We wanted to share some books that we've found educational and that have impacted our perspectives on Indigenous/Settler relations, systemic racism, and the Christian Church in a Canadian context. Inner Hope does not necessarily share all of the viewpoints expressed in the works below, but we feel they contain much important knowledge and ideas worth reflecting on.
HISTORY OF INDIGENOUS/SETTLER RELATIONS
Helpful texts for understanding the implications of Canadian Government policies that impact all of us today
A Knock on the Door - Phil Fontaine, Aimée Craft, The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (2015)
“It can start with a knock on the door one morning. It is the local Indian agent, or the parish priest, or, perhaps, a Mounted Police officer… The officials have arrived and the children must go.”
So began the school experience of many Indigenous children in Canada for more than a hundred years, and so begins the history of residential schools prepared by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC).
(From University of Manitoba Press)
“It can start with a knock on the door one morning. It is the local Indian agent, or the parish priest, or, perhaps, a Mounted Police officer… The officials have arrived and the children must go.”
So began the school experience of many Indigenous children in Canada for more than a hundred years, and so begins the history of residential schools prepared by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC).
(From University of Manitoba Press)
- The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America - Thomas King (2012)
A National Crime: The Canadian Government and the Residential School System, 1879 to 1986 - John Milloy (1999)
"Using previously unreleased government documents accessed during his work for the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, A National Crime was one of the first comprehensive studies of the history of residential schools, and it remains a powerful indictment of the racist and colonial policies that inspired and sustained them. A National Crime convincingly argues that, rather than bringing Indigenous children into what its planners called “the circle of civilization,” the schools more often provided an inferior education in an atmosphere of neglect, disease, and abuse." (From University of Manitoba Press)
"Using previously unreleased government documents accessed during his work for the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, A National Crime was one of the first comprehensive studies of the history of residential schools, and it remains a powerful indictment of the racist and colonial policies that inspired and sustained them. A National Crime convincingly argues that, rather than bringing Indigenous children into what its planners called “the circle of civilization,” the schools more often provided an inferior education in an atmosphere of neglect, disease, and abuse." (From University of Manitoba Press)
Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission: Honouring the Truth, Reconciling for the Future - Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (2015)
The ebook and other resources can be found on the TRC website.
The ebook and other resources can be found on the TRC website.
The Dispossessed: Life and Death in Native Canada - Geoffrey York (1999)
"The Dispossessed is an examination of the modern day stirrings of rebellion in a people physically and culturally dislocated by North American settlers. Geoffrey York's acclaimed work spent 48 weeks on the Globe and Mail's best-sellers list as the country awoke to its astute observations and opinions.
With a new chapter examining more recent events involving Canada's native population, The Dispossessed is still as relevant as ever." (From Google Books; Published by McArthur & Company)
"The Dispossessed is an examination of the modern day stirrings of rebellion in a people physically and culturally dislocated by North American settlers. Geoffrey York's acclaimed work spent 48 weeks on the Globe and Mail's best-sellers list as the country awoke to its astute observations and opinions.
With a new chapter examining more recent events involving Canada's native population, The Dispossessed is still as relevant as ever." (From Google Books; Published by McArthur & Company)
RECONCILIATION
Namwayut - We Are All One: A Pathway to Reconciliation- Chief Robert Joseph (2022)
"I have written a book called Namwayut. In the Kwak’wala language, this word conveys the deep understanding that we are all one. One common humanity. One connected whole.
In this book, I share my own journey from childhood surviving residential school to who I have become today.
In telling my own story, I expose my deepest vulnerabilities for a reason. I have felt succumbed to the darkness of trauma that many of us may feel, and I was able to rise above it. And so can anyone else who has emerged from trauma. And for the good people who just want to live reconciled lives, I hope that when they hear my story, they understand." (From Namwayut)
"I have written a book called Namwayut. In the Kwak’wala language, this word conveys the deep understanding that we are all one. One common humanity. One connected whole.
In this book, I share my own journey from childhood surviving residential school to who I have become today.
In telling my own story, I expose my deepest vulnerabilities for a reason. I have felt succumbed to the darkness of trauma that many of us may feel, and I was able to rise above it. And so can anyone else who has emerged from trauma. And for the good people who just want to live reconciled lives, I hope that when they hear my story, they understand." (From Namwayut)
True Reconciliation - How to be a Force for Change- Jody Wilson-Raybould (2022)
"There is one question Canadians have asked Jody Wilson-Raybould more than any other: What can I do to help advance reconciliation? It is clear that people from all over the country want to take concrete and tangible action that will make real change. We just need to know how to get started. This book provides that next step. For Wilson-Raybould, what individuals and organizations need to do to advance true reconciliation is self-evident, accessible, and achievable. True Reconciliation is broken down into three core practices—Learn, Understand, and Act—that can be applied by individuals, communities, organizations, and governments." (From Penguin Random House)
"There is one question Canadians have asked Jody Wilson-Raybould more than any other: What can I do to help advance reconciliation? It is clear that people from all over the country want to take concrete and tangible action that will make real change. We just need to know how to get started. This book provides that next step. For Wilson-Raybould, what individuals and organizations need to do to advance true reconciliation is self-evident, accessible, and achievable. True Reconciliation is broken down into three core practices—Learn, Understand, and Act—that can be applied by individuals, communities, organizations, and governments." (From Penguin Random House)
Indigenous Relations: Insights, Tips & Suggestions to Make Reconciliation a Reality- Bob Joseph (2019)
"We are all treaty people. But what are the everyday impacts of treaties, and how can we effectively work toward reconciliation if we're worried our words and actions will unintentionally cause harm? Hereditary chief and leading Indigenous relations trainer Bob Joseph is your guide to respecting cultural differences and improving your personal relationships and business interactions with Indigenous Peoples. Practical and inclusive, Indigenous Relations interprets the difference between hereditary and elected leadership, and why it matters; explains the intricacies of Aboriginal Rights and Title, and the treaty process; and demonstrates the lasting impact of the Indian Act, including the barriers that Indigenous communities face and the truth behind common myths and stereotypes perpetuated since Confederation." (From Amazon)
"We are all treaty people. But what are the everyday impacts of treaties, and how can we effectively work toward reconciliation if we're worried our words and actions will unintentionally cause harm? Hereditary chief and leading Indigenous relations trainer Bob Joseph is your guide to respecting cultural differences and improving your personal relationships and business interactions with Indigenous Peoples. Practical and inclusive, Indigenous Relations interprets the difference between hereditary and elected leadership, and why it matters; explains the intricacies of Aboriginal Rights and Title, and the treaty process; and demonstrates the lasting impact of the Indian Act, including the barriers that Indigenous communities face and the truth behind common myths and stereotypes perpetuated since Confederation." (From Amazon)
Valley of the Birdtail - Andrew Stobo Sniderman & Douglas Sanderson (2022)
"Divided by a beautiful valley and 150 years of racism, the town of Rossburn and the Waywayseecappo Indian reserve have been neighbours nearly as long as Canada has been a country. Their story reflects much of what has gone wrong in relations between Indigenous Peoples and non-Indigenous Canadians. It also offers, in the end, an uncommon measure of hope.
Valley of the Birdtail is about how two communities became separate and unequal—and what it means for the rest of us. In Rossburn, once settled by Ukrainian immigrants who fled poverty and persecution, family income is near the national average and more than a third of adults have graduated from university. In Waywayseecappo, the average family lives below the national poverty line and less than a third of adults have graduated from high school, with many haunted by their time in residential schools."
(From CBC)
"Divided by a beautiful valley and 150 years of racism, the town of Rossburn and the Waywayseecappo Indian reserve have been neighbours nearly as long as Canada has been a country. Their story reflects much of what has gone wrong in relations between Indigenous Peoples and non-Indigenous Canadians. It also offers, in the end, an uncommon measure of hope.
Valley of the Birdtail is about how two communities became separate and unequal—and what it means for the rest of us. In Rossburn, once settled by Ukrainian immigrants who fled poverty and persecution, family income is near the national average and more than a third of adults have graduated from university. In Waywayseecappo, the average family lives below the national poverty line and less than a third of adults have graduated from high school, with many haunted by their time in residential schools."
(From CBC)
MEMOIRS
Indigenous writers share their stories (*Some explicit content and language)
The Reason You Walk: A Memoir - Wab Kinew (2017)
"A moving father-son reconciliation told by a charismatic First Nations broadcaster, musician, and activist.
Invoking hope, healing and forgiveness, The Reason You Walk is a poignant story of a towering but damaged father and his son as they embark on a journey to repair their family bond. By turns lighthearted and solemn, Kinew gives us an inspiring vision for family and cross-cultural reconciliation, and a wider conversation about the future of aboriginal peoples." (From Penguin Random House)
"A moving father-son reconciliation told by a charismatic First Nations broadcaster, musician, and activist.
Invoking hope, healing and forgiveness, The Reason You Walk is a poignant story of a towering but damaged father and his son as they embark on a journey to repair their family bond. By turns lighthearted and solemn, Kinew gives us an inspiring vision for family and cross-cultural reconciliation, and a wider conversation about the future of aboriginal peoples." (From Penguin Random House)
Behind Closed Doors: Stories from the Kamloops Indian Residential School - Agness Jack: Editor (2001)
"Behind Closed Doors features written testimonials from thirty-two individuals who attended the Kamloops Indian Residential School. The school was one of many infamous residential schools that operated from 1893 to 1979. These storytellers give voice to the thousands as they remember and share with us their stolen time at the school; many stories are told through courageous tears." (From Amazon)
"Behind Closed Doors features written testimonials from thirty-two individuals who attended the Kamloops Indian Residential School. The school was one of many infamous residential schools that operated from 1893 to 1979. These storytellers give voice to the thousands as they remember and share with us their stolen time at the school; many stories are told through courageous tears." (From Amazon)
They called me Number One: Secrets and Survival at an Indian Residential School - Bev Sellars (2013)
"Like thousands of Aboriginal children in Canada, and elsewhere in the colonized world, Xatsu'll chief Bev Sellars spent part of her childhood as a student in a church-run residential school...
In this frank and poignant memoir of her years at St. Joseph's Mission, Sellars breaks her silence about the residential school's lasting effects on her and her family—from substance abuse to suicide attempts—and eloquently articulates her own path to healing. Number One comes at a time of recognition—by governments and society at large—that only through knowing the truth about these past injustices can we begin to redress them." (From Talonbooks)
"Like thousands of Aboriginal children in Canada, and elsewhere in the colonized world, Xatsu'll chief Bev Sellars spent part of her childhood as a student in a church-run residential school...
In this frank and poignant memoir of her years at St. Joseph's Mission, Sellars breaks her silence about the residential school's lasting effects on her and her family—from substance abuse to suicide attempts—and eloquently articulates her own path to healing. Number One comes at a time of recognition—by governments and society at large—that only through knowing the truth about these past injustices can we begin to redress them." (From Talonbooks)
From the Ashes - Jesse Thistle (2019)
"In this extraordinary and inspiring debut memoir, Jesse Thistle, once a high school dropout and now a rising Indigenous scholar, chronicles his life on the streets and how he overcame trauma and addiction to discover the truth about who he is...Jesse Thistle writes honestly and fearlessly about his painful past, the abuse he endured, and how he uncovered the truth about his parents. Through sheer perseverance and education—and newfound love—he found his way back into the circle of his Indigenous culture and family." (From Simon & Schuster)
"In this extraordinary and inspiring debut memoir, Jesse Thistle, once a high school dropout and now a rising Indigenous scholar, chronicles his life on the streets and how he overcame trauma and addiction to discover the truth about who he is...Jesse Thistle writes honestly and fearlessly about his painful past, the abuse he endured, and how he uncovered the truth about his parents. Through sheer perseverance and education—and newfound love—he found his way back into the circle of his Indigenous culture and family." (From Simon & Schuster)
One Native Life - Richard Wagamese (2008)
"In One Native Life, Wagamese looks back down the road he has travelled in reclaiming his identity and talks about the things he has learned as a human being, a man and an Ojibway in his fifty-two years...
Free of rhetoric and anger despite the horrors he has faced, Wagamese’s prose resonates with a peace that has come from acceptance. Acceptance is an Aboriginal principle, and he has come to see that we are all neighbours here. One Native Life is his tribute to the people, the places and the events that have allowed him to stand in the sunshine and celebrate being alive." (From Douglas & McIntyre)
"In One Native Life, Wagamese looks back down the road he has travelled in reclaiming his identity and talks about the things he has learned as a human being, a man and an Ojibway in his fifty-two years...
Free of rhetoric and anger despite the horrors he has faced, Wagamese’s prose resonates with a peace that has come from acceptance. Acceptance is an Aboriginal principle, and he has come to see that we are all neighbours here. One Native Life is his tribute to the people, the places and the events that have allowed him to stand in the sunshine and celebrate being alive." (From Douglas & McIntyre)
RACISM AND TRAGEDY: lONG-FORM jOURNALISM
Exposing the effects of systemic racism in Canada (*Heavy issues and content)
The Highway of Tears: A True Story of Racism, Indifference and the Pursuit of Justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls - Jessica McDiarmid (2019)
"For decades, Indigenous women and girls have gone missing or been found murdered along an isolated stretch of highway in northwestern British Columbia. The highway is known as the Highway of Tears, and it has come to symbolize a national crisis.
Journalist Jessica McDiarmid investigates the devastating effect these tragedies have had on the families of the victims and their communities, and how systemic racism and indifference have created a climate where Indigenous women and girls are over-policed, yet under-protected...
Highway of Tears is a powerful story about our ongoing failure to provide justice for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, and a testament to their families and communities' unwavering determination to find it." (From Penguin Random House)
"For decades, Indigenous women and girls have gone missing or been found murdered along an isolated stretch of highway in northwestern British Columbia. The highway is known as the Highway of Tears, and it has come to symbolize a national crisis.
Journalist Jessica McDiarmid investigates the devastating effect these tragedies have had on the families of the victims and their communities, and how systemic racism and indifference have created a climate where Indigenous women and girls are over-policed, yet under-protected...
Highway of Tears is a powerful story about our ongoing failure to provide justice for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, and a testament to their families and communities' unwavering determination to find it." (From Penguin Random House)
7 Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths in a Northern City - Tanya Talaga (2017)
"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.
Using a sweeping narrative focusing on the lives of the students, award-winning investigative journalist Tanya Talaga delves into the history of this small northern city that has come to manifest Canada’s long struggle with human rights violations against Indigenous communities." (From House of Anansi Press)
"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.
Using a sweeping narrative focusing on the lives of the students, award-winning investigative journalist Tanya Talaga delves into the history of this small northern city that has come to manifest Canada’s long struggle with human rights violations against Indigenous communities." (From House of Anansi Press)
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND THE cHRISTIAN CHURCH
Christian Faith perspectives on Indigenous/Settler relations
One Church, Many Tribes - Richard Twiss (2000)
"In this captivating chronicle of the Native American story, Richard Twiss of the Rosebud Lakota/Sioux sifts through myth and legend to reveal God's strategy for the nation's host people.
With wit, wisdom and passion, Twiss shows God's desire to use the cultures of First Nations peoples--in all their mystery, color and beauty--to break through to those involved in New Age mysticism, Eastern religions, even Islam.
One Church, Many Tribes is a rallying cry for the Church to work as one so that the lost may learn to walk in life with beauty, along the path of the Waymaker." (From Baker Publishing Group)
"In this captivating chronicle of the Native American story, Richard Twiss of the Rosebud Lakota/Sioux sifts through myth and legend to reveal God's strategy for the nation's host people.
With wit, wisdom and passion, Twiss shows God's desire to use the cultures of First Nations peoples--in all their mystery, color and beauty--to break through to those involved in New Age mysticism, Eastern religions, even Islam.
One Church, Many Tribes is a rallying cry for the Church to work as one so that the lost may learn to walk in life with beauty, along the path of the Waymaker." (From Baker Publishing Group)
Buffalo Shout, Salmon Cry: Conversations on Creation, Land Justice, and Life Together - edited by Steve Heinrichs (2013)
"Showcasing a variety of voices both traditional and Christian, native and non-native "Buffalo Shout, Salmon Cry" offers up alternative histories, radical theologies, and poetic, life-giving memories that can unsettle our souls and work toward reconciliation.
This book is intended for all who are interested in healing historical wounds of racism, stolen land, and cultural exploitation. Essays on land use, creation, history, and faith appear among poems and reflections by people across ethnic and religious divides. The writers do not always agree in fact, some are bound to raise readers' defenses. But they represent the hard truths that we must hear before reconciliation can come." (From CommonWord; Published by Herald Press)
"Showcasing a variety of voices both traditional and Christian, native and non-native "Buffalo Shout, Salmon Cry" offers up alternative histories, radical theologies, and poetic, life-giving memories that can unsettle our souls and work toward reconciliation.
This book is intended for all who are interested in healing historical wounds of racism, stolen land, and cultural exploitation. Essays on land use, creation, history, and faith appear among poems and reflections by people across ethnic and religious divides. The writers do not always agree in fact, some are bound to raise readers' defenses. But they represent the hard truths that we must hear before reconciliation can come." (From CommonWord; Published by Herald Press)
Wrongs to Rights: How Churches can Engage the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples - edited by Steve Heinrichs (2016)
"In Wrongs to Rights, over 40 authors from diverse backgrounds – Indigenous and Settler, Christian and Traditional – wrestle with the meaning of the Declaration for the Church. With a firm hold on past and present colonialism, the authors tackle key questions that the Declaration and the TRC’s call to “adopt and comply” raises: What are its potential implications? How does it connect to Scripture? Can it facilitate genuine decolonization, or is “rights talk” another form of imperialism? And what about real life relationships? Can the Declaration be lived out – collectively and personally – on the ground?" (From CommonWord; Published by Mennonite Church Canada)
"In Wrongs to Rights, over 40 authors from diverse backgrounds – Indigenous and Settler, Christian and Traditional – wrestle with the meaning of the Declaration for the Church. With a firm hold on past and present colonialism, the authors tackle key questions that the Declaration and the TRC’s call to “adopt and comply” raises: What are its potential implications? How does it connect to Scripture? Can it facilitate genuine decolonization, or is “rights talk” another form of imperialism? And what about real life relationships? Can the Declaration be lived out – collectively and personally – on the ground?" (From CommonWord; Published by Mennonite Church Canada)
Unsettling the Word: Biblical Experiments in Decolonization - edited by Steve Heinrichs (2019)
In Unsettling the Word, over 60 Indigenous and Settler authors come together to wrestle with the Scriptures, re-reading and re-imagining the ancient text for the sake of reparative futures.
Created by Mennonite Church Canada’s Indigenous-Settler Relations program, Unsettling the Word is intended to nurture courageous conversations with the Bible, our current settler colonial contexts, and the Church’s call to costly peacemaking." (From CommonWord; Published by Mennonite Church Canada)
In Unsettling the Word, over 60 Indigenous and Settler authors come together to wrestle with the Scriptures, re-reading and re-imagining the ancient text for the sake of reparative futures.
Created by Mennonite Church Canada’s Indigenous-Settler Relations program, Unsettling the Word is intended to nurture courageous conversations with the Bible, our current settler colonial contexts, and the Church’s call to costly peacemaking." (From CommonWord; Published by Mennonite Church Canada)
Introduction to First Nations Ministry- Cheryl Bear-Barnetson (2013)
"In this groundbreaking study, Cheryl Bear-Barnetson presents an approach to First Nations ministry from the foundations of indigenous worldview and values. She begins with an overview of First Nations theology, which includes the Native views of Creator, the Holy Spirit, the Incarnation, a theology of land, and a theology of missions. Bear-Barnetson argues that leaders who are more fully informed about Native beliefs, values, and practices will see a dramatic increase in their effectiveness in ministering to indigenous people in the United States and Canada. Furthermore, the practical missiological and theological principles discovered here can be implemented in any cross-cultural ministry context." (From Amazon)
"In this groundbreaking study, Cheryl Bear-Barnetson presents an approach to First Nations ministry from the foundations of indigenous worldview and values. She begins with an overview of First Nations theology, which includes the Native views of Creator, the Holy Spirit, the Incarnation, a theology of land, and a theology of missions. Bear-Barnetson argues that leaders who are more fully informed about Native beliefs, values, and practices will see a dramatic increase in their effectiveness in ministering to indigenous people in the United States and Canada. Furthermore, the practical missiological and theological principles discovered here can be implemented in any cross-cultural ministry context." (From Amazon)
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