover more great books from local and international authors about diverse topics related to Indigenous history and culture.

Explore Indigenous Collection, opens a new window