Our library in Hewett Centre is open every Sunday after service during Coffee Hour in Hewett Centre. Here is the Library Team’s list of VanU library related reading books for the upcoming forum, sponsored by the Social Justice and IPA teams.
VanU library books related to the forum:
1. Standoff: Why Reconciliation Fails Indigenous People and How to Fix It, by Bruce McIvor, 2022, 342 McI [From LibraryThing: “… In this series of concise and thoughtful essays, lawyer and historian Bruce McIvor explains why reconciliation with Indigenous peoples is failing and what needs to be done to fix it. Widely known as a passionate advocate for Indigenous rights, McIvor reports from the front lines of legal and political disputes that have gripped the nation. From Wet’suwet’en opposition to a pipeline in northern British Columbia, to Mi’kmaw exercising their fishing rights in Nova Scotia, McIvor has been actively involved in advising First Nation clients, fielding industry and non-Indigenous opposition to true reconciliation, and explaining to government officials why their policies are failing. McIvor’s essays are honest and heartfelt. In clear, plain language he explains the historical and social forces that underpin the development of Indigenous law, criticizes the current legal shortcomings and charts a practical, principled way forward. By weaving in personal stories of growing up Me tis on the fringes of the Peguis First Nation in Manitoba and representing First Nations in court and negotiations, McIvor brings to life the human side of the law and politics surrounding Indigenous peoples’ ongoing struggle for fairness and justice. His writing covers many of the most important issues that have become part of a national dialogue, including systemic racism, treaty rights, violence against Indigenous people, Me tis identity, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) and the duty to consult. McIvor’s message is consistent and powerful: if Canadians are brave enough to confront the reality of the country’s colonialist past and present and insist that politicians replace empty promises with concrete, meaningful change, there is a realistic path forward based on respect, recognition and the implementation of Indigenous rights.”].
2. Tiná7 Cht Ti Temíxw: We Come From This Land: A Walk Through the History of the Squamish People, by the Squamish Nation, 2024, 971 TIN [From LibraryThing: “A story of the Sk_wx_wu´7mesh U´xwumixw (Squamish Nation): past, present, and future.One hundred years after Sk_wx_wu´7mesh (Squamish) leadership signed an amalgamation agreement that declared several communities in Squamish territory as one nation, this accessible history of the Sk_wx_wu´7mesh people traces our stories from ancient times to the present. Tina´7 Cht Ti Temíxw: We Come from This Land offers the culmination of generations of knowledge about the Squamish People and S?wx_wú7meshulh Temíx_w (Squamish People’s Territory).Today, we are over 4,100 people and growing, living within S?wx_wú7meshulh Temíx_w and beyond. Our 6,732-square-kilometre territory includes the watersheds of the Squamish River, Mamquam River, and Howe Sound in the north, and English Bay, False Creek, and Burrard Inlet in the south. It encompasses saltwater and rushing rivers, old-growth forests at valley bottoms, and alpine forests high above the ocean. Oral histories and archaeological sites demonstrate our relationship with the lands and waters going back over twelve thousand years. Here, we introduce ancient Squamish stories and ways, as well as describe relationships with our neighbours from time immemorial. We discuss early contact with Europeans and the disastrous effects of racism and colonialism, the Indian Act, reserves, and residential schools. We detail our engagement with the imperfect tool of the Canadian judicial system in several significant court cases that have advanced Indigenous rights. And we show how the Squamish Nation is taking back ownership and stewardship within our homelands. …”].
3. 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act: Helping Canadians Make Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples a Reality, by Bob Joseph, 2018, 342.7 JOS [From LibraryThing: “… Since its creation in 1876, the Indian Act has dictated and constrained the lives and opportunities of Indigenous Peoples, and is at the root of many enduring stereotypes. Bob Joseph’s book comes at a key time in the reconciliation process, when awareness from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities is at a crescendo. Joseph examines how Indigenous Peoples can return to self-government, self-determination, and self-reliance – and why doing so would result in a better country for every Canadian. He dissects the complex issues around the Indian Act, and demonstrates why learning about its cruel and irrevocable legacy is vital for the country to move toward true reconciliation. …”].
4. Clearing the Plains: Disease, Politics of Starvation, and the Loss of Indigenous Life, by James Daschuk, 2019, 971 DAS [From Wikipedia: “The book takes an epidemiological approach and documents the historical roots of modern health disparities between Canadians and Indigenous peoples living in what is now Canada. In doing so, Daschuk highlights in particular the role of Canadian policy designed to displace Indigenous populations from their traditional territories to make way for the settlement of the Prairies, including policies that amounted to forced starvation. … Daschuk thus builds on the work of scholars such as Sarah Carter who have highlighted the shortcomings of Canadian Indigenous policies in the settlement period, along with scholarship on the social determinants of health. In an article about his research, Daschuk argued that these types of policies were part of a process of genocide and ethnic cleansing.”].
5. Indigenous Relations: Insights, Tips & Suggestions to Make Reconciliation a Reality, by Bob Joseph and Cindy Joseph, 2019, 303 JOS [From LibraryThing: “… offers practical tools that will help you respectfully avoid missteps in your business interactions and personal relationships with Indigenous Peoples. This book will teach you about: Aboriginal Rights and Title, and the treaty process the difference between hereditary and elected leadership, and why it matters the lasting impact of the Indian Act, including the barriers that Indigenous communities face which terms are preferable, and which should be avoided Indigenous Worldviews and cultural traditions the effect of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in Canada the truth behind common myths and stereotypes perpetuated about Indigenous Peoples since Confederation. In addition to being a hereditary chief, Bob Joseph is the President of Indigenous Corporate Training Inc., which offers programs in cultural competency. Here he offers an eight-part process that businesses and all levels of government can use to work more effectively with Indigenous Peoples, which benefits workplace culture as well as the bottom line. Embracing reconciliation on a daily basis in your work and personal life is the best way to undo the legacy of the Indian Act. By understanding and respecting cultural differences, you’re taking a step toward full reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.”].
6. From Where I Stand: Rebuilding Indigenous Nations for a Stronger Canada, by Jody Wilson-Raybould, 2019, 970 WIL [From LibraryThing: “… Drawn from speeches made over a ten-year period both at home and abroad, Jody Wilson-Raybould reveals why true reconciliation will occur only when Canada moves beyond denial, recognizes Indigenous Rights, and replaces the Indian Act. We have the solutions. Now is the time to end the legacy of colonialism and replace it with a future built on foundations of trust, cooperation, and Indigenous self-government.”].
7. Alanis Obomsawin: Lifework, by Richard William Hill and Alanis Obomsawin, edited by , Hila Peleg, 2022, 791 HIL [From LibraryThing: “… This retrospective monograph features an extensive interview with Obomsawin and includes stills and reflections on her entire career including her most recent series devoted to the rights of Indigenous children. Never shying away from controversy, Obomsawin’s films have played a critical role in exposing ongoing systemic bias towards Indigenous populations-from fishing rights and education to health care and treaty violations. Obomsawin is also a graphic artist, and she incorporates her often dream-inspired etchings and prints into many of her films. …”].
8. The First Nations of British Columbia: An Anthropological Survey, Second Edition, by Robert Muckle, 2004, 971.1 MUC [From LibraryThing: “… Robert Muckle familiarizes readers with the history, diversity, and complexity of First Nations to provide a context for contemporary concerns and initiatives. This fully revised edition explains the current treaty negotiation process and provides highlights of agreements between First Nations and governments. It also details past and present government policies, identifies the territories of major groups in the province, gives information on populations, reserves, bands, and language groups, and summarizes archaeological, ethnographic, historical, legal, and political issues.”].
9. The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America, by Thomas King, 2012, 970 KIN [From LibraryThing: “In this book, the author offers a deeply knowing, darkly funny, unabashedly opinionated, and utterly unconventional account of Indian-White relations in North America since initial contact. In the process, he refashions old stories about historical events and figures. Ranging freely across the centuries and the Canada-U.S. border, he debunks fabricated stories of Indian savagery and White heroism, takes an oblique look at Indians (and cowboys) in film and popular culture, wrestles with the history of Native American resistance and his own experiences as a Native rights activist, and articulates a profound, revolutionary understanding of the cumulative effects of ever-shifting laws and treaties on Native peoples and lands. At once a “history” and the complete subversion of a history, this is a critical and personal meditation that the author has conducted over the past 50 years about what it means to be “Indian” in North America. This book distills the insights gleaned from that meditation, weaving the curiously circular tale of the relationship between non-Natives and Natives in the centuries since the two first encountered each other.”].
10. Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada, by The Royal Canadian Geographical Society/Canadian Geographic, 2018, 970 CAN [From LibraryThing, in page [4] of cover volume 1: “… outstanding reference maps of Indigenous Canada, as well as a section devoted to Truth and Reconciliation, including detailed pages on many aspects of the topic with contemporary and historical photography, maps and more. There’s also a glossary of common Indigenous terms.”].
11. Rez Rules: My Indictment of Canada’s and America’s Systemic Racism Against Indigenous Peoples, by Chief Clarence Louie, 2023, 305 LOU [From LibraryThing: “… In 1984, at the age of twenty-four, Clarence Louie was elected Chief of the Osoyoos Indian Band in the Okanagan Valley. Nineteen elections later, Chief Louie has led his community for nearly four decades. The story of how the Osoyoos Indian Band–“The Miracle in the Desert”–transformed from a Rez that once struggled with poverty into an economically independent people is well-known. Guided by his years growing up on the Rez, Chief Louie believes that economic and business independence are key to self-sufficiency, reconciliation, and justice for First Nations people. … remembers enrolling in the “Native American Studies” program at the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College in 1979 and falling in love with First Nations history. Learning about the historic significance of treaties was life-changing. He recalls his first involvement in activism: participating in a treaty bundle run across the country before embarking on a path of leadership. He and his band have worked hard to achieve economic growth and record levels of employment. Inspired by his ancestors’ working culture, and by the young people on the reserve, Chief Louie continues to work for First Nations’ self-sufficiency and independence. …, Chief Louie brings together wide-ranging subjects: life on the Rez, including Rez language and humour; per capita payments; the role of elected chiefs; the devastating impact of residential schools; the need to look to culture and ceremony for governance and guidance; the use of Indigenous names and logos by professional sports teams; his love for motorcycle honour rides; and what makes a good leader. He takes aim at systemic racism and examines the relationship between First Nations and colonial Canada and the United States, and sounds a call to action for First Nations to “Indian Up!” and “never forget our past.” Offering leadership lessons on and off the Rez, this memoir describes the fascinating life and legacy of a remarkable leader and provides a common-sense blueprint for the future of First Nations communities. In it, Chief Louie writes, “Damn, I’m lucky to be an Indian!””].
12. We Are Born with the Songs Inside Us: Lives and Stories of First Nations People in British Columbia, by Katherine Palmer Gordon, 2013, 971.1 GOR [Autographed by the author. From LibraryThing: “… collects sixteen candid stories gleaned from those interviews, stories of people who share an unshakeable belief in the importance of their cultural heritage to their well-being, to their success at what they do, and to their everyday lives. Included are Kim Baird, former chief of the Tsawwassen First Nation; Lisa Webster-Gibson, spoken word artist and rock-and-roll drummer with Delaware-Mohawk and Scottish-Canadian heritage who lives and works on Gabriola Island as an Environmental Assessment Professional; and John Marston (Qap’u’luq), an artist and storyteller from the Chemainus First Nation who learned to carve from his father. “What I put into each piece,” he says, in his interview with Gordon, “is 100 percent me.” Shattering stereotypes, We Are Born with the Songs Inside Us gathers the thoughts and hopes of young native people living in twenty-first century Canada. Each has a compelling, meaningful story that deserves to be told, understood and, above all, celebrated.”].
13. Indigenous Continent: The Epic Contest for North America, by Pekka Hämäläinen, 2023, 970 HAM [From LibraryThing: “This nation’s history and self-understanding have long depended on the notion of a “colonial America,” an epoch that supposedly laid the foundation for the modern United States. In Indigenous Continent, Pekka Hämäläinen overturns the traditional, Eurocentric narrative, demonstrating that, far from being weak and helpless “victims” of European colonialism, Indigenous peoples controlled North America well into the 19th century. From the Iroquois and Pueblos to the Lakotas and Comanches, Native empires frequently decimated white newcomers in battle, forcing them to accept and even adopt Native ways. Even as the white population skyrocketed and colonists’ land greed become ever more extravagant, Indigenous peoples flourished due to sophisticated diplomacy and flexible leadership structures. As Hämäläinen ultimately contends, instead of “colonial America” we should speak of an “Indigenous America” that was only slowly and unevenly becoming colonial. In our myth-busting era, this restoration of Native Americans to their rightful place at the very center of American history will be seen as one of the most important correctives yet”].
14. Five Little Indians: A Novel, by Michelle Good, 2020, 813 GOO [From LibraryThing: “Taken from their families when they are very small and sent to a remote, church-run residential school, Kenny, Lucy, Clara, Howie and Maisie are barely out of childhood when they are finally released after years of detention. Alone and without any skills, support or families, the teens find their way to the seedy and foreign world of Downtown Eastside Vancouver, where they cling together, striving to find a place of safety and belonging in a world that doesn’t want them. The paths of the five friends cross and crisscross over the decades as they struggle to overcome, or at least forget, the trauma they endured during their years at the Mission. Fuelled by rage and furious with God, Clara finds her way into the dangerous, highly charged world of the American Indian Movement. Maisie internalizes her pain and continually places herself in dangerous situations. Famous for his daring escapes from the school, Kenny can’t stop running and moves restlessly from job to job – through fishing grounds, orchards, and logging camps – trying to outrun his memories and his addiction. Lucy finds peace in motherhood and nurtures a secret compulsive disorder as she waits for Kenny to return to the life they once hoped to share together. After almost beating one of his tormentors to death, Howie serves time in prison, then tries once again to re-enter society and begin life anew. With compassion and insight, Five Little Indians chronicles the desperate quest of these residential school survivors to come to terms with their past and, ultimately, find a way forward.”].
15. Indian Horse, by Richard Wagamese, 2012, FIC WAG [From LibraryThing: “Saul Indian Horse is a child when his family retreats into the woods. Among the lakes and the cedars, they attempt to reconnect with half-forgotten traditions and hide from the authorities who have been kidnapping Ojibway youth. But when winter approaches, Saul loses everything: his brother, his parents, his beloved grandmother–and then his home itself. Alone in the world and placed in a horrific boarding school, Saul is surrounded by violence and cruelty. At the urging of a priest, he finds a tentative salvation in hockey. Rising at dawn to practice alone, Saul proves determined and undeniably gifted. His intuition and vision are unmatched. His speed is remarkable. Together they open doors for him: away from the school, into an all-Ojibway amateur circuit, and finally within grasp of a professional career. Yet as Saul’s victories mount, so do the indignities and the taunts, the racism and the hatred–the harshness of a world that will never welcome him.”].
16. Who Owns the Arctic?: Understanding Sovereignty Disputes in the North, by Michael Byers, 2010, 341.42 BYE [Gift of Barbara Taylor. Signed by the author. From LibraryThing: “Who actually controls the Northwest Passage? Who owns the trillions of dollars of oil and gas beneath the Arctic Ocean? Which territorial claims will prevail, and why – those of the United States, Russia, Canada, or the Nordic nations? And, in an age of rapid climate change, how do we protect the fragile Arctic environment while seizing the economic opportunities presented by the rapidly melting sea-ice? Michael Byers, a leading Arctic expert and international lawyer clearly and concisely explains the sometimes contradictory rules governing the division and protection of the Arctic and the disputes over the region that still need to be resolved. What emerges is a vision for the Arctic in which cooperation, not conflict, prevails and where the sovereignty of individual nations is exercised for the benefit of all. This insightful little book is an informed primer for today’s most pressing territorial issue.”].
17. Saving Paradise: How Christianity Traded Love of This World for Crucifixion and Empire, by Rita Nakashima Brock, 2008, 230 BRO [Published by Beacon Press. From LibraryThing: “During their first millennium, Christians filled their sanctuaries with images of Christ as a living presence-as a shepherd, teacher, healer, or an enthroned god. He is serene and surrounded by lush scenes, depictions of this world as paradise. Yet once he appeared as crucified, dying was virtually all Jesus seemed able to do, and paradise disappeared from the earth. Saving Paradise turns a fascinating new lens on Christianity, from its first centuries to the present day, asking how its early vision of beauty evolved into a vision of torture, and what changes in society and theology marked that evolution. It also retrieves, for today, a life-affirming Christianity that the world sorely needs.”].
18. The New Northwest Passage: A Voyage to the Front Line of Climate Change, by Cameron Dueck, 2012, 910.91 DUE [From LibraryThing: “… it brought them face to face with modern Arctic life in tiny, isolated Inuit communities where the challenge of climate change is added to the already crushing load of social and economic woes. Each person they met along the way added their story to the colourful tale of life in the Arctic; a unique place where the climate change experience is affected by the critical and ongoing debates over sovereignty, resources and cultural assimilation.”].
