Why are ravens black? Why do screech owl eyes look red in light? How did we get fire? You?ll find the answers to those questions in this retelling of a Cherokee pourquoi folktale. The earth was cold and dark but the animals could see fire coming from the tree on the island. They tried to fly or swim to the island to bring back the fire heat and light. What happened to some of the animals? Which animal brought it back and how?

James S. Frideres' introduction to the current status of First Nations peoples considers often troubled relations with the federal government as well as their surprising resilience. Frideres' surveys pre- and post-contact and ends with recent court challenges; in spite of historical trauma anda century of extinguishment policies, First Nations people are flourishing across Canada. Frideres shows that understanding decades of misguided government policy helps make sense of sobering present indicators of health and welfare.This fascinating assessment draws on all the most recent and most reliable data of First Nations peoples across Canada, both on reserve and in urban centres. The first chapter is a concise, accessible description of First Nations populations before and following contact with European settlers, whereonce thriving healthy nations across the country faced decimation from imported disease and cultural change. The history of government attempts to "manage" First Nations people via the Indian Act, treaties, and other forms of legislation dispossessed them of land, livelihood, and identity. Today,First Nations people continue to live with the effects of these misguided policies, too often isolated and marginalized from the rest of Canada. Chapters consider all the key indicators in their historical context, including education, health, and criminal justice. Two chapters also deal with theissue of rights: land rights and Aboriginal rights, both complicated topics that emerge from different cultural worldviews. As rights legislation evolves however, new opportunities for reconciliation have emerged.This accessible and up-to-date account of social demographics will be essential reading for students and scholars wishing to understand the full context of First Nations people in Canada.

First Peoples of Canada offers readers a rare opportunity to experience a celebrated exhibition that has toured the world, yet has never been shown in Canada. This beautifully designed, full-colour book presents a collection of 150 archaeological and ethnographic objects produced by Canada's First Peoples - including some that are roughly 12,000 years old - that represent spectacular expressions of creativity and ingenuity. Curators Jean-Luc Pilon and Nicholette Prince sought out pieces held by the Canadian Museum of Civilization that could be considered "masterworks" based on their aesthetic qualities, symbolic value, or the skills and raw materials used in manufacturing them. These unique and priceless artifacts embody the rich diversity of skills and materials used by Canadian Inuit, First Nations, and Métis in both ancient and modern times. First Peoples of Canada is full of insights not only on the pieces themselves, but also on the cultures that produced them and the geography of this vast land. Readers will come away from this book with a renewed appreciation of the lifestyles and achievements of Canada's original inhabitants. This collection focuses on items made by people in four regions across Canada: the farmers of the Great Lakes, the hunters and warriors of the Great Plains, the wealthy Salmon People of costal British Columbia, and the people of Canada's harshest environments, the Arctic and Boreal Forest.

The shocking true story covered by the Guardian and the New York Times of the seven young indigenous students who were found dead in a northern Ontario city.

The Seven Sacred Teachings is a message of traditional values and hope for the future. The Teachings are universal to most First Nation peoples. These Teachings are aboriginal communities from coast to coast. They are a link that ties First Nation, Inuit and Métis communities together. David Bouchard is Canada s most renowned and awarded Métis author. Dr. Joseph Martin has spent his life coming to understand the Sacred Teachings. Métis Kristy Cameron took a year out of her life to interpret the Teachings through her art. Swampfox has created seven flutes out of seven different woods, each in the key that is consistent with a particular Teaching. This master flute maker then dreamed seven songs to accompany this telling. Awards/Recognition: Look to the East. Is it not easy to see how insignificant you are when you marvel at the rising sun? Wolf, who epitomizes the Teaching of Humility, howls announcing the arrival of Grandfather Sun. Through Wolf, we learn that the pack is more important than the individual. The Trembling Aspen models Humility and the song you ll hear is in the key of C because C exemplifies Humility. Rooted in humility and honesty, the creators have tried to respect the cultures and traditions of all peoples. It is our hope that this telling will unite and thus heal divisions. Prophecies tell that this is the time for One Heart, One Mind and One Drum. We, readers and authors alike, are the ones we have been waiting for. There is nobody else who can revitalize our culture and values except ourselves. It is our hope that this telling might move readers toward greater courage and wisdom and ultimately toward achieving and understanding what is true in life s journey. "About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

"This A to Z children's pictorial covers Ontario's famous people, history, geography, and provincial symbols. Topics include Alexander Graham Bell, Eastern White Pine, Group of Seven, James Bay, and Niagara Falls. Each letter's topic is introduced using poetry and includes expository text filled with details about the topics"--Provided by publisher.

Learn all about where Arctic foxes live, what they eat, and how they hunt. This non-fiction book gives information about the Arctic fox, along with beautiful photographs.

Learn all about where Greenland sharks live, what they eat, and how they hunt. This non-fiction book gives information about the Greenland shark, one of the Arctic's most fascinating animals.

Brian Isaac's powerful debut novel All the Quiet Places is the coming-of-age story of Eddie Toma, an Indigenous (Syilx) boy, told through the young narrator's wide-eyed observations of the world around him. It's 1956, and six-year-old Eddie Toma lives with his mother, Grace, and his little brother, Lewis, near the Salmon River on the far edge of the Okanagan Indian Reserve in the British Columbia Southern Interior. Grace, her friend Isabel, Isabel's husband Ray, and his nephew Gregory cross the border to work as summer farm labourers in Washington state. There Eddie is free to spend long days with Gregory exploring the farm: climbing a hill to watch the sunset and listening to the wind in the grass. The boys learn from Ray's funny and dark stories. But when tragedy strikes, Eddie returns home grief-stricken, confused, and lonely. Eddie's life is governed by the decisions of the adults around him. Grace is determined to have him learn the ways of the white world by sending him to school in the small community of Falkland. On Eddie's first day of school, as he crosses the reserve boundary at the Salmon River bridge, he leaves behind his world. Grace challenges the Indian Agent and writes futile letters to Ottawa to protest the sparse resources in their community. His father returns to the family after years away only to bring chaos and instability. Isabel and Ray join them in an overcrowded house. Only in his grandmother's company does he find solace and true companionship. In his teens, Eddie's future seems more secure--he finds a job, and his long-time crush on his white neighbour Eva is finally reciprocated. But every time things look up, circumstances beyond his control crash down around him. The cumulative effects of guilt, grief, and despair threaten everything Eddie has ever known or loved. All the Quiet Places is the story of what can happen when every adult in a person's life has been affected by colonialism; it tells of the acute separation from culture that can occur even at home in a loved familiar landscape. Its narrative power relies on the unguarded, unsentimental witness provided by Eddie.

Learn about some of the mammals that roamed the Arctic long ago! From seals that walked on land to giant bears, this book features different mammals that once lived in the Arctic.

Before maps, compasses, and GPS, Inuit used observation and experience to find their way in the Arctic. This book describes some of the traditional methods Inuit traditionally used to navigate on the land and sea, including using the sun and stars and looking carefully at snowdrifts. Quotations from Elders preserve this knowledge for future generations.