English professor Sandra Muse Isaacs has recommended a list of books appropriate for #Indigenous Reads.
In celebration of National Indigenous History Month, professor Sandra Muse Isaacs of the Department of English Language, Literature, and Creative Writing has produced a list of books she recommends as #IndigenousReads, a project to encourage reconciliation by sharing Indigenous literature.
“My students have enjoyed the books and recommended them to their friends and family,” says Dr. Muse Isaacs. “Some recommendations are novels, and some are memoirs of sorts about residential school, and one of the texts is about ancient stories and oral tradition.”
- Cheri Dimaline (Méetis), The Marrow Thieves. Dancing Cat Books, 2017.
- Dawn Dumont (Cree), Rose’s Run. Thistledown Press, 2014.
- Linda Hogan (Chickasaw), People of the Whale. Penguin Classics, 2008.
- Basil Johnston (Anishinaabe), Ojibway Tales. Bison Books, 1993.
- Thomas King (Cherokee), The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America. Doubleday Canada, 2012.
- Isabelle Knockwood (L’Nuk), Out of the Depths: Experiences of Mi’kmaw Children at the Indian Residential School at Shubenacadie. Fernwood Books, 2015.
- Eden Robinson (Haisla, Heiltsuk), Monkey Beach. Vintage Books, 2001.
- Leslie Marmon Silko (Laguna Pueblo), Ceremony. Penguin Classics, 2006.
- Richard Wagamese (Anishinaabe), Indian Horse. Douglas & McIntryre, 2018.
Muse Isaacs is of Eastern Cherokee and Gaelic heritage, and joined the UWindsor faculty through the President’s Indigenous Peoples Scholars Program in 2018.
She is the author of Eastern Cherokee Stories: A Living Oral Tradition and its Cultural Continuance, published in 2019 by Oklahoma University Press and available in hard cover or ebook format.
In June, Canadians celebrate National Indigenous History Month to honour the history, heritage, and diversity of Indigenous peoples in Canada. It is an opportunity to recognize the strength of present-day Indigenous communities, and a time for learning about, appreciating, and acknowledging the contributions First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people have made in shaping Canada.