35th Annual Women’s Memorial March

Xwelíqwiya: The Life Story of a Stó:lõ Matriarch

By Rena Point Bolton and Richard Daly / BJS P65 X84 2013

Enough is Enough: Aboriginal Women Speak Out

As told to Janet Silman / PW S55 E56 1987

“A small group of women from a reserve called Tobique embarrassed the Canadian government in front of the world and brought the plight of Native women and Native experience to the eyes of millions. These are their stories about growing up Native and female. It is the story of a struggle to end one hundred years of legislated sexual discrimination against Native women in Canada. Their struggle started with the occupation of a band office, continued with a hundred-mile march to Ottawa, and ended up in the United Nations.” — Provided by publisher.

Métis Matriarchs: Agents of Transition

Edited by Cheryl Troupe & Doris Jeanne MacKinnon / CM T76 M48 2024

“Métis Matriarchs examines the roles of prominent Métis women from across Western Canada from the late 19th to the mid-20th century, providing a rare glimpse into the everyday lives of these remarkable women who were recognized as Matriarchs and respected for their knowledge, expertise, and authority within their families and communities. This edited collection provides an opportunity to learn about the significant contributions made by Métis women during a transitional period in Western Canadian history, as the fur trade gave way to a more sedentary, industrialized, and agrarian economy. Challenging how we think about Western Canadian settlement processes that removed Indigenous peoples from the land, this collection of stories delves into the ways Métis matriarchs responded to colonial and settler interventions into their lives and livelihoods to ultimately ensure their communities’ cultural survival.” — Back cover.

Walking in the Sacred Manner: Healers, Dreamers, and Pipe Carriers–Medicine Women of the Plains Indians

Mark St. Pierre and Tilda Long Soldier / PW S77 W35 1995

“Walking in the Sacred Manner is an exploration of the myths and culture of the Plains Indians, for whom the everyday and the spiritual are intertwined and women play a strong and important role in the spiritual and religious life of the community. Based on extensive first-person interviews by an established expert on Plains Indian women, Walking in the Sacred Manner is a singular and authentic record of the participation of women in the sacred traditions of Northern Plains tribes, including Lakota, Cheyenne, Crow, and Assiniboine.”–Jacket.

Kamloopa: An Indigenous Matriarch Story

Play by Kim Senklip Harvey / YK H37 K35 2019

“Come along for the ride to Kamloopa, the largest Powwow on the West Coast. This high-energy Indigenous matriarchal story follows two urban Indigenous sisters and a lawless Trickster who face our postcolonial world head-on as they come to terms with what it means to honour who they are and where they come from. But how to go about discovering yourself when Christopher Columbus allegedly already did that? Bear witness to the courage of these women as they turn to their Ancestors for help in reclaiming their power in this ultimate transformation story. In developing matriarchal relationships and shared Indigenous values, Kamloopa explores the fearless love and passion of two Indigenous women reconnecting with their homelands, Ancestors, and stories. Kim Senklip Harvey’s play is a boundary-blurring adventure that will remind you to always dance like the Ancestors are watching. Kamloopa: An Indigenous Matriarch Story is the work of Kim Senklip Harvey, a proud Indigenous woman from the Syilx, Tsilhqot’in, Ktunaxa, and Dakelh First Nations, listed for the Gina Wilkinson Prize for her work as an emerging director and widely considered to be one of this land’s most original voices among the next generation of Indigenous artists. “Here. Us. We are here. Daughters. Sisters. We are the mountains, the rivers, the sky, the animals, the wind, the breath of our worlds. These are the pathways connecting us to you. We are the Land, our home for you to return to, together.” –as spoken by the play’s Ancestral Syilx Matriarchs”– Provided by publisher.

She is Matriarch: Poetry for the Indigenous Feminine Spirit

By Shuína Skó / YP S561 S44 2022

“Shuína Skó presents five beautifully affirming poems intended to nurture the Indigenous feminine Spirit. Through poetry, Shuína empowers women (all female identifying persons), gives voice to the Indigenous experience, and shines a light on the beauty that exists within tribal culture.” — Back cover

Little Moons

Written by Jen Storm / YUC S76 L58 2024

“Chelsea is missing, but she’s not gone… In this moving graphic novel, thirteen-year-old Reanna grieves the loss of her older sister. Can she find comfort through her family’s Ojibwe traditions? It’s been a year since Reanna’s sister, Chelsea, went missing on her way home from school. Without any idea of what happened, Reanna and her family struggle to find closure. Driven from their home by memories, Reanna’s mom moves to the big city. Left behind on the reserve, Reanna and her little brother go to live with their dad. Reanna is hurt and angry that her mom has run away. She feels lonely, abandoned… but she is not alone. Lights turn on in empty rooms, and objects move without being touched. There are little moons everywhere.”– Back cover.

Invisible Victims: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

By Katherine McCarthy / PW M33 N85 2016

“Indigenous women and girls are more likely to suffer extreme violence than other women. They are more likely to disappear and never be seen again. And sadly, they are more likely to be murdered by a serial killer. For decades, it has been Canada’s dirty little secret. Then in 2014, the horrific murders of Loretta Saunders and Tina Fontaine made headlines across Canada, ignited widespread outrage and exposed Canada’s national shame. So why is the level of violence towards Indigenous women reaching crisis levels? Centuries of discrimination, long term effects of the dreadful residential school era, and many other appalling government-approved practices have resulted in widespread racism towards Indigenous people. Attempts at genocide didn’t cease centuries ago like many believe. They just became more subtle.” — Back cover of book

If I Go Missing

Text by Brianna Jonnie and Nahanni Shingoose/ PW J65 F3 2019

“A powerfully illustrated graphic novel for teens about the subject of missing and murdered Indigenous people. Combining graphic fiction and non-fiction, this young adult graphic novel serves as a window into one of the unique dangers of being an Indigenous teen in Canada today. The text of the book is derived from excerpts of a letter written to the Winnipeg Chief of Police by fourteen-year-old Brianna Jonnie — a letter that went viral and in which, Jonnie calls out the authorities for neglecting to immediately investigate and involve the public in the search for missing Indigenous people, and urges them to “not treat me as the Indigenous person I am proud to be” if she were to be reported missing. Indigenous artist Neal Shannacappo provides the artwork for the book. Through his illustrations he imagines a situation in which a young Indigenous woman does disappear, portraying the reaction of her community, her friends, the police and media. An author’s note at the end of the book provides context for young readers about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in Canada.”– Provided by publisher.

Forever Loved: Exposing the Hidden Crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in Canada

Edited by D. Memee Lavell-Harvard and Jennifer Brant / PW L38 F67 2016

“The hidden crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada is both a national tragedy and a national shame. In this ground-breaking new volume, as part of their larger efforts to draw attention to the shockingly high rates of violence against our sisters, Jennifer Brant and D. Memee Lavell-Harvard have pulled together a variety of voices from the academic realms to the grassroots and front-lines to speak on what has been identified by both the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the United Nations as a grave violation of the basic human rights of Aboriginal women and girls. Linking colonial practices with genocide, through their exploration of the current statistics, root causes and structural components of the issue, including conversations on policing, media and education, the contributing authors illustrate the resilience, strength, courage, and spirit of Indigenous women and girls as they struggle to survive in a society shaped by racism and sexism, patriarchy and misogyny. This book was created to honour our missing sisters, their families, their lives and their stories, with the hope that it will offer lessons to non-Indigenous allies and supporters so that we can all work together towards a nation that supports and promotes the safety and well-being of all First Nation, Métis and Inuit women and girls.”– Provided by publisher.

Missing Women, Missing News: Covering Crisis in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside

By David Hugill / PC H84 M57 2010

Unbroken: My Fight for Survival, Hope, and Justice for Indigenous Women and Girls

By Angela Sterritt / YS S74 U53 2023

“As a Gitxsan teenager navigating life on the streets, Angela Sterritt wrote in her journal to help her survive and find her place in the world. Now an acclaimed journalist, she writes for major news outlets to push for justice and to light a path for Indigenous women, girls, and survivors. In her brilliant debut, Sterritt shares her life story alongside investigative reporting into cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women, showing how colonialism and racism led to a society where Sterritt struggled to survive as a young person, and where the lives of Indigenous women and girls are ignored and devalued. ‘She could have been me,’ Sterritt acknowledges today, and her empathy for victims, survivors, and families drives her present-day investigations. In the end, Sterritt steps into a place of power, demanding accountability from the media and the public, exposing racism, and showing that there is much work to do on the path towards understanding the truth. But most importantly, she proves that the strength and brilliance of Indigenous women is unbroken, and that together, they can build lives of joy and abundance.” -Inside front cover.

Making Space for Indigenous Feminism

Edited by Joyce Green / PW G74 M35 2007

“By and about Indigenous feminists, this book provides a powerful and original intellectual and political contribution demonstrating that feminism has much to offer Indigenous women in their struggles against oppression. The contributors are from Canada, the USA, Sami (Samiland) and Aotearoa/New Zealand. Chapters include theoretical contributions, stories of political activism and deeply personal accounts of developing political consciousness.“