National Network for Equitable Library Service

For many Canadians, the first introduction to Viola Desmond will have been was seeing her portrait on the new $10 banknote. Those who are familiar with her life Others know that she was wrongfully arrested in 1946 for refusing to give up her seat in the racially segregated Roseland Theater in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. Her singular act of courage was a catalyst in the struggle for racial equality, which ultimately resulted in the passage of human rights legislation that officially ended the practice of racial segregation in Nova Scotia.

Policing Black Bodies is a timely and much-needed exposure of historical and contemporary practices of state-sanctioned violence against Black lives in Canada. This groundbreaking work dispels many prevailing myths that cast Canada as a land of benevolence and racial equality, and uncovers long-standing state practices that have restricted Black freedom.

The Midewiwin is the traditional religious belief system central to the world view of Ojibwa in Canada and the US. It is a highly complex and rich series of sacred teachings and narratives whose preservation enabled the Ojibwa to withstand severe challenges to their entire social fabric throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. It remains an important living and spiritual tradition for many Aboriginal people today. The rituals of the Midewiwin were observed by many 19th century Euro-Americans, most of whom approached these ceremonies with hostility and suspicion.

Account of archaeological work in northern Manitoba and of artifacts found in three sites: Thyazzi, Twin Lakes, and Seahorse Gully. Author's Doctoral thesis at University of Calgary, May 1968.

Perspectives on the heritage of the United Church of Canada in the west.

In River Road Friesen tells some of the "local stories" that make up the history of the Canadian prairies. From Louis Riel to the collapse of the Meech Lake Accord, the prairies have often been a place where conflicting visions of Canada have clashed. Friesen portrays some of the different sides and personalities of this history, such as Bob Russell, leader of the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike, and J.H. Riddell, principal of Wesley College.

The first economic, military, and diplomatic history of the Plains Cree from contact with the Europeans in the 1670s to the disappearance of the buffalo from Cree lands by the 1870s, focussing on military and trade relations between 1790 and 1870. Milloy describes three distinct eras, each characterized by a paramount motive for war — the wars of migration and territory, the horse wars during the ‘golden years’ of Plains Indian life, and buffalo wars, which mark the trail to the reserves.

Over a two-year period, Katherine Martens interviewed twenty-six women from three generations about their experiences of motherhood and giving birth. While all had some connection to the Mennonite community, their stories reflect their diverse backgrounds - weaving through the narratives of life stories that include escaping the Russian Revolution, running farms, and working at such diverse occupations as sales clerks, nurses, professors, teachers, and poets.

Ukrainians first came to Canada a century ago, seeking a new life on the western prairies. They brought with them an ancient and rich cultural tradition, deeply rooted in Christianity. The most visible symbol of this tradition is the Ukrainian church with its distinctive cupolas. As soon as the settlers were established in the new land, they began to reshape their environment by building churches in the styles they remembered from their homeland.

Manitoba is more than one of Canada’s three prairie provinces. Encompassing 649,950 square kilometres, its territory ranges from Canadian Shield to grassland, parkland, and subarctic tundra. Its physical geography has been shaped by ice-age glaciers, while its human geography reflects the influences of its various inhabitants, from the First Nations who began arriving over 9,000 years ago, to its most recent immigrants. This fascinating range of geographical elements has given Manitoba a distinct identity and makes it a unique area for study.