Before I start, I want to acknowledge that I am writing this here, on traditional un-ceded Coast Salish territory. I am not an Indigenous or First Nations person. My insights into the history and culture of the rich and various tribes that called this place home long before my European ancestors did still have a lot of growth to come. The Indigenous kids books and resources I have to share today come from my own experiences to include exposure to Indigenous culture with my own child and the children in the Early Learning centres I have worked in.
To better understand what we, as non-indigenous persons, can do to promote understanding and reconciliation, I encourage you to look to the many more knowledgeable Indigenous people who are better able to share our histories and how we can help bring about a better life through empathy and fairness for all.
That aside, I do want to share some beautiful resources I have come across through the years that help to amplify Indigenous voices and cultural teachings for young children. I encourage you to seek these indigenous kids books out and invest some time on the very worthwhile teachings within. While these are always recommended reads, I thought now was a good time to dedicate to sharing these in celebration of the new federal stat holiday in Canada: the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
To be clear, I am including Amazon associate links here. The reason being that even though I’m not keen on supporting Bezos, it’s the easiest way for me to include visuals of these books without stealing copyrighted images from the net. I have included links to check out these materials in other places as well, but if you do end up purchasing anything through the Amazon dot ca links, you should know that I will make a wee commission.
The Six Cedar Trees is a book with Indigenous art by Celestine Aleck and the content written by Margot Landahl, a teacher. It is connected to BC’s redesigned curriculum, Core Competencies, and is not considered specifically Indigenous, while it does make connections to Indigenous content. This was a book my daughter and I covered extensively last year and was a very positive influence on developing my daughter’s (and my own) character and values.
Teddy Anderson is a marvelous story teller and public speaker that I have had the pleasure of hearing and watching him speak and dance at the elementary schools here on Salt Spring Island, BC. A captivating speaker, he always connects with the youth he visits at the schools and inspires inclusion while sharing and teaching First Nations traditional hoop dancing.
Teddy’s performances, along with this book, teach the concept of inclusion using the First Nation’s symbol of the Medicine Wheel.
This sweet story shares the idea of a “sharing circle” guided by an elder to help work through an argument between two young animals in their community. This book is a beautiful introduction to taking turns at talking and sharing their thoughts, ideas, and feelings, and that everyone has a right to be speak and be heard. Together, communities can work through controversy when we listen to each other.
Medicine Wheel Education publishes culturally authentic Indigenous books, resources and tools specialized for moral and cultural education. The books they publish teach “a positive moral message designed to invite all children, youth and adults to engage and participate in culture with authenticity and respect.”
Do you have another book or website to add to this list of Indigenous resources in Canada? Please share in the comments! Again, I’m very far from the most informed person on this subject. I’m just a preschool teacher and homeschooling mom trying to do better when I know better, and raise a better world. If you have any critiques for me, I’m all ears.
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*Disclosure: I already mentioned it, but again, there are some associate Amazon.ca links here that provide a small compensation for the referral if you purchase something through them. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
2 thoughts on “4 Indigenous Kids Books & Learning Resources”
Thank you for the great suggestions!
I’m glad I can share something valuable! <3