Literature to Support First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Student Success in Elementary Schools, Grade 4
Literature to Support First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Student Success
Grade 4
Selected Bibliography
NB: Older titles that you may find in your library have been included, and newer titles are provided as a guide for purchasing of new resources.
Book types include references, non-fiction, picture books, novels, poetry, alphabet books, folklore and biography. Emphasis has been placed on
Canadian titles. (O/P = out of print)
Title
Book First
Type Nation
Cherry, Lynne. A River Ran Wild. 1992, 0152163727. The story of a river, Nonfrom the first people thousands of years ago, how people came to depend on fiction
it, used it, abused it, polluted it, and finally cleaned it. Beautifully illustrated,
and powerfully presented, his book is a classic in environmental studies.
Some Suggested
Activities
Describe actions taken by
your school or family that
show concern and care for
the environment.
Activity: Respect for Nature
Use for teacher reference.
Curriculum
Links
Science: Waste
and Our World
Social Studies:
Environment
Treuer, Anton, et al. Indian Nations of North America. 2010 National Geo- Teacher All
Social Studies
graphic, 9781426206641. Covers the indigenous people who settled North
ReferNorth
America, and their descendants, whose more than 500 tribes range from the
ence
AmeriArctic Circle across the Great Plains to the Eastern Seaboard. Lakota, Chercan
okee, Navajo, Haida: these groups and many others are profiled in entries,
images and maps that highlight each tribe's history and character. Organized
into eight geographical regions, this encyclopedic reference gives details
about key tribes within each area: their beliefs, sustenance, shelter, alliances,
interaction with nature, historic events, and more. This is the definitive, insightful reference on Native Americans. The book's eight Native American
authors include renowned academics, national leaders, lecturers, and authors.
Graham, Georgia. A Team Like No Other. 2004, 0889952906. Set in the
Picture (South- Describe the land in south- Social Studies:
mountains of southern Alberta, here is excitement and adventure in a tale
Book ern Al- west Alberta.
People and reabout a boy and his husky sled dog. The reader can’t tell whether this story is
berta)
Describe the management of gions of Alberta
about an Aboriginal child or not – but does it matter?
husky sled dogs.
Bouchard, David. Elders are Watching. 1990, 0-9693485-3-3. This is a po- Poetry
Discuss the Aboriginals’
Science: Waste
em about man's negative influence on nature. The words are on one page
relationship with Nature.
and Our World
with the facing page a dramatic illustration by a famous native artist. They
Invite an Aboriginal elder to
tell us how man has been overly self- indulgent for much too long and it is
the class to discuss some of
time to change to save the environment. It’s a simple and powerful look into
the issued raised in the
the Aboriginals’ view of Nature.
book.
Activity: Respect for NaDeveloped by Thalia Hartson for the Southern Alberta Professional Development Consortium, June 2010, updated 2014.
1
Literature to Support First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Student Success in Elementary Schools, Grade 4
Auger, Dale. (AA). Mwakwa Talks to the Loon: A Cree Story for Children. 2006, 978-1894974042. The story shares an experience of a young
man who becomes very proud and boastful of his excellent hunting skills, as
he gets caught up in the adoration, attention and pride his people show him.
In soaking up all this attention he loses his great hunting skills and must
humble himself to the Elders in order to get back his gift. Kayas (k-eye-ass)
has to talk to makwa (mah-quh) the Loon to gain back his powers. Kayas
through this experience learns what it means to be humble, kind and respectful. Includes some text in Cree.
Bourdeau Waboose, Jan. (AA). Karen Reczuch, Illustrator (AI). Morning on
the Lake. 1997, 1-55074-373-2. In this picture book, the author uses her
Ojibway background to tell a series of three linked stories about a boy and
his grandfather who spend a day with nature. The author shows the importance of learning the ways of living in harmony with nature and the wise,
patient and loving ways of Mishomis (grandfather). Reinforces the Aboriginal view of the link between nature and people.
McLellan, Joe, (CAA), Nanabosho Dances. 1991, 0921827148. This is the
legend of how the hoop dance started. It tells about the significance of the
circle, the symbols the hoop portrays in the dance, and the connections between the Creator and the natural world.
Baylor, Byrd. I’m in Charge of Celebrations. 1986, 0684185792. A dweller
in the desert celebrates a triple rainbow, a chance encounter with a coyote,
and other wonders of the wilderness.
Taylor, C.J. (AA). Little Water and the Gift of the Animals: A Seneca
Legend. 1992, 0887762859. The legend of Little Water illustrates the high
regard held by Native Americans for the natural world around them. Not only did they rely on certain animals for food, clothing, and shelter, but for
their medicines as well.
Taylor, C, J. (AA). Ghost and the Lone Warrior: An Arapaho Legend.
1991, 0887762646. Crippled in an accident and left behind by his hunting
party, Lone Warrior must overcome hunger, cold, pain, and despair to survive. But most terrifying of all his trials is the appearance of a skeleton-ghost
arisen from the grave. That Lone Warrior can still remember to express his
gratitude to the animal he must kill to survive, and that he does not allow fear
to diminish his dignity, makes him an ideal hero.
Taylor, C.J. (CAA). How We Saw The World: Nine Native Stories of the
Way Things Began. 1993, 0887763022. Here are explanations for the origins of tornadoes, forest fires, butterflies, horses, Niagara Falls and islands.
Includes a Blackfoot story about how horses came into the world. Includes
ture
Discuss the Aboriginals’
relationship with Nature.
Activity: Respect for Nature.
Science: Waste
and Our World
Activity: Respect for Nature.
Science: Waste
and Our World
Folktale Ashinabe Activity: Respect for Na(pourquoi)
ture.
Science: Waste
and Our World
Picture
Book
Cree
Picture
Book
Ojibway
Prose
poetry
(Desert)
Folktale Seneca
Activity: Respect for Nature.
Science: Waste
and Our World
Activity: Respect for Nature.
Science: Waste
and Our World
Folktale Arapaho Activity: Respect for Na(Quest or
ture
hero)
Activity: Quest or Hero
Tales
Language Arts:
Literature analysis
Science: Waste
and Our World
Folktale
Language Arts:
Literature analysis
Social Studies:
Many
(pourquoi
- creation)
Developed by Thalia Hartson for the Southern Alberta Professional Development Consortium, June 2010, updated 2014.
Activity: Pourquoi and
Creation Tales
2
Literature to Support First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Student Success in Elementary Schools, Grade 4
the Blackfoot story How Horses Came into the World.
Himmelman, John. Pipaluk And The Whales. 2002, 978-0792282174.
Based on an actual event, this moving story tells how a young Chukchi girl
named Pipaluk saves the lives of thousands of beluga whales trapped in a
channel with ice closing in around them in the Russian Arctic. When Pipa
and her father discover the whales, their entire village comes together in a
valiant effort to rescue the creatures. At the end of the book, an author’s note
describes the real-life event that inspired this story. This book is included
because of its unusual topic.
Pryor, Bonnie. House on Maple Street, 1992, 0688120318. When Chris and
Jenny find a cup buried in their backyard, it begins a journey through time to
discover the several groups--Natives, pioneers, early townspeople--who have
lived on the site.
Poirier, Thelma. (AA), Nona Foster (AI). Bead Pot. 1993, 0-921827-30-X.
Illustrates nicely the handing down of traditions from one generation to the
next. The story is unusual in that it shows the transition from a traditional
Aboriginal society to a more contemporary setting, but within this, the traditions are carried on and survive. The story's ending tugs at one's heart as the
older woman, living in a senior’s lodge, waits for her great-granddaughter so
that a tradition can be carried on. In the end, the woman is able to pass on her
traditions to the child. Note: Beads are a post-contact tradition.
Berry, Susan. Aboriginal Cultures in Alberta: Five Hundred Generations.
2004, 0-7785-2852-9. This book can be used as a student or teacher resource.
Lots of well-researched information with great photos. One copy has been
distributed free to each school in Alberta. Schools are encouraged to contact
the Provincial Museum of Alberta for additional copies. Also available in
French.
Freed, Don. Sasquatch Exterminator. 1999, 0920915418. Book is based on
a successful music education project intended to encourage Aboriginal children to write and perform community-based and culturally-enhanced songs.
Dempsey, Hugh A. Indian Names for Alberta Communities. 1969, (Glenbow Alberta Institute). Here is an in-depth look at the places of the First
Peoples in Alberta. The book gives the different names for one place, according to different Aboriginal groups such as the Cree, Beaver, Stony, Peigan,
Blackfoot, etc.
Picture Chukchi Why is it important to save
Book (Russia) whales?
Nonfiction
Picture
Book
Plains
Non
fiction
Cree
Picture (Cree)
Book
and Music CD
Non
Many
fiction
Developed by Thalia Hartson for the Southern Alberta Professional Development Consortium, June 2010, updated 2014.
Make a comparison graphic
organizer, such as a timeline, based on the book and
on the students’ lives.
Compare this book with
House on Maple Street.
Make a timeline and show
the house, Toniya’s life,
and your own life.
Compare contemporary life
with traditional life using a
Venn Diagram.
Use for research.
Alberta people
Science: Waste
and Our World
Social Studies:
Time, Continuity and Change
Social Studies:
Time, Continuity and Change
Social Studies:
Alberta people
Listen for enjoyment and
Social Studies:
experience Aboriginal-style Alberta people
culture and rhythms.
Music
Use for research.
Social Studies:
Look up meanings and oriAlberta people
gins of place names near
where you live.
Read Village that
Stretched from Sea to Sea
and Canadian Indian
Place Names from Spirit
of Canada.
3
Literature to Support First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Student Success in Elementary Schools, Grade 4
Kelker, Henriette. The Land Underfoot: 100 Years Before Alberta. 2005,
Land Underfoot Museums Network, http://www.landunderfoot.org. Includes
contemporary and early photos, also drawings, and presents some good information on the history of the area that became Alberta.
Kalman, Bobbie. Celebrating the Powwow. 1997, 0865056404. Introduces
the peoples, cultures, beliefs, and events that are part of many powwows.
Non
fiction
Use for research.
Social Studies:
Alberta people
NonGeneral Identify some of the cusSocial Studies:
fiction
toms behind the powwow
People of Albercelebration.
ta
Invite an Aboriginal drum
Physical Educaand dance troupe to pertion: Dance
form at the school and to
teach powwow dances.
Make a Dance Wand, pg. 56
in World of North American Indians.
Play CDs from Drum Calls
Softly and Sasquatch Exterminator.
Boyden, Linda. Powwow's Coming. 2007, 0826342655. Here’s a foundation Poetry General Identify some of the cusSocial Studies:
for understanding and celebrating the enduring culture and heritage of Native
toms behind the powwow
People of Alberpowwow. Boyden's cut-paper collages and poetry place readers within the
celebration.
ta
scenes of a contemporary Native American community while offering a
thoughtful look at powwows and their meanings to the Native participants.
Bouchard, David (Métis author). Long Powwow Nights. 2009,
Poetry General Identify some of the cusSocial Studies:
9780889954274. Includes CD. Text in English and Mi’kmaq. The powwow
toms behind the powwow
People of Alberis a time-honoured Native American custom. It is a celebration of life and
celebration as shown in the ta
spirituality, a remembrance of traditions uniting people through dance and
illustrations.
Physical Educaritual. A mother shows her child the importance of culture and identity
Invite an Aboriginal drum
tion: Dance
through the dance and ritual of the powwow.
and dance troupe to perform at the school and to
teach powwow dances.
Make a Dance Wand, pg. 56
in World of North American Indians.
Play CDs from Drum Calls
Softly and Sasquatch Exterminator.
Bouchard, David. (Métis author ). If You’re Not From the Prairie.…, 2001, Poetry Métis
Characterize the prairie.
Social Studies:
1-895714-66-4. Those raised on the prairies are passionate about their expeauthor
Land of Alberta
riences with this diverse land. David Bouchard’s text reminds us of the powLanguage Arts:
er of the wind, the sweep of the sky, the adventures in the cold. And the ilModeling WritDeveloped by Thalia Hartson for the Southern Alberta Professional Development Consortium, June 2010, updated 2014.
4
Literature to Support First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Student Success in Elementary Schools, Grade 4
lustrations are snapshots from childhood – playing hockey on the river, lying
under the big sky in a field of swaying grass, wading in a spring pond. Here
is a close look at a unique lifestyle.
Bouchard, David. The Song Within My Heart, 2002, 1-55192-559-1. FeaNontures poetry that celebrates Aboriginal traditions. The importance of drumfiction
ming, sacredness of story and wisdom of elders are brought to the forefront.
An excellent book for deepening understanding and respect for Aboriginal
culture. Written reflections of the Cree illustrator are featured. A young boy
asks his Nokum what the drums and stories at the powwow mean. She explains that the singing and dancing are for him to find his own stories - he
must find the song within his heart. The beautiful artwork by the renowned
Cree painter, Allen Sapp, compliments the story. His note at the end describes his feelings about the importance of the powwow and the importance
of keeping the young involved with their own culture.
Bouchard, David. (Métis Author). Drum Calls Softly. 2008,
9780889954212. Accompanied by a CD featuring the music of the Northern
Cree Singers. The drums sound in the night and the dancers join hands. Enjoy the beauty of Aboriginal culture in words, paintings and song.
Poetry
and
Song
Smith, Cynthia, (AA), Cornelius Wright, Illustrator (AA). Jingle Dancer.
Picture
2000, 0-688-16241-X. Jenna dreams about her grandmother's jingle dancing Book
- she would love to do the same. She does have a problem, though - how will
her dress sing if it has no jingles? This is the story of a contemporary Native
girl who turns to her family and community to help her dance. A very nice
story about a modern Aboriginal child comfortable with both contemporary
life and her traditions.
ing
Cree
Use to help develop Aboriginal perspective and awareness.
Identify some of the customs behind the powwow
celebration.
Invite an Aboriginal drum
and dance troupe to perform at the school and to
teach powwow dances.
Make a Dance Wand, pg. 56
in World of North American Indians.
Play CDs from Drum Calls
Softly and Sasquatch Exterminator.
Cree
Use to help develop Aboriginal perspective and awareness.
Make a Dance Wand, pg. 56
in World of North American Indians.
Play CDs from Drum Calls
Softly and Sasquatch Exterminator.
MusRead for enjoyment.
cogee Identify characteristics of
(Creek) Aboriginal lifestyle today.
In what ways is it a blend
of traditional and modern?
Invite an Aboriginal drum
and dance troupe to perform at the school and to
teach powwow dances.
Compare contemporary life
with traditional life using a
Venn Diagram.
Developed by Thalia Hartson for the Southern Alberta Professional Development Consortium, June 2010, updated 2014.
Social Studies:
People of Alberta
Physical Education: Dance
Social Studies:
People of Alberta
Physical Education: Dance
5
Literature to Support First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Student Success in Elementary Schools, Grade 4
Hehner, Barbara. Spirit of Canada: Canada’s Story in Legends, Fiction,
Poems, and Songs, 2001, 0773762000. A marvelous must-have anthology
of stories, poems and songs taken from the body of children’s literature and
spanning Canadian history, and including many well-loved stories and poems. Lots of colour illustrations. Includes the following Aboriginal stories:
Taylor, C.J. How Two-Feather was Saved from Loneliness
Bruchac, Joseph. Manabozho and the Maple Trees
Fraser, Frances. How the Thunder Made Horses
Skogan, Joan. Scannah and the Beautiful Woman
Clark, Joan. Thrand and Abidith
Hehner, Barbara. Village that Stretched from Sea to Sea
Georgekish, Geordie, et al. Chikabash and the Strangers
De Brébeuf, Jean. Huron Carol
Mon Canot
Hearne, Samuel. Coppermine Feast
Manson, Ainslie. Long Journey of “Our Dog”
Johnson, Pauline. Train Dogs
Ipellie, Alootook. I Shall Wait and Wait
Whelan, Stella. Ballad of Mary March
Shinguacouse. Letter from Shinguacouse
Dunn, Willie. Ballad of Crowfoot
Morrissey, Kim. Address to the Jury
Riel, Louis. Song of Louis Riel
Strange, Ken. Windigo Spirit
Kiakshuk. Giant Bear
Grey Owl. Big Small and Little Small
Keeshig-Tobias, Lenore. Porcupine
George, Chief Dan. And My Heart Soars
Zola, Meguido. Canadian Indian Place Names
Bruchac, Joseph. Native Stories From Keepers of Life. 1995. Stories and
myths from diverse Native North American cultural groups to introduce a
variety of topics relating interactions with the natural world.
Anthology -
Bruchac, Joseph. (AA). Thirteen Moons on Turtle's Back. 1997, 9780698115842. The 13 scales on Turtle's shell stand for the 13 cycles of the
moon, each with its own name and a story that relates to the changing seasons.
Caduto, Michael J. and Bruchac, Joseph. Native Stories From Keepers of
Poetry
Many
Use stories to introduce
Language Arts:
some social studies topic
Comparing stoand to compare with similar ries
stories
Many
Activity: Respect for Nature
poems,
stories,
songs
Story
collection
Abenaki Activity: Respect for Na-
ture
Story
Many
Developed by Thalia Hartson for the Southern Alberta Professional Development Consortium, June 2010, updated 2014.
Activity: Respect for Na-
Science: Plant
Growth and
Changes
Language Arts:
Mythology and
Legends
Language Arts:
Mythology and
Legends
Science: Waste
6
Literature to Support First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Student Success in Elementary Schools, Grade 4
the Earth. 1991, 0920079768. A common thread through these stories is the
view of the world as a family and humans are entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining the natural balance.
Caduto, Michael J. Keepers of Life: Discovering Plants through Native
American Stories and Earth Activities for Children. 1998, 2007,
9781897252192. Keepers of Life uses stories and myths from diverse Native North American cultural groups to introduce a variety of topics relating
interactions with the natural world. It includes information on plant groups,
explanations of biological processes, and discussions of environmental concerns. This information-packed resource is imbued with the spirit of "Responsible Stewardship," a philosophy of empathy for all living things, and
consideration of the effects of our actions on future generations.
Caduto, Michael J. Keepers of the Night: Native American Stories and
Nocturnal Activities for Children, 1994, 978-1555911775. Caduto and
Bruchac use stories from various American Indian tribes as the basis for activities and lessons about the nighttime world. Written as a guide for teachers
and outdoor education leaders working with children in a nature setting, the
guide gives detailed instructions for preparing, conducting, and evaluating a
variety of activities that focus on the nocturnal habits of animals, on astronomy and nighttime weather, and on campfire activities, such as storytelling,
dances, and games. Aspects of many American Indian tribal practices are
woven throughout the text.
Caduto, Michael J. and Bruchac, Joseph. Keepers of the Earth: Native
American Stories and Environmental Activities for Children. 1991, 9781555913854. This flagship book in the Keepers of the Earth series is an environmental classic for teaching children to respect the Earth.
collection
ture
and Our World
Story
Activity: Respect for Nature
Science: Plant
Growth and
Changes
Language Arts:
Mythology and
Legends
collection
and
Teacher
Resource
Story
Many
collection
and
Teacher
Resource
Story
collection
and
Teacher
Resource
Eyvindson, Peter. Jen and the Great One. 1990, 0921827199. An environPicture
mental story that presents a realistic depiction of contemporary First Peoples. Book
Jen and her friends help to save and tree and plant a new forest.
Read Creation of the Moon Science: Waste
from Keepers of the Night. and Our World,
Also read Coyote Sings to
Plant Growth
the Moon, Star Boy, and
and Changes
Skysisters. What was the
original purpose of these
stories?
Activity: Respect for Nature
What is the reason for the
Science: Waste
strong respect that Aborigi- and Our World
nal people show for nature?
Draw a diagram of the life
cycle of an evergreen tree.
Label the stages.
Activity: Respect for Nature
McLellan, Joe. Nanabosho and the Cranberries. 1998, 0921827636.
Nanabosho discovers a cranberry bush, but as hard as he tries he cannot get
those cranberries to eat.
Folktale Ojibwa Activity: Bannock in Stories
Teevee, Ningeokuluk. Alego. 2009, 9780888999436. Simple story about a
Picture
Inuit
Developed by Thalia Hartson for the Southern Alberta Professional Development Consortium, June 2010, updated 2014.
Activity: Bannock in Sto-
Science: Plant
Growth and
Changes
Language Arts:
Share personal
responses
Science: Light
and Shadows,
Plant Growth
and Changes.
Language Arts:
Writing a Story
Language Arts:
7
Literature to Support First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Student Success in Elementary Schools, Grade 4
young Inuit girl who goes to the shore with her grandmother to collect clams book
for supper. Along the way she discovers tide pools brimming with life. In
English and Inuktitut.
Stotter, Michael. World of North American Indians (Passport to the Past). Non
2009, 978-1435851719. General information, and includes sections on buffa- fiction
lo, food and farming, horses, dances, sweat lodges, etc. Includes many sidebars on things to make. Excellent illustrations and format.
Many
Many
ries
Writing a Story
Use for research.
Activity: Bannock in Stories
Activity: Traditional
Homes
Activity: Respect for Nature
Activity: Inventions and
Innovations
Social Studies:
People of Canada
Use for research.
Identify characteristics of
life for Aboriginal people in
the past.
Compare food gathering and
preparation to ours of today.
Activity: Bannock in Stories
Use for research and reference.
Activity: Traditional
Homes
Activity: Inventions and
Innovations
Science: Plant
Growth and
Changes
Language Arts:
Writing a story
Social Studies:
History of Canada, People of
Canada/Alberta
Social Studies:
History of Canada, People of
Canada/Alberta
Kalman, Bobbie and, Walker, Niki. Native North American Wisdom and
Gifts. (Native Nations of North America) 2006, 0-7787-0384-3. Fairly easy
reading makes this series a good choice. There are lots of photos and drawings, and many sidebars to break up information. Index, glossary, table of
contents, frequent subheads and terms in bold all contribute to ease of reading. In addition to information on the Iroquois Confederacy, this resource
puts it into the context of Aboriginal culture, values, and wisdom.
Smithyman, Kathryn and Bobbie Kalman. Native North American Foods
and Recipes. 2006, 0-7787-0383-5. Describes the growing, collecting and
preparation of many different foods from different regions and Aboriginal
groups from across North America. Text is broken into easily-accessible
segments, and illustrations are many and excellent. An unusual topic with
lots of interesting cultural and lifestyle details in both text and illustrations.
Non
fiction
Silvey, Diane. Kids Book of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada. 2005,
1550749986. Another in the Kids Book series on Canada and Canadian history. With index, timeline and table of contents this title has excellent colour
drawings, accessible format, and lots of sidebars with quick facts and added
interest items. An important book to have, very well researched. Full sections
on people of the Plains, the Arctic and the Sub-arctic. This is one of the few
resources that provides a map of Canada showing the land areas of the various seven major groups and lists the various peoples of each of the areas.
Hudak, Heather. Aboriginal Peoples (Early Canada). 2006, 9781553882343.
Goes from Aboriginal people thousands of years ago, to the arrival of Europeans, and important people and events that have shaped Canada. Excellent
illustrations.
Murdoch, David. North American Indian (Eyewitness books). 1995,
9780756610814. Text and photographs show Native American artifacts from
New York's American Museum of Natural History, ranging from Seminole
blowguns, Hopi rainmaker masks, to Northwest totem poles.
Non
fiction
All
Canadian
Non
fiction
Many
Use for research and reference.
Non
fiction
Many
Use for research and reference.
Non
fiction
Developed by Thalia Hartson for the Southern Alberta Professional Development Consortium, June 2010, updated 2014.
Science: Waste
and Our World,
Building Devices and Vehicles
that Move
Social Studies:
People of Alberta
Science: Building Devices and
Vehicles that
Move
8
Literature to Support First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Student Success in Elementary Schools, Grade 4
Fullman, Joe. Native North Americans: Dress, eat, write and play just like
the Native North Americans. 2010, 9781595662453. Make a dream catcher, design a Navajo sand painting, create a story on buffalo hide, challenge
your friends to a game of Chance, and make a teepee. Informative text and
activities help bring Aboriginal civilizations to life.
Salariya, David. How Would You Survive as an American Indian? 1995,
0531153096. Describes the everyday life and customs of various Plains Indian tribes during the 18th and 19th Centuries in North America.
Kalman, Bobbie. Visual Dictionary of Native Communities. 2008,
9780778735052. Includes Nations of the Plains. Small text sections and
many illustrations.
Littlechild, George. This Land Is My Land. 1993, 0892391197. Through
bold, colourful paintings, George Littlechild tells us the stories of his life as a
Native in today's world with the bottom line being the importance of his ancestry to his life today. With each colourful, bright collage-type painting is a
written text about what the picture shows and how his ancestors were instrumental in that image. He is acknowledging his ancestors to heighten the
awareness of their history and experiences.
Nelson, S.D. Black Elk’s Vision: A Lakota Story. 2010, 9780810983991.
This unique perspective on American history is included here because it is
just that – quite unique. With beautiful paintings and drawing and historical
photographs, this picture book tells the true story of Black Elk using historical documents and Black Elk’s own words. This is the story of the battles of
the Little Bighorn, Wounded Knee, Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show, the European invasion, and the demise of the buffalo all from Black Elk’s Aboriginal perspective and experience. Black Elk lived from 1863 to 1950.
Denny, Elizabeth, Jenneli's Dance. 2008, 9781894778619. Jenneli is a shy
young Canadian Métis girl who feels that she is nothing special, until she
learns about the Métis Red River Jig from her Grandma. Jenneli's story instills a sense of pride in the Métis culture, and deals with issues of overcoming low self-esteem.
Delaronde, Deborah. 2010, 9781894778879. Christmas at Pouchinn. Follow a young Métis boy and his grandparents as they live through a year of
traditional activities. The seasons and their exciting activities are shown
through text and illustrations.
Hughes, Monica. The Ghost Dance Caper. 1978, 0773674071. Stolen from
a museum, a medicine bag must be returned in the dead of night by a Métis
boy who is searching to discover his own identity.
Lassieur, Allison. Blackfeet Nation. 2002, 0736809465. An overview of the
past and present of the Blackfoot Nation, including a description of their
Nonfiction
Many
Activity: Traditional
Homes
Make a Teepee, pg. 17,
Make an Igloo, pg. 25.
Nonfiction
Plains
Activity: Traditional
Homes
Nonfiction
Plains
Memoir Plains
and
Cree
nonfiction
Social Studies:
People of Alberta
Social Studies:
People of Alberta
Activity: Traditional
Social Studies:
People of AlberHomes
ta
Identify characteristics of
Social Studies:
life for Aboriginal people in Alberta Plains
today’s society.
Cree
Compare perspectives of
different people.
Oglala What was Black Elk’s Vi(Lakota) sion?
Social Studies:
North American
history and multiple perspectives
Picture
Book
Métis
Identify Aboriginal and
European elements in Jenneli’s life.
Social Studies:
People of Alberta
Picture
book
Métis
Compare traditional Métis
life with your life today.
Social Studies:
People of Alberta
Novel
Métis
Novel study.
Identify characteristics of
Métis life in early Alberta.
Identify characteristics of
traditional Blackfoot life.
Social Studies:
People of Alberta
Social Studies:
People of Alber-
Nonfiction,
Biography
NonBlackfiction foot
Developed by Thalia Hartson for the Southern Alberta Professional Development Consortium, June 2010, updated 2014.
9
Literature to Support First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Student Success in Elementary Schools, Grade 4
homes, food, clothing, religion, family life and government. Large print, easy
reading.
Story of the Blackfoot People. 2001, 1552633632. For the first time in histo- NonBlackry, the Blackfoot people share their culture, beliefs and traditions with the
fiction foot
rest of the world. Includes way of life, Blackfoot World, how they lived together, the land, other people, buffalo days. Lots of photos, maps, historic
information. Done in collaboration with the Glenbow Museum.
Shemie, Bonnie. Houses of Hide and Earth. (Native Dwellings). 1993, 9780887763076. Here’s an authoritative and intriguing exploration of the lives
of people through the homes they have built.
McLellan, Joseph, (CAA), Birth of Nanabosho, 1989, 9780921827009. Explains when and why stories of creation need to be told at a certain time of
year. This story tells of the origin of Nanabosho and how he was a spirit who
could change his shape to suit his purposes. From this comes the lesson to
"treat everyone and everything with respect. You never know when Nanabosho has changed himself into something around you, and you certainly don't
want to be disrespectful to him or to anything in Creation.”
McLeod, Elaine. (AI). Lessons from Mother Earth. 2010, 9780888998323.
Tess has visited her grandmother many times without really being aware of
the garden. But today they step outside the door and Tess learns that all of
nature is a garden. If you take care of the plants that are growing, if you learn
about them — understanding when they flower, when they give fruit, and
when to leave them alone — you will always find something to nourish you.
Patent, Dorothy, The Buffalo and the Indians: A Shared Destiny. 2006,
9780618485703. Countless buffalo once roamed the plains of North America
and for at least 10,000 years, First Nations people depended upon them for
survival. To them, the buffalo was sacred, and it was treated with great respect. Then Europeans slaughtered the buffalo almost to extinction and broke
the First Nations culture. Today, both First Nations cultures and the buffalo
herds are being revived.
Rebus, Anna. Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. 2007, 9781553883890.
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump in Alberta is one of the oldest, largest, and
best-preserved buffalo jump sites in North America and was declared a
World Heritage Site in 1981. Reveals facts about the natural, cultural, and
built heritage. Readers learn the meaning of heritage in daily life, how herit-
NonPlains
fiction
Activity: Traditional
Homes
Activity: Bannock in Stories
Use for research.
List and describe all the uses
the Blackfoot people had
for buffalo.
Activity: Respect for Nature
Activity: Inventions and
Innovations
Activity: Traditional
Homes
ta
Language Arts:
Writing a story
Social Studies:
People of Alberta
Social Studies:
People of Alberta
Folktale Ojibwa What is the reason for the
Science: Envi(pourquoi
strong respect that Aborigi- ronment
- creation)
nal people show for nature?
What lesson does this story
teach?
Activity: Respect for Nature
Picture (proba- Activity: Respect for NaScience: Plant
Book
bly in
Growth and
ture
the Yu- Activity: Bannock in StoChanges
kon)
Language Arts:
ries
Writing a story
Nonfiction
Non
fiction
Many
Alberta
Plains
Developed by Thalia Hartson for the Southern Alberta Professional Development Consortium, June 2010, updated 2014.
Why did the Europeans
Science: Envislaughter most of the buffa- ronment, Waste
lo?
and Our World,
Activity: Bannock in StoConservation
Social Studies:
ries
Activity: Respect for NaHistory of Alberta
ture
Alberta: People
in history
10
Literature to Support First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Student Success in Elementary Schools, Grade 4
age is created, preserved and passed down to future generations.
San Souci, Robert. Legend of Scarface: A Blackfeet Indian Tale. 1978,
Folktale Black0385132476. This is a Blackfeet legend in which a young brave travels to the (Quest) foot
land of the Sun to ask for the hand of his beloved. Dated illustrations and
(Siksika)
less-than-ideal page design, but there are very few Blackfoot folktales available.
Identify characteristics of
traditional Blackfoot life.
Activity: Quest or Hero
Tales
Goble, Paul. Star Boy. 1983, 1991, 0689714998. Relates the Blackfoot legend in which Star Boy gains the Sun's forgiveness for his mother's disobedience and is allowed to return to the Sky World. He brings back the sacred
knowledge of the Sun Dance to his people.
Folktale Black- Identify characteristics of
(Quest) foot
traditional Blackfoot life.
(Siksika) Activity: Quest or Hero
Tales
Goble, Paul. Boy & His Mud Horses: & Other Stories from the Tipi.
2010, 978-1935493112. Beautifully illustrated by award-winning author Paul
Goble, this book features a collection of 27 traditional short stories from different Native American tribes, including the Pawnee, Cheyenne, Blackfoot,
and Lakota.
Goble, Paul. Girl Who Loved Wild Horses. 1979, 0689716966. For most
people, being swept away in a horse stampede during a raging thunderstorm
would be a terrifying disaster. For this young Native American girl Goble's
Caldecott-winning masterpiece it is a blessing. Although she loves her people, she has a much deeper, almost sacred connection to her equine friends.
The storm gives her the opportunity to fulfill her dream--to live in a beautiful
land among the wild horses she loves.
Zeman-Spaleny, Linda. Lord of the Sky. 2009, 9780887768965. Extraordinarily beautiful illustrations accompany this creation folktale about the Great
Raven, who brought the sun back to the people of the North Pacific Coast.
Goble, Paul. Buffalo Woman. 1984, 0689711093. A young hunter marries a
female buffalo in the form of a beautiful maiden, but when his people reject
her he must pass several tests before being allowed to join the buffalo nation.
McDermott, Gerald. Arrow to the Sun. 1977, 978-0140502114. This intricately illustrated quest story is a story type common to the mythic legends of
many peoples. Typically in hero stories, the hero ventures forth from the everyday world into a supernatural world where victory over obstacles must be
won, and then returns with gifts for his people. In this circular journey, the
Boy must go on a quest to find himself and in so doing, brings back to his
Folktale Many
Collec- Plains
tion
groups
Plains
Folktale
(Hero)
(North
Pacific
Coast)
Folktale General
(Quest) (Plains)
Identify characteristics of
traditional Blackfoot life
What was the importance of Social Studies:
horses to the Plains people? People of AlberCompare to Goose Girl.
ta
Activity: Quest or Hero
Tales
Activity: Quest or Hero
Tales
Folktale Pueblo Activity: Quest or Hero
(Quest)
Tales
Developed by Thalia Hartson for the Southern Alberta Professional Development Consortium, June 2010, updated 2014.
Social Studies:
People of Alberta
Language Arts:
Literature analysis
Social Studies:
People of Alberta
Language Arts:
Literature analysis
Social Studies:
People of Alberta
Language Arts:
Literature analysis
Language Arts:
Literature analysis
Language Arts:
Literature analysis
Art: Story illustration
11
Literature to Support First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Student Success in Elementary Schools, Grade 4
people both new spiritual vitality and physical security. “…the book is superb for its power and abstract beauty.”1
Campbell, Maria. Little Badger and the Fire Spirit. Excellent legend of the
Alberta Cree people about how they got fire. If this is in your library, protect
it, as it is old and long out of print. Full text available at:
http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/artsed/g2arts_ed/drama/appendix.html
Van Laan, Nancy. Rainbow Crow, 1989, 0679819428. This is a pourquoi
story of how the crow came to have black feathers. When winter comes and
the animals become cold, crow goes on a quest to seek the assistance of the
Great Spirit--who provides the gift of fire, but not without consequences to
the bird’s plumage.
Lewis, Paul Owen. Frog Girl. 1997, 2001, 1582460485. When the frogs suddenly vanish from the lake behind her village, a young Native American girl
is led to the frog village underneath the lake and learns what she must do to
save both the frogs and her own people. Lewis has created his own story,
drawing on the legends and motifs of the Northwest Coast peoples. Extensive notes at the back of this book explain the importance of a quest story
and analyze the contents of this book. The story itself is spare and simple
with a great deal of information conveyed in the pictures.
Harper, Jo. Legend of Mexicatl. 2000, 978-1890515218. In this picture
book, the boy Mexicatl can hardly imagine being chosen to lead his people –
but one day the Morning Star tells him to search for “a place of harmony”
and shows him the sacred image of the eagle and snake. Mexicatl leads his
people on a long journey and finally finds the place for his people. After
Mexicatl learns the hard lessons of leadership his people finally prosper.
Richly illustrated, this story is drawn from ancient Aztec history
Lewis, Paul Owen. (AA). Storm Boy. 1997, 1-55285-268-7. After a violent
sea storm, a young Haida boy washes ashore in an unfamiliar village inhabited by strange colossal beings. He is made welcome with a potlatch, told stories and taught songs and dances before he returns home to teach these to his
own people. Although he thought he was away for only one night, he was
actually gone a full year in this magical land. Extensive notes at the back of
explain the importance of a quest story and analyze the contents of this book.
Oliviero, Jamie (AA) & Brent Morrisseau (CAA). Fish Skin. 1993.
1562824015. A small Cree boy saves his people from dying of thirst when
the Great Spirit gives him a magical fish skin.
1
Folktale Cree
Read for enjoyment.
(Quest) (Lac La Activity: Quest or Hero
Biche)
Tales
Folktale
(Quest,
Lenape Activity: Quest or Hero
Tales
pourquoi)
Social Studies:
Cree People of
Alberta
Language Arts:
Literature analysis
Language Arts:
Literature analysis
Folktale Haida
(Hero) Tlingit
Activity: Quest or Hero
Tales
Compare this folktale with
Scannah and the Beautiful Woman from Spirit
of Canada and with
Goose Girl
Language Arts:
Literature analysis, story comparison
Folktale (Aztec)
(Quest)
Activity: Quest or Hero
Tales
Language Arts:
Literature analysis, story comparison
Folktale Haida
(Hero)
Activity: Quest or Hero
Tales
Language Arts:
Literature analysis
Folktale Cree
(Hero)
Activity: Quest or Hero
Tales
Language Arts:
Literature analysis
Peterson, Andrea. Second Look: Native Americans in Children's Books. 2007, pp. 223
Developed by Thalia Hartson for the Southern Alberta Professional Development Consortium, June 2010, updated 2014.
12
Literature to Support First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Student Success in Elementary Schools, Grade 4
Lopez, Barry. Crow and Weasel. 1998, 978-0374416133. Long ago, when
Picture
people and animals spoke the same language, two young men left their tribe
Book,
to make an adventurous trek through the wilderness, into the unknown north- very
land. Set in the mythic past and inspired by the traditions of the North Amer- long
ican Plains people, this fable of self-discovery follows Crow and Weasel as
they face unfamiliar perils on a quest for knowledge and wisdom. Conquering their innermost fears, the two heroes come of age and learn more than
they ever could have imagined--about humanity's relationship to the land, the
importance of respecting other peoples and giving thanks, and even the very
nature of friendship itself.
Ballantyne, Adam. Legend of the Mimigwesseos. 1988, 0921254806. Cree
Oral
legends told by an old Cree storyteller in 1937. O/P
story
collection
Stout, Mary. Cree. (Native American Peoples). 2004, 0836837037. Describes Nonthe origin, history, language, daily life, and future prospects of the Cree of
fiction
Canada.
Banting, Erinn. Cree (Aboriginal Peoples of Canada). 2010, 978Non
1553886457. Covers some of the traditional ways of the Cree people for
fiction
young readers. Very easy reading, excellent photos.
Robinson, Deborah. Cree of North America. (First Peoples). 2002,
Non
0822541785. Describes the history, modern and traditional cultural practices fiction
and economies, geographic background, and ongoing oppression and struggles of the Cree. Excellent illustrations, appealing format, glossary, well researched, focus is on Canadian Cree.
Rebus, Anna. Blackfoot. 2005, 9781553883319. (Canadian Aboriginal Art
Nonand Culture). Recounts how the Inuit adapted to their surroundings. Outlines fiction
traditional ways of life, religious beliefs, celebrations and artwork. Excellent
illustrations and format.
Rebus, Anna. Blackfoot (Aboriginal Peoples of Canada). 2010, 978Non
1553886488. Covers some of the traditional ways of the Blackfoot people for fiction
young readers. Very easy reading, excellent photos.
Stout, Mary. Blackfoot. (Native American Peoples). 2005, 0836842162. De- Nonscribes the origin, history, language, daily life, and future prospects of the
fiction
Blackfoot of Canada.
Howse, Jennifer. Métis (Aboriginal Peoples of Canada). 2010, 978Non
1553886440. Covers some of the traditional ways of the Métis people for
fiction
young readers. Very easy reading, excellent photos.
Terry, Michael Bad Hand. Daily Life in a Plains Indian Village, 1868.
Non
1999, 0395945429. A fascinating and detailed inside look at the daily life of fiction
Activity: Quest or Hero
Tales
Activity: Respect for Nature
Language Arts:
Literature analysis, story comparison
Social Studies:
Aboriginal people
Northern
Cree
Describe some of the beliefs Social Studies:
of the Northern Cree.
Northern Cree
Cree
Use for research.
Cree
Use for research.
Characterize Cree customs
and lifestyle.
Use for research and reference.
Cree
Social Studies:
Cree People of
Alberta
Social Studies:
Cree People of
Alberta
Social Studies:
Cree People of
Alberta
Blackfoot
Use for research.
Characterize Blackfoot customs and lifestyle.
Social Studies:
Blackfoot People of Alberta
Blackfoot
Use for research.
Characterize Blackfoot customs and lifestyle.
Use for research.
Characterize Blackfoot customs and lifestyle
Use for research.
Characterize Métis customs
and lifestyle.
Use for research.
Analyze photos.
Social Studies:
Blackfoot People of Alberta
Social Studies:
Blackfoot People of Alberta
Social Studies:
Métis People of
Alberta
Social Studies:
People of Alber-
Blackfoot
Métis
Plains
Developed by Thalia Hartson for the Southern Alberta Professional Development Consortium, June 2010, updated 2014.
13
Literature to Support First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Student Success in Elementary Schools, Grade 4
a Plains Indian family more than 130 years ago. High quality photos with
lots of informative details, lots of textual information, index, table of contents, glossary. An excellent resource.
Steedman, Scott. How Would You Survive As An American Indian? 1995, Non
0-531-14383-X. Lots of illustrations with small blocks of text help make the fiction
content of this book easily accessible. There are new headings on every twopage spread, and lots of small pictures with their own subheadings. Provides
a huge amount of information on the Plains Indians. Illustrations good quality, but are drawings, not photographs. Includes table of contents, index, glossary, and timeline. Represents the Plains Indians as very organized, resourceful, and inventive.
Kalman, Bobbie. Life in a Plains Camp. (Native Nations of North America). Non2001, 0-7787-0461-0. Portrays the various aspects of life of the Plains people fiction
with their own customs and traditions. Looks at hunting, clothing, food, family, sports and the roles and responsibilities of various individuals. The illustrations in the book are well done. Give general information but also specific
details about selected groups.
Plains
Plains
Identify characteristics of
life in a plains Indian village.
Use for research.
Identify characteristics of
life in a plains Indian village.
Identify characteristics of
life in a plains Indian village.
Activity: Traditional
Homes
Activity: Bannock in Stories
Activity: Inventions and
Innovations
Use for research.
Activity: Traditional
Homes
Activity: Inventions and
Innovations
Kalman, Bobbie. Native Homes (Native Nations of North America). 2001,
Non978-0778704638. This book looks at many of the dwellings built by the nafiction
tive nations across the continent. Detailed illustrations show the exteriors,
interiors, and way of life in each lodge. Discover thatch homes and pueblos
of the Southwest, plank houses of the Northwest Coast, wigwams, longhouses, tipis, earth lodges, pit homes, and igloos.
Many
Kalman, Bobbie. Nations of the Northwest Coast. With index, glossary,
table of contents, appealing format, and large, bright illustrations, here is an
historical look at the people and their culture. Topics covered include the
distinct customs, cultures, and beliefs of the various nations; dwellings used
in different seasons and locales; fishing and the use of coastal plants and animals; traditional handicrafts, including carving and weaving; the organization of families, clans, and moieties.
Kalman, Bobbie. Nations of the Plains. 2001, 0778703681. Introduces students to the customs, languages, and traditional ways of the lives of several
native nations that lived on the Great Plains of North America, including the
Blackfoot.
Nonfiction
(North Use for research.
west
Activity: Traditional
Coast) Homes
Activity: Inventions and
Innovations
Non
fiction
Zoe, Therese. Living Stories. (Land is our Storybook) 2009,
Non-
Many,
including
Blackfoot
Dogrib
Developed by Thalia Hartson for the Southern Alberta Professional Development Consortium, June 2010, updated 2014.
Activity: Aboriginal Cultural Groups
Activity: Inventions and
Innovations
Activity: Aboriginal Cul-
ta
Social Studies:
People of Alberta
Social Studies:
People of Alberta
Science: Building Devices and
Vehicles that
Move
Social Studies:
People of Alberta
Science: Building Devices and
Vehicles that
Move
Social Studies:
Aboriginal people
Science: Building Devices and
Vehicles that
Move
Social Studies:
People of Alberta
Social Studies:
14
Literature to Support First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Student Success in Elementary Schools, Grade 4
9781897252444. Rich in details about the life today of Dogrib people. Excel- fiction (Dene) tural Groups
lent photos.
Gwich’in What are the differences and
McLeod. Tom. Delta is My Home. (Land is our Storybook). 2008,
Non9781897252321. Tom McLeod is an11-year-old boy. He tells about such
fiction (Dene) similarities between some
and
things as how the Mackenzie Delta floods, how to make bannock and about
of the regions of Canada?
Inuvialuit Activity: Aboriginal Cul“ratting” (trapping muskrats) and hunting black ducks.
tural Groups
Activity: Bannock in Stories
Willett, Mindy. Proud to be Inuvialuugama. (Land is our Storybook). 2010, NonInuit
Activity: Aboriginal Cul978-1897252598. James lives in the hamlet of Tuktoyuktuk in the Northwest fiction
tural Groups
Territories, above the Arctic Circle. The community is often just called Tuk
Activity: Bannock in Stoto save time. Even though he lives in the town now, James grew up on the
ries
land, learning the traditional values and survival skills of his people. In this
book, James and his daughter Rebecca go on a trip to harvest beluga whale.
Harvesting and preparing beluga meat as a family is an essential part of what
it means to be Inuvialuit.
Gwich’in Activity: Aboriginal CulAndré, Julie-Ann. We Feel Good Out Here. (Land is our Storybook). 2008, Non9781897252338. Rich in details about the life of a contemporary Gwich’in
fiction (Dene) tural Groups
family, excellent photos.
Compare contemporary life
with traditional life using a
Venn Diagram.
Jumbo, Sheyenne and Willett, Mindy. Come and Learn With Me (Land is
Dene
Activity: Aboriginal Culour Storybook). 2010, 9781897252574. Nine-year-old Sheyenne lives in
Yatie
tural Groups
Trout Lake, NWT, and shares her life – home, school, and the land. Learn
(south Activity: Bannock in Stohow to make birch bark baskets, identify medicinal plants, pick cranberries,
Slavey) ries
make drymeat and scrape moose hides.
Bishop, Amanda. Life in a Pueblo. (Native Nations of North America).
NonPueblo Activity: Traditional
2003, 978-0778704676. Photographs and clear text explore the daily lives of fiction
Homes
the people who lived in these communal adobe dwellings. Students will learn
how pueblos were built and the roles played by men, women, and children.
Landon, Rocky. A Native American Thought of It: Amazing Inventions
NonMany Activity: Traditional
and Innovations. 2008, 9781554511549. Includes a map of the traditional
fiction
Homes
territories of the various Native American groups. This book shows a great
Activity: Inventions and
deal of respect for Native Americans and offers a well-researched, wellInnovations
planned and very interesting resource. Organized under such headings as
food, shelter, transportation, medicine, communication, fun, hunting and
fishing.
Ipellie, Alootook. The Inuit Thought of It: Amazing Arctic Innovations.
NonInuit
Activity: Traditional
Offers a well-researched, well-planned and very interesting resource. Orgafiction
Homes
Developed by Thalia Hartson for the Southern Alberta Professional Development Consortium, June 2010, updated 2014.
Aboriginal people
Social Studies:
Aboriginal people
Social Studies:
Aboriginal people
Social Studies:
Aboriginal people
Social Studies:
Aboriginal people
Social Studies:
Science: Building Devices and
Vehicles that
Move
Social Studies:
People of Alberta
Science: Building Devices and
15
Literature to Support First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Student Success in Elementary Schools, Grade 4
nized under such headings as food, shelter, clothing, medicine, dog sleds,
fun, hunting and the kayak.
Love, Ann and Jane Drake, The Kids Book of the Far North, 2000,
Non1550745638. The Far North is home to many plants, animals and people who fiction
have developed remarkable ways of adapting to one of the harshest climates
on Earth. The book examines the region’s fascinating history, modern life,
and fragile ecosystem with facts, stories, legends, illustrations, timelines and
maps.
Munro, Ron. Canada’s First Peoples, 2005, 1550414437. An excellent reNon
source – includes eastern, plains, west coast and arctic people. Canada, A
fiction
People’s History series. Very well illustrated, excellent format.
Shemie, Bonnie. Houses of Snow, Skin and Bones (Native Dwellings).
1993, 978-0887763052. The author focuses on the critical need for shelter in
the harsh Far North as the primary shaper of Inuit life. The architecture, engineering, and construction methods for igloos, sod houses, and tents are explained, and the author also discusses patterns of living within the structures.
Bouchard, David. (Métis Author). Secret of Your Name. 2009,
9780889954397. Story of a person discovering his Métis heritage and looking back over the culture and history of the Métis. Includes CD. Text in English and Michif (Métis language.)
Mercredi, Morningstar and Darren McNally (Illustrator, Photographer) Fort
Chipewyan Homecoming: A Journey to Native Canada (We Are Still
Here). 12-year-old Matthew takes a trip to Fort Chipewyan in Alberta to
learn about his Chipewyan, Métis, and Cree heritage. His visit coincides with
the community's celebration of Treaty Days, commemorating the 1899
agreement that gave the Chipewyans hunting and fishing rights and reservation land. Each year the people gather for games, dances, sports, and feasting. Matthew also learns about traditional ways of fishing and drying fish
and making bannock and native beadwork and crafts. There are full-color
photos with clear text.
Wastasecoot, Brenda Isabel. (AA). Granny’s Giant Bannock. 2008,
9781894717496. A little miscommunication between English-speaking Larf
and his Cree-speaking grandmother leads to hilarious results when a giant
bannock threatens to take over the town. Includes a bannock recipe.
Lethbridge, Victor. Little Chief and Mighty Gopher: The Pemmican
Frenzy. 2010, 9780986673801. Discover what happens when a young aboriginal boy’s friendship with a gopher turns everyone’s life upside down!
Inuit
Many
Nonfiction
Inuit
Prose
poetry
Métis
Photo
Métis,
graphic Cree
Essay
Picture
Book
Cree
Picture Sioux
Book Lakota
Developed by Thalia Hartson for the Southern Alberta Professional Development Consortium, June 2010, updated 2014.
Activity: Inventions and
Vehicles that
Move
Innovations
Research and report writing. Science: BuildActivity: Aboriginal Culing Devices and
Vehicles that
tural Groups
Activity: Inventions and
Move
Innovations
Use for research and reference.
Activity: Aboriginal Cultural Groups
Activity: Inventions and
Innovations
Activity: Traditional
Homes
Social Studies:
People of Alberta
Describe some of the characteristics of Métis culture.
Activity: Aboriginal Cultural Groups
Compare and contrast life
today with the traditional
life of the Chipewyan, Métis, and Cree people.
Activity: Bannock in Stories
Social Studies:
People of Alberta
Activity: Bannock in Stories.
Language Arts:
Writing a Story
Why is an eagle feather
awarded?
Activity: Bannock in Sto-
Language Arts:
Writing a Story
Social Studies:
People of Alberta
Social Studies:
Past and Present
16
Literature to Support First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Student Success in Elementary Schools, Grade 4
Includes CD with narrated story and song.
Bouchard, David. (Métis Author). Michael Lonechild, illus. (Cree artist).
Qu'Appelle. 2002, 1-55192-475-7. Here is a Cree tale, and a famous love
story. It is a tragic legend about a young brave who must leave his betrothed
to lead a war party against the Blackfoot. Heartbroken by his absence, she
falls sick and dies. Upon his return, the brave cannot believe she is dead, and
wanders the prairies to this day calling for her. The elders say that if you go
out to the prairies and listen you will hear the brave looking for his lost love,
calling out "Qui Appelle" - who is calling?
Loyie, Larry. As Long as the Rivers Flow: A last summer before residential school. 2002, 0-8899-473-7. A short, true novel about Larry, who was
10 years old and living with his family near Slave Lake in Alberta, when he
learned that children must go away to school. He was frightened at the prospect of leaving his home and family. He and his family spend the summer
among the animals, with the grandparents, and on the trail to fish and hunt.
The carefree summer ends when the children are collected by strangers in a
truck and driven away, crying, to a faraway school to learn new ways of living. An epilogue, complete with pictures, describes the residential school
situation as Larry lived it from age 10 to 14. Good illustrations.
Loyie, Larry. Moon Speaks Cree: A Winter Adventure. 2013,
9781926886183. Learning the ways and lessons of Aboriginal culture, young
Lawrence rides his father's long toboggan pulled by four dogs and learns the
secrets of winter survival. The story is based on the author's experiences being raised in a traditional Cree environment in northern Alberta. With a few
black and white illustrations, this is actually a short chapter book.
Jordan-Fenton, Christy. When I Was Eight (Adaptation of "Fatty Legs.") .
2013, 9781554514915. Beautifully illustrated and written, this is the story of
a young Inuit girl sent off to Residential School who wants to read so badly
that she endures injustice and mistreatment to achieve her goal. Her patience
and fortitude win the day.
Spalding, Andrea. Finders Keepers. 1995, 2008, 978-1550028287. While
walking through a neighbourhood field in Alberta, Danny finds an 8,000year-old arrowhead. His friend Joshua, who lives on the Piegan reserve at
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, joins him on buffalo hunts, powwows, archaeological digs, and a break-in at the local museum. In the process Danny
learns about history and begins to overcome his dyslexia. Here’s a very sensitive portrayal of the Piegan people of southern Alberta in a novel that is
Folktale Cree
ries
Do some research to find
out more about gophers on
the prairies.
Read for enjoyment.
Describe how the Cree
lived.
Social Studies:
Plains Cree
Novel
Cree
(short,
autobiographical)
Characterize residential
schools.
Find out why the government sent Aboriginal children to residential schools.
Have a debate with government officials on one side
and the Aboriginal parents
on the other.
Social Studies:
Alberta history
Novel
Cree
(short,
autobiographical)
Characterize Larry’s Cree
upbringing.
Social Studies:
Alberta history
Picture
Book
Inuit
Find out about residential
schools and share what you
have learned with your
class.
Social Studies:
Residential
school history
Novel
Piegan Use as a novel study for
(Black- grade 4 Social Studies.
foot)
Developed by Thalia Hartson for the Southern Alberta Professional Development Consortium, June 2010, updated 2014.
Social Studies:
People of Alberta
Language Arts:
Novel Study
17
Literature to Support First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Student Success in Elementary Schools, Grade 4
fairly easy reading with strong boy appeal.
Loyie, Larry. Goodbye Buffalo Bay. Includes anecdotes about Larry’s life at
residential school, his life after he leaves the school, and a history of residential schools in Canada.
Kusugak, Michael. Northern Lights: The Soccer Trails, 1999, 1-55037338-2. This beautifully-illustrated story tells the Inuit beliefs about the
Northern Lights through the eyes of a young girl.
Kusugak, Michael. Hide and Sneak. 1996, 1-55037-229-7. This is the story
of a little Inuit girl who learns about the nasty little Ijiraq who will hide you
during a game of hide and seek. The trouble is that he will hide you so well
that you will never be found. The only thing that will help you find your way
home is an Inukshuk.
Kusugak, Michael. Littlest Sled Dog. 2008, 9781551437521. This story
about a little cairn terrier who dreams of being a big, strong sled dog, incorporates many aspects of Inuit culture and the northern environment.
Kusugak, Michael. Baseball Bats for Christmas. 1999, 155037-144-4. This
is a humourous story of a boy named Arvaarluk who lived in Repulse Bay
during Christmas, 1955. The people had never seen trees and when they received six at Christmas time, they carved them into baseball bats.
Kusugak, Michael. Arctic Stories. 1999, 1-55037-453-2. Here are three stories about an Inuit girl named Agatha. The prologue and analogue provide
the factual background for the stories. The analogue also contains a dictionary of Inuit words used in the story. There are full-page illustrations for each
page of print. The pictures are vivid and both the illustrations and the story
portray life in the Northwest Territories.
dePaola, Tomie. Popcorn Book. 1984, 978-0823405336. Details the history
of popcorn and shows how corn is an Aboriginal food originating in North
America. Presents a variety of facts about popcorn and includes two recipes.
Hehner, Barbara. Spirit of Canada: Canada’s Story in Legends, Fiction,
Poems, and Songs, 2001, 0773762000. A marvelous must-have anthology
of stories, poems and songs taken form the body of children’s literature and
spanning Canadian history, and including many well-loved stories and poems. Lots of colour illustrations. Includes many Aboriginal stories such as:
How Two-Feather was Saved from Loneliness, Manabozho and the Ma-
Non
fiction
Cree
Picture
Book
Inuit
Picture
Book
Inuit
What does an Inukshuk do?
Why do you think Inuit parents tell this story to their
children?
Picture
Book
Inuit
Picture
Book
Inuit
Compare with A Sled Dog
for Moshi and Nutik, the
Wolf Pup.
Why had the people never
seen trees?
Describe the arctic region.
Language Arts:
Comparing stories
Social Studies:
People of Canada
Picture
Book
Inuit
Characterize life in the far
north.
Describe the arctic region.
Social Studies:
People of Canada
Nonfiction
Many
Read with How TwoScience: Plant
Growth and
Feather was Saved from
Loneliness from Spirit of
Changes
Language Arts:
Canada
Create a flow chart or circle
Writing a Story
chart showing the life cycle
of corn.
Activity: Bannock in Stories.
Read with Popcorn Book.
Science: Plant
Activity: Bannock in StoGrowth and
Changes
ries
Activity: Quest or Hero
Language Arts:
Literature analyTales
sis
Anthology Many
- poems,
stories,
songs
Developed by Thalia Hartson for the Southern Alberta Professional Development Consortium, June 2010, updated 2014.
What basic democratic
rights were withheld by the
government?
Tell about the Inuit beliefs
about the Northern Lights.
Social Studies:
Alberta history
Social Studies:
People of Canada
Social Studies:
People of Canada
18
Literature to Support First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Student Success in Elementary Schools, Grade 4
ple Trees, Coppermine Feast, and the quest story Scannah and the Beautiful Woman.
Kusugak, Michael. My Arctic 1, 2, 3. 1996, 1-55037-504-0. This beautiful
Picture Inuit
picture book uses a northern community as the background for basic countBook
ing from 1 to 10. After 10 there are pages to illustrate the numbers 20, 100,
and 1 000 000. Focuses on the Inuit community, language and wildlife. Includes glossary and information about the arctic, its wildlife and climate.
Tingley, Ken. A is Alberta: A Centennial Alphabet. 2005, 0-9733500-2-4. Alphabet
A look at the place names of our province gives a glimpse of the many forces Book
that have shaped Alberta. Names reflect the heritage left by First Nations
people, the fur trading entrepreneurs, the explorers, the railways, world
events, and the settlers and immigrants from all over the world that make
Alberta the place it is today.
Flett, Julie. Owls See Clearly at Night: A Michif Alphabet. 2010,
9781897476284. In Michif and English. An introduction to the Michif language of the Métis people, mostly a combination of Cree and French.
Shoulders, Debbie and Michael. D is for Drum. 2006, 1585362743. Readers
get an A-Z introduction to the customs and cultures of the first people inhabiting the Americas. Topics include Bison, tipis, Kachinas and dugout canoes.
Alphabet Métis
Book
Alphabet
Book
McLellan, Joe. Goose Girl. 9781894717441. Years ago in northern Canada, Picture Cree
Marie, who spoke French and Cree, had a special wordless understanding
Book
with a goose. The relationship changed her life.
Wiebe, Rudy. Michael Lonechild, illus. (AI). Hidden Buffalo, 2003, 0Folktale Cree
88995-285-X. This book tells the story of the dependency of the Cree people (survival)
on the herds of buffalo. The beautiful illustrations provide rich detail of Cree
life in the 19th century in Alberta. One of the few really good books about
Alberta Aboriginal people.
Goble, Paul. Return of the Buffaloes: a Plains Indian story about famine
and renewal of the Earth. 1996, 079222714X. This folktale is based on a
Lakota myth in which a mysterious woman returns the buffalo and the other
Characterize Inuit customs
and lifestyle.
Use for research.
Social Studies:
Use as a model for student
Alberta
research and writing.
Read Village that
Stretched from Sea to Sea
and Canadian Indian
Place Names from Spirit
of Canada.
Activity: Make an Alphabet Book
Activity: Make an AlphaLanguage Arts:
Research
bet Book
Use as a model for a class
research and writing project.
Activity: Make an Alphabet Book
Read for enjoyment.
Characterize Métis life.
Compare with other
folktales about survival.
Research how the Cree depended on the buffalo. Show
how nothing was wasted.
Compare with Return of
the Buffaloes: a Plains
Indian story about famine
and renewal of the Earth.
Plains
Folktale
Compare with Hidden Buf(survival) (Lakota) falo.
Developed by Thalia Hartson for the Southern Alberta Professional Development Consortium, June 2010, updated 2014.
Mathematics
Social Studies:
People of Canada
Social Studies:
Research
Language Arts:
Make a retrieval
matrix.
Social Studies:
Cree in Alberta.
Science: Waste
and Our World
Language Arts:
Compare with
other folktales
19
Literature to Support First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Student Success in Elementary Schools, Grade 4
animals to the Indian people.
about survival.
Make a retrieval
matrix.
Goble, Paul. Gift of the Sacred Dog. 1980, 0020432801. In response to a
Folktale Plains Compare this folktale with
Language Arts:
boy’s prayer for help for his hungry people, the Great Spirit sends the gift of (survival)
the Blackfoot version How Compare with
the Thunder Made Horses other folktales
the Sacred Dogs, horses, which help the tribe to hunt for buffalo.
from Spirit of Canada.
about survival.
What differences did horses Make a retrieval
bring to Aboriginal people? matrix.
Ballantyne, Adam. Wisakyjak and the New World. 1991, 9780921254348. Folktale Wood- Activity: Trickster Tales
Language Arts:
(trickster)
Directly taken from a Woodland Cree storyteller, this is one of the stories of
land
Literature analyWisakyjak, a trickster who was responsible for changing many of he animals
Cree
sis
so that they appear as they do today.
Stott, Jon. A Book of Tricksters. 2010, 9781926613697. A wonderful collec- Folktale Many Read for enjoyment.
Language Arts:
tion of read-aloud tales from all over the world. Great to compare and conCollecCompare and contrast some Literature analytrast even though illustrations are few and one colour.
tion,
of the stories with other
sis
trickster
trickster stories.
Activity: Trickster Tales
McDermott, Gerald. Jabuti The Tortoise: A Trickster Tale from the Ama- Folktale Amazon Activity: Trickster Tales
Language Arts:
zon. 2001, 0152004963. All the birds enjoy the songlike music of Jabuti, the (trickster) area
Literature analytortoise, except Vulture, who, jealous because he cannot sing, tricks Jabuti
sis
into riding on his back to a festival planned by the King of Heaven.
Friesen, John W. And Now You Know: 50 Native American Legends.
Folklore Many, Activity: Trickster Tales
Language Arts:
(Pourquoi, Cana2010, 9781550593846. Provides short origin, why (pourquoi), how, and
Literature analytrickster stories from mostly Canadian Nations, including Peigan, Blackfoot, trickster, dian
sis
Cree, Iroquois, Dene, and Swampy Cree. (One black-and-white print illustra- creation)
tion for each story, not great quality. Some editing errors.) Includes Napi,
Skunk, and the Prairie Dogs: A Blackfoot Legend.
McDermott, Gerald. Papagayo: The Mischief Maker. 1992, 0152594647.
Folktale Amazon Activity: Trickster Tales
Language Arts:
(trickster) area
Papagayo, the noisy parrot, helps the night animals save the moon from beLiterature analying eaten up by the moon-dog.
sis
Picture
Contains
King, Thomas. Coyote’s New Suit. 2004, 1552634973. Coyote loves his soft,
Compare to one of the origi- Language Arts:
folklore nal versions: Why Moose
toasty-brown suit – at least until Raven hints that it might not be the finest in book
comparing stothe forest. Suddenly, Coyote is noticing suits wherever he looks – and taking (trickster) elements Has Loose Skin: A
ries, literature
from
them, too. Soon Coyote has everyone mad at him, and Raven is immensely
Swampy Cree Legend from analysis
many
enjoying the resulting chaos. Contains folklore elements from many cultures.
John W. Friesen’s And Now
cultures
You Know: 50 Native
American Legends.
Activity: Trickster Tales
Folktale Salish
Beaver Steals Fire: A Salish Coyote Story. 2005, 9780803216402. Of all
Activity: Trickster Tales
Language Arts:
Developed by Thalia Hartson for the Southern Alberta Professional Development Consortium, June 2010, updated 2014.
20
Literature to Support First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Student Success in Elementary Schools, Grade 4
the animals, it’s coyote who devises the plan to steal fire form Curlew so that (trickster)
they may all have fire.
McDermott, Gerald. Zomo the Rabbit: A Trickster Tale from West Africa. 1996, 978-0152010102. This retelling features bold, vibrant shapes and
colours. When Zomo ("He is not big. He is not strong. But he is very clever")
beseeches the Sky God for wisdom, he is set three impossible tasks: he must
bring back "the scales of Big Fish in the sea…, the milk of Wild Cow and the
tooth of Leopard." The clever rabbit dupes the three creatures into giving up
these prizes, but then discovers that the joke is on him.
McDermott, Gerald. Coyote: A Trickster Tale from the American Southwest. 1999, 978-0152019587. Coyote decides he wants to fly with the crows.
They humor him, give him feathers, and tolerate his off key singing and outof-step dancing, until he begins to boast and order them about. Then, as
Coyote struggles in midair, they take back their feathers one by one and he
plummets to earth. His tail catches fire, and he tumbles into the dirt. To this
day he is the color of dust and his tail has a burnt, black tip.
McDermott, Gerald. Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest.
2001, 978-0152024499. Raven feels sorry for the people living in the
gloomy cold, so he flies to the house of the Sky Chief in search of light and
warmth. To get inside, Raven pulls a shape-shifting trick that allows him to
be born to the god's daughter.
Budd, Robert, illus Roy H. Vickers. Cloudwalker. 2014, 9781550176193.
Raven Feather, a young Gitxsan hunter, wants to catch a group of swans with
his bare hands. He is carried away by the birds' powerful wings and dropped
in the clouds. When he finally returns to earth, he discovers lakes, creeks and
rivers where there were none before.
Munsch, Robert and Michael Kusugak. (Inuit Author). A Promise is a Promise. 1988, 155037009X. Allashua, a little Inuit girl, disobeys her mother’s
warning that the Quallupelluq (an imaginary fruit creature like a troll) will
take her away if she fishes in the crack in the ocean. In exchange for her life,
Allashua promises to bring her brothers and sisters to the crack in the ocean
ice. Her family’s courageous trick allows Allashua to keep both her family-and her promise. The book blends a “warm, loving family into an adventurous story that will enchant children…an absolutely wonderful book.”2
Bruchac, Joseph & Bruchac, James. (AA), Jose Aruego & Ariane Dewey,
Illustrator (AA). Raccoon’s Last Race: a traditional Abenaki story. 2004,
0-8037-2977-4. Tells the story of how Raccoon, the fastest animal on earth,
2
Folktale West
(trickster) Africa
Activity: Trickster Tales
comparing stories, literature
analysis
Language Arts:
Literature analysis
Folktale American Activity: Trickster Tales
(Trickster) Southwest
Language Arts:
Literature analysis
Folktale Pacific
(Trickster, Northquest)
west
Language Arts:
Literature analysis
Compare with How Raven
Freed the Moon.
Activity: Quest or Hero
Tales
Activity: Trickster Tales
Picture Pacific Compare with How Raven
North- Freed the Moon and Rabook
west
ven and the First People:
Legends of the Northwest
Coast
Folktale Inuit
Tell some details about how
(Trickster)
the Inuit live.
Compare this story with
Very Last First Time and
with Nanabosho, Soaring
Eagle and the Great Sturgeon.
Activity: Trickster Tales
Folktale Abenaki Activity: Trickster Tales
(trickster)
Language Arts:
Literature analysis
Social Studies:
Inuit
Language Arts:
Comparing stories
Language Arts:
Literature analysis
Peterson, Andrea. Second Look: Native Americans in Children's Books. 2007, pp. 243.
Developed by Thalia Hartson for the Southern Alberta Professional Development Consortium, June 2010, updated 2014.
21
Literature to Support First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Student Success in Elementary Schools, Grade 4
loses his speed because he is boastful and breaks his promises.
Friesen, John W. Still More Legends of the Elders. 2005, 1550592793. Includes trickster legends. Learning legends and moral legends. Trickster stories include Coyote and Crow: A Yakima Legend and Swift-Runner and
the Trickster: A Zuni Legend. (Hard-to-read titles and one black-and-white
illustration of varying quality per story.)
Cameron, Anne. How Raven Freed the Moon. 1985, 0920080677. This is
both a trickster story and a pourquoi story. Raven wants the Moon, and although she gets it from the old fisherwoman’s cedar chest, she can’t carry it,
and so throws it up into the sky. Black and white illustrations.
Cameron, Anne. CA). Raven Goes Berrypicking. 1991, 1550170368. Raven
is clever and tricky – and greedy. She persuades her friends to pick berries
with her, and tricks them into doing more than their share of the work, for
less than their chare of the food. In the end, her friends cleverly teach Raven
a lesson. Black and white illustrations.
Cameron, Anne. (CA) Raven & Snipe. 1991, 1550170376. The ever-wily,
ever-hungry Raven visits the generous Snipe family, in the hopes of getting
lots of free food. When she gets a bit too greedy, however, she finds out the
Snipes have a few tricks of their own!
Football, Virginia. How the Fox Got His Crossed Legs. 2009, 9781894778749. Includes CD. When he gets into an argument with Bear, Fox
loses a leg and becomes very sad. The people ask Raven for help. He tricks
Bear and gets Fox’s leg back, but puts it on crooked. Text also in Dogrib.
Carriere, Ken. Bulrush Helps the Pond. Gabriel Dumont Institute, 2007, 0920915-65-5. Shows prairie wetland ecology as seen by the Swampy Cree
people, looking at the seasonal cycle of nature on a pond. Well illustrated,
each photo shows an animal, water bird, or plant that depends upon a marshland ecosystem. The focus is the changing seasons: fall, ducks; winter many
animals and birds have left or are hibernating; spring, Canada geese, bulrushes, mosquitoes, water birds and frogs; summer, ducks, bugs, falcons,
foxes, bulrush is tall and helps the pond by preventing all the water from
evaporating; fall again, birds, bulrush drops its seeds. The cycle of nature is
complete and the reader gains understanding of the fragile prairie wetland
ecosystem. Written in Swampy Cree and English.
Knutson, Barbara. Love and Roast Chicken: A Trickster Tale from the
Andes Mountains. 2004, 1575056577. A clever guinea pig repeatedly outsmarts the fox that wants to eat him for dinner.
Ahenakew, Freda. Wisahkecahk Flies to the Moon. 1999, 9780921827573.
Folktale
Many
(Trickster)
Compare with other trickster Language Arts:
stories.
Comparing stoActivity: Trickster Tales
ries, literature
analysis
Folktale North(Trickster) west
Coast
Activity: Trickster Tales
Language Arts:
Literature analysis
Folktale North(Trickster) west
Coast
Compare with Little Red
Hen.
What berries grow in your
area? What growing conditions do they like best?
When are they ready?
Activity: Trickster Tales
Activity: Trickster Tales
Language Arts:
Literature analysis
Science: Plant
Growth and
Changes
Folktale Pacific
(Trickster) Coast
Folktale
(Trickster)
Nonfiction
Dogrib Compare with other trickster
stories.
Activity: Pourquoi Tales
Activity: Trickster Tales
Swampy List and describe the ways
Cree
in which bulrushes help
ponds and pond life.
Folktale Peru
Activity: Trickster Tales
(trickster) region
(Andes)
Folktale Cree
Activity: Trickster Tales
Developed by Thalia Hartson for the Southern Alberta Professional Development Consortium, June 2010, updated 2014.
Language Arts:
Literature analysis
Language Arts:
Comparing stories, literature
analysis
Science: Plant
Growth and
Changes
Language Arts:
Literature analysis
Language Arts:
22
Literature to Support First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Student Success in Elementary Schools, Grade 4
Written in Cree and English, this engaging tale follows Wisahkecahk as he
hitches a ride to the moon by grabbing the legs of a crane. When the moon
disappears underneath his feet, Wisahkecahk falls to earth and lands in soft
mud. Rather than rejoice that his life was saved, Wisahkecahk curses the
mud as a wasteland. Sherry Farrell Racette is the Métis artist.
Krensky, Stephen. How Coyote Stole Summer: A Native American Tale.
(On My Own Folklore) 2000, 9780822575481. Coyote the trickster is always
up to something. This time he steals summer! Easy reading.
Goble, Paul. Iktomi and the Buffalo Skull: A Plains Indian Story. 1990,
0531059111. Again the trickster, the man in the middle, makes a fool of
himself. Iktomi, the Plains trickster, interrupts a powwow of the Mouse People and gets his head stuck in a buffalo skull. Excellent source notes. The
asides printed in italics mimic the comments of both the storyteller and the
listeners in traditional storytelling. Have two or more readers reading the
various parts as the story progresses.
Goble, Paul. Iktomi and the Buzzard. 1994, 0531086623. Iktomi, the trickster, tries to fool a buzzard into carrying him across the river on the buzzard’s back. The asides printed in italics mimic the comments of both the
storyteller and the listeners in traditional storytelling. Excellent source notes.
Have two or more readers reading the various parts as the story progresses.
Goble, Paul. Iktomi and the Ducks: A Plains Indian Story. 1990,
0531070441. After outwitting some ducks, Iktomi, the trickster, is outwitted
by Coyote. The asides printed in italics mimic the comments of both the storyteller and the listeners in traditional storytelling. Have two or more readers
reading the various parts as the story progresses.
McLellan, Joseph. Nanabosho Steals Fire. 1990, 0921827059. An old man
who had fire kept it for himself and was always watching to make sure no
one stole it. Nanabosho changed into a rabbit, fooled the old man’s daughters
and got them to take him into their wigwam. There, he let the fire catch onto
his fur and ran out and back to his people and thereby bought them fire.
That’s why how the people got fire and that’s why the rabbit is brown in
summer – to remind the people how they got fire.
Bruchac, Joseph & Bruchac, James. (AA), Girl Who Helped Thunder and
other Native American Folktales. 2008, 9781402732638. Presents 24 stories from various Native American groups, including Blackfoot and Inuit.
The Blackfoot story, Old Man and the Rolling Rock, is about Old Man, a
favourite trickster character in the tales of the Blackfoot. Old Man sometimes
changes the world around him, but other times he gets into trouble. In stories
like this one, he is a perfect example of how not to behave. The Inuit story is
Blind Boy and the Loon, which is a trickster story. Another trickster story is
(Trickster,
pourquoi)
Activity: Pourquoi Tales
Literature analysis
Folktale (Wyo-
Activity: Trickster Tales
Language Arts:
Literature analysis
Language Arts:
Literature analysis
(trickster) ming)
Shoshone
Folktale Plains
Activity: Trickster Tales
(Trickster)
Folktale Plains Activity: Trickster Tales
(Trickster) (Teton,
Dakota)
Folktale Plains
(Trickster)
Folktale
(trickster,
pourquoi,
hero)
Compare with other trickster Language Arts:
stories involving coyote.
Literature analyActivity: Trickster Tales
sis
Ojibwa Compare this story with
Rainbow Crow.
Activity: Quest or Hero
Tales
Activity: Trickster Tales
Activity: Pourquoi Tales
Story
Many,
includCollection ing
(Trickster, Black-
How is Old Man in this
story a perfect example of
how not to behave?
Activity: Quest or Hero
pourquoi, foot and Tales
Inuit
quest)
Activity: Trickster Tales
Developed by Thalia Hartson for the Southern Alberta Professional Development Consortium, June 2010, updated 2014.
Language Arts:
Literature analysis
Language Arts:
comparing stories, literature
analysis
Language Arts:
comparing stories, literature
analysis
23
Literature to Support First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Student Success in Elementary Schools, Grade 4
Turtle’s Race with Wolf. Excellent illustrations. For a variation on the Rolling Rock story, go to Legend of Napi and the Rock at http://canadian-firstnations.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_legend_of_napi_and_the_rock In this
funny version, the rock is the Okotoks Erratic and it’s after Old Man!
Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes. Beaver Steals Fire: A Salish Coyote Story. 2005, 9780803243231. A long time ago fire belonged only to the
animals in the land above, not to those on the earth below. Curlew, keeper of
the sky world, guarded fire and kept it from the earth. Coyote, however, devised a clever plan to steal fire, aided by Grizzly Bear, Wren, Snake, Frog,
Eagle, and Beaver. These brave and resourceful animals raided the land
above and risked all to steal fire from Curlew. Here is an ancient and powerful tale from the Salish people of Montana.
Swanson, Bruce, Gray Wolf's Search. 2007, 978-0977918317. His uncle,
the clan shaman, tells Gray Wolf that his future success depends on completing an important task--he must find a very important person and get to know
him well. When he returns to his clan, an older and wiser Gray Wolf takes
the talking stick from his uncle and shares his new wisdom. Beautifully illustrated.
Yahgulanaas, Michael. Little Hummingbird. 2010, 978-1553655336. This
book is based on a South American indigenous story about a courageous
hummingbird who defies fear and expectations in her attempt to save the
forest from fire. The illustrated story is supplemented by a natural and cultural history of hummingbirds. The artwork by internationally renowned
Haida artist and author complements the optimistic tale that encourages everyone to take responsibility for their home and the planet.
Robinson, Gail. Coyote the Trickster. 1975, 0844809233. Trickster characters are often coyotes, and have many-sided personalities. They can be foolish, magical, tricky, heroic – all leading to a wise and witty reflection of human nature.
Dembicki, Matt. Trickster: Native American Tales: A Graphic Collection. 2010, 978-1555917241. In Trickster, 21 Native American tales are
adapted into graphic novel form. Each story is written by a different Native
American storyteller who worked closely with a selected illustrator, a combination that gives each tale a unique and powerful voice and look. Stories
range from serious and dramatic to funny and sometimes downright fiendish.
George, Thomas. Raven and the First People: Legends of the Northwest
Coast. 2009, 9781926696089. Over 25 stories from the Canadian pacific
Northwest. No illustrations.
Picture
Book
(Quest)
Salish
(Montana)
Activity: Quest or Hero
Tales
Compare with Little Badger and the Fire Spirit
Picture (North Activity: Quest or Hero
Book
-west
Tales
(Quest) Coast)
Picture
Book
(Hero)
South
American altiplano
Story
Many
Collection
(Trickster)
Folktale Many
Social Studies:
People of Canada
Activity: Quest or Hero
Tales
Activity: Respect for Nature
Science: Waste
and Our World
Language Arts:
comparing stories, literature
analysis
Activity: Trickster Tales
Language Arts:
comparing stories, literature
analysis
Language Arts:
Literature analysis
Activity: Trickster Tales
(trickster),
graphic
novel
format
Folktale (North Select several Raven stories
Collec- Pacific from different sources to
tion
Coast) analyze and compare. Are
they hero, trickster, or
pourquoi stories?
Developed by Thalia Hartson for the Southern Alberta Professional Development Consortium, June 2010, updated 2014.
Language Arts:
comparing stories, literature
analysis
Language Arts:
Literature analysis
24
Literature to Support First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Student Success in Elementary Schools, Grade 4
Ayre, Robert. Sketco the Raven. 2009, 9781443100441. Through his cunning, trickery, and transformations, Sketco brings the world the moon, the
sun, and the stars. He gives birds their colours, gives man fire, creates the
tides, brings food, and much more. No illustrations. Like a chapter book,
each chapter telling another episode. Episodes stand alone, but the whole
works as a longer story.
Folktale (North
Collection Pacific
(pourquoi, Coast)
trickster,
hero)
Select several Raven stories
from different sources to
analyze and compare. Are
they hero, trickster, or
pourquoi stories?
Activity: Trickster Tales
Activity: Pourquoi and
Creation Tales
Activity: Quest or Hero
Tales
Folktale Canadi- Activity: Pourquoi and
(Pouran
Creation Tales
Bouchard, David. (Métis author) Raven’s Greatest Creation. 2011, 9780978432775. One of Bouchard’s best books, this story combines many folkquoi)
(Ojibwe)
lore elements from Canadian Aboriginal tradition to tell a marvellous creation story. Includes a CD with all artwork and music done by Aboriginal artists.
Bellingham, Brenda. Storm Child, 1985 0888627939. Isabel Macpherson,
Novel Black- Novel study and culture
born in Fort Edmonton of a Scottish father and a Native mother, is deterfoot
comparison.
mined to assume her Native name, Storm Child, deny her father who has
(Piegan)
abandoned the family, and live with her grandparents among the Piegans –
but cultural roots are not so easily set aside.
Campbell, Nicola. (Métis Author). Shi-shi-etko. 2005, 0888996594. In four
Picture
Talk about residential
short days, Shi-shi-etko will be forced to leave her family and all that is faBook
schools and what the immiliar to her to attend residential school. This is a moving and poetic account
pact was on Aboriginal
of one child’s final moments spent with her family and the beauty of the
people.
world around her. In the presence of her family, Shi-shi-etko carefully gathers valuable teachings and memories for safekeeping.
Taylor, Cora. Angelique - Buffalo Hunt. 2002, 0-14-100271-9. Angelique, a Novel
Métis Research to find out a little
Métis girl, prepares for the annual buffalo hunt on the prairie. She encounters
about Métis people.
several adventures, including a buffalo stampede. Angelique's strong, smart
and courageous personality is portrayed in this Canadian historical fiction
book. Sequels: Long Way Home and Autumn Alone.
Burton, Wilfred and Anne Patton. Dancing In My Bones. (Fiddle Trilogy
Picture Métis Research to find out a little
#2). 2009, 9780920915899. Nolin discovers more about his Métis heritage as Book
about Métis people.
he travels with his Moushoom (grandfather) and experiences his first moose
hunt and successfully dances the "Bannock Jig." Includes CD. Written in
both English and Michif-Cree.
Burton, Wilfred and Anne Patton. Call Of The Fiddle (Fiddle Trilogy #3).
Picture Métis Research to find out a little
2012, 9781926795041. This is the third in the trilogy about a young boy,
Book
about Métis people.
Nolan, as he learns about his Métis heritage from his grandfather,
Moushoom, and begins to be able to carry on his family's traditions. Nolin
Developed by Thalia Hartson for the Southern Alberta Professional Development Consortium, June 2010, updated 2014.
Language Arts:
Literature analysis
Language Arts:
Literature analysis
Language Arts:
Novel study
Social Studies:
People of Alberta
Social Studies:
Métis people
Social Studies:
Métis people
Social Studies:
Métis people
25
Literature to Support First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Student Success in Elementary Schools, Grade 4
hears the "Red River Jig," and experiences the excitement of dancing at
Batoche. Written in both English and Michif-Cree. Includes CD.
Dorion, Leah Marie. The Diamond Willow Walking Stick: A Traditional
Métis Story About Generosity. 2012, 9781926795096. This non-fiction
book that looks like a picture book shows the teachings of a Métis Elder
about the importance of generosity and teaches children to live with respect
within the circle of life. It sounds like it would be didactic and boring, but it
is actually quite moving. Written in both English and Michif-Cree. Includes
CD.
McLellan, Joe. Nanabosho, Soaring Eagle and the Great Sturgeon. 1993,
0921827237. Soaring Eagle gets greedy and nearly loses his son.
Picture
book
Métis
Folktale Ojibwa Compare this story with
Promise is a Promise and
Very Last First Time.
Make a grid and compare
several aspects.
What lesson is taught?
Activity: Bannock in Stories
Campbell, Nicola. (Métis Author). Shin-chi’s Canoe. 2008, 9780888998576. Picture
Talk about residential
When they arrive at school, Shi-shi-etko reminds Shinchi, her six-year-old
Book
schools and what the imbrother, that they can only use their English names and that they can't speak
pact was on Aboriginal
to each other. For Shinchi, life becomes an endless cycle of church mass,
people.
school, work, and hunger. He finds solace at the river, with his cedar canoe,
a gift from his father, and dreaming of the day when the salmon return to the
river - a sign that it’s almost time to return home. This is a story about a devastating chapter in First Nations history.
Wikipedia: Blackfoot - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackfoot. This Web site Web site Black- Use for research.
foot
gives a good overview of Blackfoot history and culture. It clarifies the various groups that comprise the Blackfoot Confederacy.
Glenbow Museum: Niitsitapiisini Our Way of Life: The Story of the
Non
Black- Use for research.
Blackfoot People. 2001, 1552633632. Information, photos, graphics and
fiction
foot
well-researched history, supported with early photos and quotes.
Glenbow Museum: Niitsitapiisini Our Way of Life: The Story of the
Web site Black- Use for research.
Blackfoot People - http://www.glenbow.org/blackfoot/. Information, photos,
foot
graphics and activities abound in this interesting Web site.
Developed by Thalia Hartson for the Southern Alberta Professional Development Consortium, June 2010, updated 2014.
Social Studies:
People of Alberta
Language Arts:
comparing stories, writing a
story
Social Studies:
People of Alberta
Social Studies:
Blackfoot People of Alberta
Social Studies:
Blackfoot People of Alberta
Social Studies:
Blackfoot People of Alberta
26
Literature to Support First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Student Success in Elementary Schools, Grade 4
Using Children’s Literature in Teaching Elementary Social Studies
Advantages:
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Widespread availability
Easily integrated into thematic curricula
Generally more up to date
More focused and provide an in-depth look at social studies concepts
More interesting and less confusing for students than textbooks
Story lines help students remember concepts better
Contain colourful pictures and graphics
Present a more human side of social studies than do textbooks
Evoke both efferent (factual) and aesthetic response (emotional)
Support Inquiry and Research Processes
What Do We Look For In Non-Fiction?
Criteria:
 Large, clear, high quality colour illustrations, including both photos and drawings
 Drawings include graphs, diagrams, tables and other structures that plot information and show relationships
 Illustrations that match and support the text
 Captions that support the material
 Index
 Table of Contents
 Glossary
 Authority and currency evident in sources used in content development (e.g., sources and authorities listed)
 Text appropriate as to size, font type, placement, amount per page
 Headings and sub-headings used frequently throughout the text
 Content suitable for age of student
 Content appropriate for the intended unit of study
 Content organized in “chunks” of related material
 Print broken up by illustrations, boxes, sidebars, etc., so as to avoid long, intimidating sections of text.
 Appealing format
 Canadian or Albertan content where appropriate and available
Developed by Thalia Hartson for the Southern Alberta Professional Development Consortium, June 2010, updated 2014.
27