National Network for Equitable Library Service

A bold and breathtaking anthology of queer Indigenous speculative fiction, edited by the author of Jonny Appleseed. This exciting and groundbreaking fiction anthology showcases a number of new and emerging 2SQ (Two-Spirit and queer) Indigenous writers from across Turtle Island. These visionary authors show how queer Indigenous communities can bloom and thrive through Utopian narratives that detail the vivacity and strength of 2SQness throughout its plight in the maw of settler colonialism's histories.

“Childhood Thoughts and Water" is a collection of Beat Poetry, Spoken Word, Performance Art and Lyrical Verse. This is a work which journeys into the memories and events of an Urban Indigenous warrior’s struggles to reconnect with a language and culture that is seemingly always almost out of reach.

This poetry collection creatively reveals the beautiful and bitter essences of the world from a distinctive Indigenous female voice. Speaking from her unique Mohawk perspective, the poet unapologetically sings words of wisdom and cultural confidence. By using this creative foundation to unite distinctive communities, she expresses raw emotion throughout her journey toward inner peace from a uniquely Indigenous point of view.

"Mâmitonêhta kisêwâtisiwin", a Cree translation of "Imagine Mercy", is a vibrant poetry collection portraying the daily realities of living as an Indigenous person in Canada. David Groulx and Randy Morin seamlessly weave the spiritual with the ordinary and the present with the past. The author speaks for the spirit, determination, and courage of Indigenous people, compelling readers to confront cruel reality with his honest and inspiring vision.

"The Rumour" is a collection of poetry that exposes many important issues of Indigenous discrimination, poverty, drug abuse, brutal violence, love, family, and complex human relationships. As a skilled painter, Joseph A. Dandurand portrays the essence of strong connections with rich Indigenous history, culture, traditions, and family values with broad but precise strokes. The poems come from author's lifetime experience living on the Kwantlen First Nation reserve and give a true picture of the resilience and the struggles Indigenous people experience in everyday life.

The poems in "pihta ?kwa wihta"reveal strong links to land, to family, and to the wisdom of elders. The author exposes the struggles that many Aboriginal people encounter while getting an education, dealing with family issues and abuse, learning to respect themselves and demanding respect from others, finding their place in the world, and recovering their rich history and culture. This book illustrates the resilience and strength of the Aboriginal people and the determination that they bring to their local communities across Canada.

In this poetry book, David Groulx seamlessly weaves the spiritual with the ordinary and the present with the powerful voices of the past. He speaks for the spirit, determination, and courage of Aboriginal people, compelling readers to confront cruel reality with his sincere and inspiring vision. Author's poetic power renders an honest and painful perception of Aboriginal life with strong voice against prejudice and injustice.

Written by a Mohawk Institute Residential School survivor, this is a fierce and candid story that reveals the heartbreaking trauma of that tragic time in our history. The author portrays how the ongoing impact of the residential schools confinements has affected Indigenous communities over several generations and has contributed to many social problems that continue to exist today.

“Eskimo Pie: A Poetics of Inuit Identity” examines Dunning’s lived history as an Inuk who was born, raised and continues to live south of sixty. Her writing takes into account the many assimilative practices that Inuit continue to face and the expectations of mainstream as to what an Inuk person can and should be.

"Calling Down the Sky" is a poetry collection that describes deep personal experiences and post generational effects of the Canadian Aboriginal Residential School confinements in the 1950's when thousands of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children were placed in these schools against their parents' wishes. Many were forbidden to speak their language and practice their own culture. The author portrays how the ongoing impact of the residential schools problem has been felt throughout generations and has contributed to social problems that continue to exist today.