National Network for Equitable Library Service

In the fifth book of the Mothers of Xsan series, award-winning author Hetxw'ms Gyetxw (Brett D. Huson) introduces young readers to a pack of grey wolves. New pups have just begun to open their eyes, one of which is a striking black female. Every day, her ears grow larger, her eyesight gets sharper, and her legs stretch farther. As she learns to hunt, play, and run with her pack, instinct pulls her to explore beyond her home territory. Will the young wolf's bold spirit help her find a new pack of her very own?

In this book, a son (Robert Davidson) learns to carve argillite from his father and grandfather. While carving, the son thinks back on a trip with his father when they gathered argillite from Slatechuck Mountain on Haida Gwaii. He remembers his father's words about looking back to find our way. Emphasizing the importance of intergenerational learning and specifically the role of Elders in sharing knowledge and mentoring, this book provides an example of how learning occurs through observation.

In this book, a grandfather and grandson (Robert Davidson) spend the day jigging for halibut off the northern tip of Haida Gwaii. They begin by rowing together in a wooden dinghy from their home in the village of Massett toward the ocean. After spending the day on the boat jigging for halibut, they return home with their catch. Highlighting traditional ways of sharing knowledge and the importance of intergenerational learning, this book provides an example of how learning emerges from authentic experiences.

Chahkapas: A Naskapi Legend shares the story of Chahkapas, a heroic figure in First Nations storytelling, who performs feats of strength and skill in spite of his diminutive size. The book shares this traditional legend as originally recorded in the Naskapi community in northern Quebec in 1967 when it was narrated by John Peastitute, a Naskapi Elder and accomplished storyteller.

Mary Louise (née Bangs) Rockthunder, / wêpanâkit, was an Elder of Cree, Saulteaux, and Nakoda descent. Born in 1913, raised and married at nehiyawipwatinahk / Piapot First Nation, Mary Louise, a much-loved storyteller, speaks of her memories, stories, and knowledge, revealing her personal humility and her deep love and respect for her family and her / nêhiyawêwin / language and culture. The recordings that are transcribed, edited, and translated for this book are presented in three forms: Cree syllabics, standard roman orthography (SRO) for Cree, and English.

Two people navigate their differences with curiosity and openness in this stunning picture book that imagines the first meeting between an Indigenous fisher and a European sailor. Based on an actual journal entry by French explorer Jacques Cartier from his first expedition to North America in July 1534, this story imagines the first encounter between a European sailor and a Stadaconan fisher. As the two navigate their differences (language, dress, food) with curiosity, the natural world around them notes their similarities.

In this Inuit tale, the actions of a hare and a fox change the Arctic forever by creating day and night. In very early times, there was no night or day and words spoken by chance could become real. When a hare and a fox meet and express their longing for light and darkness, their words are too powerful to be denied. Passed orally from storyteller to storyteller for hundreds of years, this beautifully illustrated story weaves together elements of an origin story and a traditional animal tale, giving young readers a window into Inuit mythology.

Little Wolf, grown up with children of her own, moves to the country where her mother, White Raven, shares a sad story from her childhood. All grown up with a family of her own, Little Wolf moves from the big city to the island of her ancestors. She wants to share the beauty and mysteries of nature with her children, and she wants them to learn as much about their culture as possible. One day, Little Wolf's mother, White Raven, visits and begins to tell her grandchildren stories from her own childhood. But the stories are not happy ones.

For fifteen years, the Echota family has been grieving their son. As the family's annual bonfire approaches, each of them feels a blurring of the boundary between normal life and the spirit world.

A Best Book of 2021 by NPR and Esquire From Kliph Nesteroff, "the human encyclopedia of comedy" ( VICE ), comes the important and underappreciated story of Native Americans and comedy. It was one of the most reliable jokes in Charlie Hill's stand-up routine: "My people are from Wisconsin. We used to be from New York.