Explore Critical and Creative Texts

Selected Texts

• Read Indigenous: Resources & Reading List was created by UTSC Librarians and staff in 2021 and features a collection of books created for Indigenous History Month and Indigenous Peoples Day. 
• The Indigenous Centre at the University of Toronto Mississauga recognized National Day for Truth and Reconciliation/Orange Shirt Day with a curated list of materials (films, books, and podcasts) to "provide insight into the residential school experience, the intergenerational trauma that continues into the present day, and our responsibilities as Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples."
• 25 Books that Highlight Beauty of Indigenous Literature: 'It is Time to Tell Our Own Stories Our Way' is a 2022 curated list from Dogrib Tłı̨chǫ Dene author, Richard Van Camp. His selection showcases "the slang, the protocols, the culture, the customs [which] are all welcome and needed to both inspire and floor international, national and local readers." 
• 35 Books to Read for National Indigenous History Month weaves together a collection of books with interviews with some of the authors on CBC Radio's Unreserved and The Next Chapter. 
• The Reconciliation Manifesto (2017) by the late Arthur Manuel and Grand Chief Ronald Derrickson (Secwepemc Nation & Westbank First Nation, British Columbia). Through his grassroots activism, global vision for Indigenous peoples, community rootedness, and insight as a lawyer, Manuel takes a critical look at Canada as a nation and, in 8 parts speaks "the truth that comes before reconciliation" (p. 56). Related Listening: Tune into a podcast from Media Indigena on Arthur Manuel's Legacy
• Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teaching of Plants (2015) was written by SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Professor Robin Wall Kimmerer who is a botanist and member of the Potawatomi Nation. In each chapter, there are stories that blend history, and botany with Indigenous epistemologies.
• "Recognizing the Intersection of Indigeneity and Living with Disabilities" is an article from RRC Polytechnic in Manitoba looking at the "intersection between Indigeneity and disability... and [the]  layered experiences that many Indigenous people living with disabilities face in everyday life." Related Reading: "Disability as a Colonial Construct: The Missing Discourse of Culture in Conceptualizations of Disabled Indigenous Children" (2020) by Nicole Ineese-Nash in the Canadian Journal of Disability Studies.
• AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples (December 2005 - June 2022) is "an internationally peer-reviewed interdisciplinary journal published... on Indigenous worldviews and experiences of decolonization from Indigenous perspectives from around the world." Many of the articles disrupt the idea of the existence of a singular or fixed Indigenous identity.    
• "Decolonization is not a Metaphor" (2012), by Eve Tuck, and K. Wayne Yang in Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society is a crucial text for understanding the meaning and concept behind "decolonization," a term that is commonly attached to many social justice movements and practices.  In the Abstract, the authors state that decolonization "is not a metaphor for other things we want to do to improve our societies and schools" because it should be about bringing "the repatriation of Indigenous land and life."
• Indigenous Cinema created by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is home to a collection of films created between 1968-2022 and organized into 18 different subject areas. 
• "First Nations and Higher Education: The Four R's - Respect, Relevance, Reciprocity, Responsibility" by Verna Kirkness and Ray Barnhardt raises a crucial question for universities as it thinks about the recruitment, support, and thriving of Indigenous students: "How... can the monolithic/ethnocentric institution of the university be reoriented to foster a more productive two-way exchange that increases its capacity to respond effectively to the higher education and human resource needs of First Nations students and communities?" (p. 6). The authors address this question by examining the four Rs, looking at the importance and respect of Indigenous Knowledges, the role of faculty members in developing Indigenous cultural competency and understanding the dimensions of anti-Indigenous racism. Related Viewing: Watch "How Verna Kirkness Changed Indigenous Education," narrated by her nephew, Doug Beyer.

Educational Portals

• The Deepening Knowledge Project uses a comprehensive search menu and database providing "information about the history and perspectives of First Nations, Métis and Inuit, and Native American cultures; information related to issues of pressing concern to Indigenous peoples and their communities today; as well as curricula for teachers to incorporate this into teaching practice."
• Indigenous Initiatives at UTSC, in partnership with the tri-campus Office of Indigenous Initiatives, highlight and celebrate Indigenous ways of knowing by fostering campus and community partnerships and creating an atmosphere incorporating Indigenous knowledge in the activities of the campus and its communities by working with Elders and Knowledge Keepers, curating events, facilitating workshops for the wider UTSC community.
• Indigenous Inclusion is a faculty toolkit developed by The Learning Portal, from College Libraries Ontario. It was created to increase knowledge and understanding of Indigenous cultures and perspectives and is organized into 4 key sections:

1. Relationship Building and Protocols

2. Protecting Indigenous Knowledge

3. Databases, Journals and Reports

4. Learning Resources

• The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) has developed 22 Modules to "enhance the understanding of important First Nations topics to ensure both students and teachers are learning in and out of the classroom." The AFN is a national organization "guided by an Executive Committee consisting of an elected National Chief and Regional Chiefs from each province and territory.". 

• Indigenous Cultural Competency Training is led by John Croutch, tri-campus cultural competency training officer in U of T's Office of Indigenous Initiatives. When responding to what the goal of the workshop is, Croutch explains that "It's to make people realize that we all have different world views, different belief systems, different spiritual practices and different cultures. These differences don't make someone less than. In fact, diversity adds to the value of our society by bringing different ideas into the mix." The workshop is open to all U of T community members and interested participants should contact John at icct@utoronto.ca.   

• The "Indigenous Cultural Competency Toolkit" is posted on the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering Equity, Diversity & Inclusion page "curated by and with Indigenous leaders... [featuring] workshops, events and self-educational tools."

• The National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health created a "series of three [booklets focused]... on racism experienced by Indigenous peoples in Canada – how to understand it in historical context, how it affects individuals and communities, and what programs, policies and strategies exist to combat it." The booklets may be downloaded in PDF format.