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Learning Commons
Learning Commons
Print copies of Pulling Together are available in the College library.
Call Number: LC 191.98 .C36 .C98 -- LC 191.98 .C36 .T32
Additional Resource
Nanihtsulyaz 'int'en (Do things gently) : ?es zuminstwax kt (We take care of one another)
Nanihtsulyaz 'int'en (Do things gently) :?es zuminstwax kt (We take care of one another) is a booklet that shows the holistic ways Indigenous Elders support student mental health and wellness in B.C. post-secondary system. It includes quotes from Elders and reflection questions to help readers think about the many ways Elders' presence, knowledge, and wisdom enrich the learning environment.
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Primarily, materials are located in the library shelves at these call number ranges:
Subject headings are a tool designed to help researchers find similar materials. These are only some examples of the many subject headings that COTR Library uses. Spend a few minutes exploring them when you find a book in the catalogue that supports your research.
College of the Rockies Library uses the Library of Congress classification system. Classification systems are used as a way to arrange, group, and order materials. The Library of Congress classification system was originally devised between 1898 and 1912 which is part of why outdated, sometimes offensive, terminology can be found in the system.
You will find books for these subject areas in various call number areas. Please consult the catalogue record or library staff for an exact call number for the resource.
Braided Learning
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Indigenous activism have made many Canadians uncomfortably aware of how little they know about First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples. In Braided Learning, Lenape-Potowatomi scholar and educator Susan Dion shares her approach to learning and teaching about Indigenous histories and perspectives. Métis leader Louis Riel illuminated the connection between creativity and identity in his declaration, "My people will sleep for a hundred years, but when they awake, it will be the artists who give them their spirits back." Using the power of stories and artwork, Dion offers respectful ways to address challenging topics including settler-colonialism, treaties, the Indian Act, residential schools, the Sixties Scoop, and the drive for self-determination. Braided Learning draws on Indigenous knowledge to make sense of a difficult past, decode unjust conditions in the present, and work toward a more equitable future.
Elements of Indigenous Style : A Guide for Writing By and About Indigenous Peoples
"This guide features: Twenty-two succinct style principles. Advice on culturally appropriate publishing practices, including how to collaborate with Indigenous Peoples, when and how to seek the advice of Elders, and how to respect Indigenous Oral Traditions and Traditional Knowledge. Terminology to use and to avoid."
From Where I Stand
An Indigenous leader who has dedicated her life to Indigenous Rights, Jody Wilson-Raybould has represented both First Nations and the Crown at the highest levels. And she is not afraid to give Canadians what they need most - straight talk on what has to be done to move beyond our colonial legacy and achieve true reconciliation in Canada. In this powerful book, drawn from speeches and other writings, she urges all Canadians - both Indigenous and non-Indigenous - to build upon the momentum already gained or risk hard-won progress being lost. The good news is that Indigenous Nations already have the solutions. But now is the time to act and build a shared postcolonial future based on the foundations of trust, cooperation, recognition, and good governance.
Indigenous Knowledges, Development and Education
Indigenous knowledges are the subject of much discussion and debate in many contemporary academic fields. This is no less true in the fields of education and development studies—two fields with long histories of interaction with indigenous knowledges and peoples. Yet, despite this similar level of interest and interaction, there has yet to emerge a book that draws together the two fields as they interact with and learn from indigenous epistemologies.
The Sleeping Giant Awakens: Genocide, Indian Residential Schools, and the Challenge of Conciliation
Confronting the truths of Canada's Indian residential school system has been likened to waking a sleeping giant. In The Sleeping Giant Awakens, David B. MacDonald uses genocide as an analytical tool to better understand Canada's past and present relationships between settlers and Indigenous peoples. Starting with a discussion of how genocide is defined in domestic and international law, the book applies the concept to the forced transfer of Indigenous children to residential schools and the'Sixties Scoop,'in which Indigenous children were taken from their communities and placed in foster homes or adopted. Based on archival research, extensive interviews with residential school Survivors, and officials at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, among others, The Sleeping Giant Awakens offers a unique and timely perspective on the prospects for conciliation after genocide, exploring the difficulties in moving forward in a context where many settlers know little of the residential schools and ongoing legacies of colonization and need to have a better conception of Indigenous rights. It provides a detailed analysis of how the TRC approached genocide in its deliberations and in its Final Report. Crucially, MacDonald engages critics who argue that the term genocide impedes understanding of the IRS system and imperils prospects for conciliation. By contrast, this book sees genocide recognition as an important basis for meaningful discussions of how to engage Indigenous-settler relations in respectful and proactive ways.
Surviving Canada: Indigenous Peoples Celebrate 150 Year of Betrayal
Surviving Canada: Indigenous Peoples Celebrate 150 Years of Betrayal (ARP Books) is a collection of elegant, thoughtful, and powerful reflections about Indigenous Peoples' complicated, and often frustrating, relationship with Canada, and how--even 150 years after Confederation--the fight for recognition of their treaty and Aboriginal rights continues. Through essays, art, and literature, Surviving Canada examines the struggle for Indigenous Peoples to celebrate their cultures and exercise their right to control their own economic development, lands, water, and lives. The Indian Act, Idle No More, and the legacy of residential schools are just a few of the topics covered by a wide range of elders, scholars, artists, and activists. Contributors include Mary Eberts, Buffy Sainte-Marie, and Leroy Little Bear.
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (the Declaration) provides us with a road map to advance lasting reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. It shows us that further steps must be taken to respect, recognize and protect the human rights of Indigenous peoples and to address the wrongs of the past.
Unsettling Spirit: A journey Into Decolonization
What does it mean to be a white settler on land taken from peoples who have lived there since time immemorial? In the context of reconciliation and Indigenous resurgence, Unsettling Spirit provides a personal perspective on decolonization, informed by Indigenous traditions and lifeways, and the need to examine one's complicity with colonial structures. Applying autoethnography grounded in Indigenous and feminist methodologies, Denise Nadeau weaves together stories and reflections on how to live with integrity on stolen and occupied land. The author chronicles her early and brief experience of "Native mission" in the late 1980s and early 1990s in northern Canada and Chiapas, Mexico, and the gradual recognition that she had internalized colonialist concepts of the "good Christian" and the Great White Helper. Drawing on somatic psychotherapy, Nadeau addresses contemporary manifestations of helping and the politics of trauma. She uncovers her ancestors' settler background and the responsibilities that come with facing this history. Caught between two traditions - born and raised Catholic but challenged by Indigenous ways of life - the author traces her engagement with Indigenous values and how relationships inform her ongoing journey. A foreword by Cree-Métis author Deanna Reder places the work in a broader context of Indigenous scholarship. Incorporating insights from Indigenous ethical and legal frameworks, Unsettling Spirit offers an accessible reflection on possibilities for settler decolonization as well as for decolonizing Christian and interfaith practice.
21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act
"Based on a viral article, 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act is the essential guide to understanding the legal document and its repercussion on generations of Indigenous peoples, written by a leading cultural sensitivity trainer. The Indian Act, after 141 years, continues to shape, control, and constrain the lives and opportunities of Indigenous peoples, and is at the root of many lasting stereotypes. Bob Joseph's book comes at a key time in the reconciliation process, when awareness from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities is at a crescendo. Joseph explains how Indigenous peoples can step out from under the Indian Act and return to self-government, self-determination, and self-reliance-and why doing so would result in a better country for every Canadian. He dissects the complex issues around truth and reconciliation, and clearly demonstrates why learning about the Indian Act's cruel, enduring legacy is essential for the country to move toward true reconciliation."-- Provided by publisher.
An Anthology of Monsters: How Story Saves Us From Our Anxiety
An Anthology of Monsters by Cherie Dimaline, award-winning author of The Marrow Thieves, is the tale of an intricate dance with life-long anxiety. It is about how the stories we tell ourselves can help reshape the ways in which we think, cope, and ultimately survive. Using examples from her books, from her mère, and from her own late night worry sessions, Dimaline choreographs a deeply personal narrative about all the ways in which we tell stories. She reveals how to collect and curate our stories, how they elicit difficult and beautiful conversations, and how family and community is a place of refuge and strength.
Decolonize First: A Liberating Guide & Workbook for Peeling Back the Layers of Neocolonialism
"It’s 16 letter-size pages of process, prompts and links to resources to support your decolonizing journey. The workbook guides readers through personal and systemic framings and actions to shift out of colonial defaults and into critical consciousness. Inspired by Ta7talíya’s experience in hosting decolonizing dialogues using her giant Sínulkhay & Ladders board game, Decolonize First, responds to the activation and excitement workshop participants express as wanting to do more." -- from www.nahaneecreative.org
Elements of Indigenous Style: A Guide for Writing by and About Indigenous Peoples
"Elements of Indigenous Style provides guidelines to help writers, editors, and publishers produce material that reflects Indigenous people in an appropriate and respectful manner. Gregory Younging, a member of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation in Northern Manitoba, has been the managing editor of Theytus Books, the first Aboriginal-owned publishing house in Canada, for over 13 years. Elements of Indigenous Style evolved from the house style guide Gregory developed at Theytus in order to ensure content was consistent and respectful. This guide contains: A historical overview of the portrayal of Indigenous peoples in literature; Common errors and how to avoid them when writing about Indigenous peoples; Guidance on working in a culturally sensitive way; A discussion of problematic and preferred terminology; Suggestions for editorial guidelines."-- Provided by publisher.
Finding the Language
In this beautifully written story by Adelyn Newman-Ting, we are introduced to Kesugilakw (Kesu) and Bob, who have been friends since they were babies. One day they head out to the forest to play and find themselves in a mysterious place. It is in this place that they meet gwa'wina, a raven, and a wolf named u'ligaan, both of whom can talk and who can understand Kesu and Bob. "The animals explain to the two children how the land created Indigenous languages and how both the land and Indigenous languages are at risk. "The four of them become fast friends and develop a plan to raise awareness with other children in the community about the risk to the land and languages. They bring all the children together and share information about UNESCO and the Sustainable Development Goals, specifically Goals 4 and 13. Goal 4 seeks to ensure inclusive and equitable high-quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, and SDG 13 asks us all to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. Adelyn brilliantly weaves in the importance of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. She helps the reader understand the beauty and importance of languages by infusing Kwakwala throughout the story.
Indigenous Peoples and Autonomy: Insights for a Global Age
The passage of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2007 focused attention on the ways in which Indigenous peoples are adapting to the pressures of globalization and development. This volume extends the discussion by presenting case studies from around the world that explore how Indigenous peoples are engaging with and challenging globalization and Western views of autonomy. Taken together, these insightful studies reveal that concepts such as globalization and autonomy neither encapsulate nor explain Indigenous peoples' experiences.
q̓apkiǂ Ktunaxa v: To Tell Someone Everything
A history of the Ktunaxa Nation, its lands and its people, created by and featuring members of the Ktunaxa Nation. With beautiful photographs, interviews, stories and context, it is a must read for everyone living on Ktunaxa land.
Righting Canada's Wrongs: Indigenous Studies Guide
The Righting Canada's Wrongs Indigenous Studies set series is devoted to the exploration of racist and discriminatory government policies and actions against Indigenous peoples through our history, the fight for acknowledgement and justice and the eventual apologies and restitution of subsequent governments. The books in this series make a valuable addition to any classroom or library looking for kid-friendly and appealing resources on Indigenous Studies and equal rights in Canada. The engaging and curriculum-based lessons in this Resource Guide will help students to further understand some of the important events in Canada's history that helped shape our current multicultural society. Educators will find support for teaching about Canada's past and ongoing treatment of Indigenous Peoples and how to approach the topic of, colonization, racism and discrimination. As well, students will learn about the important cultures and traditions that have continued in the face of colonization.--Publisher's description.
The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World
An Instant New York Times Bestseller From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass, a bold and inspiring vision for how to orient our lives around gratitude, reciprocity, and community, based on the lessons of the natural world. As Indigenous scientist and author of Braiding Sweetgrass Robin Wall Kimmerer harvests serviceberries alongside the birds, she considers the ethic of reciprocity that lies at the heart of the gift economy. How, she asks, can we learn from Indigenous wisdom and the plant world to reimagine what we value most? Our economy is rooted in scarcity, competition, and the hoarding of resources, and we have surrendered our values to a system that actively harms what we love. Meanwhile, the serviceberry's relationship with the natural world is an embodiment of reciprocity, interconnectedness, and gratitude. The tree distributes its wealth--its abundance of sweet, juicy berries--to meet the needs of its natural community. And this distribution ensures its own survival. As Kimmerer explains, "Serviceberries show us another model, one based upon reciprocity, where wealth comes from the quality of your relationships, not from the illusion of self-sufficiency." As Elizabeth Gilbert writes, Robin Wall Kimmerer is "a great teacher, and her words are a hymn of love to the world." The Serviceberry is an antidote to the broken relationships and misguided goals of our times, and a reminder that "hoarding won't save us, all flourishing is mutual." Robin Wall Kimmerer is donating her advance payments from this book as a reciprocal gift, back to the land, for land protection, restoration, and justice.
Troubling Truth and Reconciliation in Canadian Education
Troubling Truth and Reconciliation in Canadian Education offers a series of critical perspectives concerning reconciliation and reconciliatory efforts between Canadian and Indigenous peoples. Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars address both theoretical and practical aspects of troubling reconciliation in education across various contexts with significant diversity of thought, approach, and socio-political location. Throughout, the work challenges mainstream reconciliation discourses. This timely, unflinching analysis will be invaluable to scholars and students of Indigenous studies, sociology, and education. Contributors: Daniela Bascuñán, Jennifer Brant, Liza Brechbill, Shawna Carroll, Frank Deer, George J. Sefa Dei (Nana Adusei Sefa Tweneboah), Lucy El-Sherif, Rachel yacaaʔał George, Ruth Green, Celia Haig-Brown, Arlo Kempf, Jeannie Kerr, David Newhouse, Amy Parent, Michelle Pidgeon, Robin Quantick, Jean-Paul Restoule, Toby Rollo, Mark Sinke, Sandra D. Styres, Lynne Wiltse, Dawn Zinga
Who We Are: Four Questions for a Life and a Nation
For decades, Senator Sinclair has fearlessly educated Canadians about the painful truths of our history. He was the first Indigenous judge in Manitoba, and only the second Indigenous judge in Canadian history. He was the Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and remains one of the foremost voices on Reconciliation. And now, for the first time, he will share his full story - and his full vision for our nation - with readers across Canada. Drawing on Senator Sinclair's unique experiences, and his perspectives regarding Indigenous identity, human rights, and justice in Canada, Who We Are will examine the roles of history, resistance, and resilience in the pursuit of finding that path forward, and healing the damaged relationship between Indigenous Peoples and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. And in doing so, it will reveal Senator Sinclair's life in a new and direct way, exploring how all of these experiences shaped him as an Anishinaabe man, father, and grandfather. Structured around the four questions that have long shaped Senator Sinclair's thinking and worldview - Where do I come from? Where am I going? Why am I here? Who am I? - Who We Are will take readers into the story of his remarkable life as never before, while challenging them to embrace an inclusive vision for our shared future.
