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Are you Métis like me? A group of children of Métis descent share and explore all the ways they celebrate and experience their heritage — enjoying traditional foods like bannock bread and Saskatoon berries; crafting with beads; sharing stories, dance, music and songs. Each child shares a different way they enjoy honoring their backgrounds and weaving parts of the rich tapestry that makes up Métis culture. One child, though, has grown up disconnected from their history, and can’t join in with the others in the same way. But they soon see it’s never too late to learn, celebrate or become a part of a community in which Métis and non-Métis alike can discover the richness of an often-overlooked culture.

A girl and her mother find and adopt a lone polar bear cub. Together they thrive until the bear is no longer a cub, who leaves the humans to find his own community. One day, the bear returns with his mother. This adaptation of an Inuit tale is simply and touchingly illustrated. 

When a young girl moves from the country to a small town, she feels lonely and out of place. But soon she meets an elderly woman next door, who shares her love of arts and crafts. Can the girl navigate the changing seasons and failing health of her new friend? Cree-Métis words (defined in a small glossary) add an intimate layer of identity to the child’s narration.

Based on a true story, The Water Walker, shares the story of Josephine Mandamin, a woman who was inspired by a prophecy to protect water. The book tracks her activism around water protection and the group of Water Walkers that she formed who join her on her many walks across North America. This is a dual-language edition in English and Anishinaabemowin.

Rich in folklore and local culture, this graphic novel aimed at emergent readers offers a window into the world of Arctic First Nations families and legends. The two protagonists have a typical sibling dynamic as younger brother Putuguq tags along and annoys his older sister Kublu. On the way to meet a friend near the ocean, the duo run into their grandfather. He warns them to steer clear of the shoreline, lest they become victims of the Qalupalik, a nightmarish, mermaidlike creature who captures those who wander too close to the water. A map orienting readers to Putuguq and Kublu’s snow-covered village showcases an array of homes on stilts, many with snowmobiles (and sled dogs) outside.

Antonio Barichievich was a giant. He weighed as much as a horse and once dragged four busses filled with people! Most amazingly, he really lived in Montreal (Canada). Antonio’s story comes to life with verve and wit in graphic format with lighthearted illustrations and easier to read text.

Creatures of the far north can call on the Strength of the Land to do what they want. When Raven becomes jealous of Walrus’ useful curved tusks, Raven freezes the sea, trapping Walrus. Walrus breaks free, making his once curly tusks short and straight, which they remain to this day. This is a dramatically illustrated and well-told pourquoi (why) tale.

The lyrical lullaby begins on the day Kulu was born with, “all of the Arctic Summer was there to greet you.” Each animal bestows on the baby something special, from heritage to instinct. Gentle illustrations in soft hues swirl as each creature embraces the newborn.

Homan Walsh wanted to win the prize for flying his kite, Union, from one side the Niagara River to the other — the first step in building a bridge connecting Canada and the U.S. Stylized paintings and simple text tell a powerful story (based in fact) of persistence and hope.

This picture book is a small glimpse, from A to Z, of some of the sights and sounds of the Michif language and its speakers. The language of the Métis, Michif is a combination of French and Cree with a trace of other regional languages. Once spoken by thousands of people across the prairies of Canada and the northern United States, Michif is now so little spoken that it might disappear within a generation. This alphabet book is part of a resurgence to celebrate and preserve the traditions of the Métis people.

In this book, the supernatural is everywhere, and children of the Ojibwe First Nation learn the stories of their culture by living them — on a raft, catching a bird, or meeting a mysterious girl in the forest.

“Let’s go for a walk,” Fran tells her granddaughter, Marissa, “I have a story to tell you.” Here, at a family reunion, Marissa visits the Tlingit community of Kake for the first time, meets her many relatives, and learns some of the stories and traditions of the Eagle and Raven clans. — Oyate (We Are Still Here: Native Americans Today)

When they arrive at school, Shi-shi-etko reminds Shinchi, her six-year-old brother, that they can only use their English names and that they can’t speak to each other. For Shinchi, life becomes an endless cycle of church mass, school, and work, punctuated by skimpy meals. He finds solace at the river, clutching a tiny 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.

Shi-shi-etko has just four days until she will have to leave her family and everything she knows to attend one of Canada’s Indian residential schools. She spends her last precious days at home treasuring and appreciating the beauty of her world — the dancing sunlight, the tall grass, each shiny rock, the tadpoles in the creek, her grandfather’s paddle song. LaFave’s richly hued illustrations complement Campbell’s gently moving and poetic account of a child who finds solace around her, even though she is on the verge of great loss.

This comic book is the first volume in a series set in 18th-century colonized North America and based on traditional teachings of the Anishinabek. We follow the story of two mischievous Ojibwe brothers as they play pranks and have amazing adventures using a traditional Ojibwe medicine that transforms them into animals for a short time. The authors include members of the Salteaux and Henvey Inlet First Nations. Additional volumes are available through the Rabbit and Bear Paws website (opens in a new window).

Julie-Ann is a Gwichya Gwich’in from Tsiigehtchic in the Northwest Territories. She is a Canadian Ranger, a mother of twin daughters, a hunter, a trapper, and a student. Julie-Ann shares her family’s story and the story of her land, observing, “The land has a story to tell, if you know how to listen.” A glossary of Gwichya Gwich’in words is provided. (The Land Is Our Storybook)

Gita is ready for the Hindu celebration of Divali, but she is afraid that it just won’t be the same in her new home in Canada. When icy rain prevents the celebration they had planned, Gita becomes even more miserable, until she finds a way to light the darkness and remember Divali’s true meaning.

An old Inuit woman takes in a polar bear cub and raises him until others in the village become jealous of the bear’s hunting prowess, threatening to kill him. The old woman sends her beloved bear away, but continues to meet him far out on the ice where her polar bear “son” gives her food to eat. The gentle telling and illustrations evoke the Arctic.

Eleven-year-old Elijah was born in Buxton, a Canadian settlement that was the final stop on the Underground Railroad. The free child of slaves, Elijah reveals his growing awareness of the horrors of slavery on his journey to young adulthood. Vivid characters and a strong sense of place create both humor and horror in this moving novel.