You can find a lot of insight from the books you read. The month of June is National Indigenous History Month for Canada and this page provides opportunities for you to look at some established works from accomplished indigenous authors. Here are some works to consider in your private library if you want to meditate on present problems for women and do something about them.
- All Our Relations: Finding the Path Forward by Tanya Talaga
Tanya Talaga’s work on genocide and colonization helps reach an understanding of why there is a rise in the suicide rates among indigenous youth in Canada and throughout the world. Its key messages center around the need to return to one’s roots and to draw from the environment.
- Split Tooth by Tanya Tagaq
This book looks into communal life and the natural world, showing events, both natural and supernatural, before the dancing of the Northern Lights.
- Monkey Beach by Eden Robinson
The protagonist in the story lives in the community of Kitamaat and struggles with the loss of her brother, as well as using supernatural elements to show how grief is processed. A thought-provoking character piece, it shows a young woman discover herself and her identity while exploring her supernatural experiences.
- The Break by Katherena Vermette
Vermette’s story takes readers through a horrifying experience of racism, trauma lasting generations and violence as a young indigenous woman goes through a brutal attack that changes her family’s entire lives. This story of healing and family will surely open people’s eyes to the cruel reality of discrimination in the country.
