Exploring the library’s FNMI collection
One of the hardest realities in recent years has been understanding and confronting residential school trauma, clear historical attempts at cultural genocide, and the backburner attitude that allows racism to be normalized. Here are four I-couldn’t-put-them-down books available at Lethbridge Public Library — from a child’s point of view to a research perspective, to effects and healing partnerships for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.
“Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths in a Northern City” by Tanya Talaga, a Toronto Star journalist of Polish and Ojibwe descent, is now a national bestseller and winner of many awards. It is not easy to read, but necessary to get at the truth. Investigating the deaths of seven youth who died in Toronto while attending high school far from their families, Talaga underscores how evidence was neglected in these cases and, sadly, is an all-too-familiar story Indigenous people have known for generations. Talaga’s book examines the often-denied, deeply embedded nature of racism found in too many of Canada’s provinces. Combined with the art on the cover by Christain Morrisseau, whose son Kyle was one of the victims, this investigative reporting honours the students’, and the survivors’, stories and charges us to take responsible action: what changes can we make today to prevent and restore dignity, equality, and social justice within our own communities?
“A Stranger at Home: A True Story,” continues the story of Margaret (“Fatty Legs: A True Story”) as she returns home to Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T., after two years at boarding school in Aklavik, N.W.T. The transition is not easy, as her mother does not recognize her, she cannot remember her own language, and the traditional Inuit food no longer appeals to her. Her short hair, English speech and tennis shoes cause her old friends to label her as “outsider.” She fights with her father who refuses to allow her to pray as the nuns have instructed her, and she feels guilty, fearing her family will all go to hell. She is torn by the Catholic ways and the Inuit ways. Yet, in the introduction, Olemaun (Margaret) reminds us: “But I was named for a stone that sharpens a knife, and I was strong. I couldn’t be worn down.” Written by Christy Jordon-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton with artwork by Liz Amini-Holmes.
In writing “Unsettling the Settler Within,” Paulette Regan’s research and personal insights will help in framing the idea of non-Indigenous people taking the role of allies in today’s world to become skilled listeners and equal partners and begin the ever-present healing process. Her goal is to assist the settler, examine the persistent aspects of what kind of world do we want to live in, and rather than taking a “know-it-all” approach to “the Indian problem,” become mindful of past injustices and approach the future with a collaborative, partnership perspective.
In “They Called Me Number One,” Xat’sull Chief Bev Sellars writes in her preface: “I am angry about the way Aboriginal people have been and are still treated in Canada. I realize that complaining about the treatment of our people is justified, but doing something about it is more important.” Her book, winner of the Burt Award for First Nations, Metis and Inuit literature, and short-listed for the Hubert Evans Non-fiction Prize, is full of personal memories, spanning her lifetime and three generations who attended St. Joseph’s Mission at Williams Lake, B.C.
The children are given numbers when they entered the school, and Sellars notes, “Thankfully, our numbers weren’t tattooed on our skin.” By the end of her story I felt her courage and compassion, and as she walks through her own healing journey, I felt like she was speaking to me. Take an opportunity to read, share with your book club and recommend this title to your friends.
This is just a small selection of great titles offered at your Lethbridge Public Library. For even more choices talk to our library staff to see what they are reading.