Publishers
These are aboriginal-owned publishers who focus on producing materials that are culturally relevant. Some of them will also offer publications for language learning, so take a look!
Eaglecrest books is a small publisher out of BC that specialises in early literacy books with a focus on a representation of First Nations children in various family and cultural situations. There are books offered in English, French and in Plains Cree (RSO and syllabics!).
You can also apparently contact the publisher to have the books done in your own dialect or language. The words are usually on a white page facing the pictures so you can see how this would work well. Very, very cool. I love the pictures and think this is a great resource for young language learners.
- This publisher produces pocket phrased books in Inuktitut, Ojibwe and Cree.
- Gabriel Dumont Institute: (Métis and Michif focused books, many children’s books) The September 2011 catalogue can be found here.
- Pemmican Publications (Métis and Michif focused with many children’s books) The 2011 catalogue can be found here.
- There are many resources available through Oyate. I also suggest looking at the ‘books to avoid’ section. It does not provide a list…but rather provides good criteria for evaluating them.
- I don’t think they are aboriginal-owned, but they do have a series of books by aboriginal authors that are worth checking out. In particular, I’ve linked you to their This Land Is Our Storybook which focuses on the various aboriginal nations in the NWT. This is also the publisher that will eventually be distributing Steve Keewatin Sanderson’s work.
