Indigenous People’s Day

book cover

Indigenous Peoples’ Day is celebrated on the second Monday of October (October 11, 2021) to honor the cultures and histories of the Native American people, not just in America, but around the world. 

Fry Bread (Hoopla) written by Kevin Noble Maillard ; illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal

As children help a Native American grandmother make fry bread, delves into the history, social ways, foodways, and politics of America’s 573 recognized Indian tribes.

Water Protectors (print book) written by Carole Lindstrom, illustrated by Michaela Goade

Inspired by the many Indigenous-led movements across North America, We Are Water Protectors issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth’s water from harm and corruption” a bold and lyrical picture book written by Carole Lindstrom and vibrantly illustrated by Michaela Goade.

When I was Eight (Hoopla audiobook) by Margaret-Olemaun Pokiak-Fenton and Christy Jordan-Fenton

Olemaun is eight and knows a lot of things but not know how to read. Ignoring her father’s warnings, she travels far from her Arctic home to the outsiders’ school to learn. The nuns at the school call her Margaret. They cut off her long hair and force her to do menial chores, but she remains undaunted. Her tenacity draws the attention of a black-cloaked nun who tries to break her spirit at every turn. But the young girl is more determined than ever to learn how to read.

My Name is Seepeetza (Hoopla ebook) by Shirley Sterling

At six years old, Seepeetza is taken from her happy family life on Joyaska Ranch to live as a boarder at the Kamloops Indian Residential School. Life at the school is not easy, but Seepeetza still manages to find some bright spots. Always, thoughts of home make her school life bearable. An honest, inside look at life in an Indian residential school in the 1950s, and how one indomitable young spirit survived it.

When We Were Alone (Hoopla ebook)  by David Alexander Robertson; Julie Flett, illustrator

When a young girl helps tend to her grandmother’s garden, she begins to notice things that make her curious. Why does her grandmother have long, braided hair and beautifully colored clothing? Why does she speak another language and spend so much time with her family? As she asks her grandmother about these things, she is told about life in a residential school a long time ago, where all of these things were taken away.