5 books to read for National Indigenous History Month

Set in 1940s rural Saskatchewan, Tara Gereaux's novel Wild People Quiet tells the story of a Métis woman who hides her heritage and passes as white. Everything changes though when seasonal workers with ties to her past arrive in her small prairie town. Photo by Chris Graham /Chris Graham

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Communities everywhere will be dedicating events to recognize the history, heritage, and resilience of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. National Indigenous History Month is also a time for reflection on the impacts of colonization, and a chance to learn more about and support the reconciliation process.

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A great way to recognize and celebrate National Indigenous History Month is to support Indigenous creatives. To help with that, here is a list of five recent books from Indigenous authors with a B.C. connection to check out.

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Wild People Quiet, by Tara Gereaux Photo by Courtesy of Scribner Canada /Courtesy of Scribner Canada

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Wild People Quiet, by Tara Gereaux (Scribner Canada) 

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A former UBC MFA student and a citizen of the Métis Nation-Saskatchewan, Gereaux grew up knowing her grandfather was Métis. But she was told to tell others the family was French. From that experience comes the novel Wild People Quiet.

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Set in 1946 in rural Saskatchewan, the story focuses on Florence Banks, a soft-spoken Métis woman who has been passing herself off as white. Her carefully curated existence begins to crumble when a group of Métis labourers arrive in her small prairie town. Soon, Florence finds herself forced to pick between the life she has been living and the truth of her history.

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Sharing the Light: Stories and Reflections, by Monique Gray Smith. Photo by Courtesy of House of Anansi Press /Courtesy of House of Anansi Press

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Sharing the Light: Stories and Reflections, by Monique Gray Smith (House of Anansi Press)

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Based near Victoria, award-winning and bestselling author/educator Monique Gray Smith, who is of Cree, Lakota and Scottish descent, has written 12 books for all age ranges of readers. Her latest, the national bestseller Sharing The Light: Stories And Reflections, asks readers to take a beat or two and think about their lives and re-connect with their “inner light” through the lens of five transformative practices — gratitude, love, joy, happiness and hope.

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A combination of short stories, reflections and questions, Sharing The Light is not only a thoughtful read, but it is a book that can be revisited repeatedly as a source of guidance and some good old-fashion inspiration as we all try to figure out how to navigate the crazy, unpredictable world we live in.

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The Lost Haida Manga: A Compendium, by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas. Photo by Courtesy of Douglas & McIntyre /Courtesy of Douglas & McIntyre

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The Lost Haida Manga: A Compendium, by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas (Douglas & McIntyre) — Out June 2

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Celebrated contemporary Haida artist and author Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas delivers a new collection that traces the origins of Haida manga — an artistic style and storytelling format he created that combines traditional Pacific Northwest Coast Haida iconography (such as formline) with contemporary Japanese graphic novels.

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Through black-and-white ink works The Lost Haida Manga: A Compendium sets themes ranging from the impacts of colonialism, the environment, and Indigenous sovereignty in a visually stunning graphic world.

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Why Our Lands Are Not For Sale, by Mildred C. Poplar. Photo by Courtesy of Medicine Wheel Publishing /Courtesy of Medicine Wheel Publishing

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Why Our Lands Are Not For Sale: The Inside Story of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, by Mildred C. Poplar (Medicine Wheel Publishing) — Out June 2