I stumbled across this at my local library and thought that I would likely benefit from having a basic introduction to specific Indigenous communities (these is a whole series of these!). It looked like it would make for a useful review for folks hoping to educate their kids about the communities they live near too. Indigenous communities are often politicized in materials written for adults, so I thought this cute, short book for elementary school aged kids might be a great way to strip those problems away.
Boy was I wrong.
This short 26 page picture book for kids is a perfect example of why we should leave these topics to actual experts, and not professional writers looking for a paycheck (no shade, we all have to eat). I couldn’t get through the first paragraph before spotting a significant misrepresentation and two pages before spotting a falsehood. The book tells us there is one Algonquin community in Ontario. That would certainly surprise the NINE other Indigenous communities who live in Ontario and claim Algonquin ancestry under the Algonquins of Ontario umbrella. It would at least be accurate to say that there is one Algonquin community currently recognized by Canada under the Indian Act. But given the intense controversies around the Indian Act, including the ways in which it prescribes who is and who is not Indigenous, the certainty of this statement fundamentally misrepresents the truth around Algonquin presence in Ontario. Also, the legal definition seems like a completely needless parameter for the purposes of teaching kids about a community.
The book goes on to say the Algonquins signed a treaty in 2016. They did not. They (being the Algonquins of Ontario, who do not represent the Algonquins on the Quebec side of the border) signed a highly controversial, non-binding, Agreement in Principle to negotiate a treaty in 2016. A negotiation still unfolding, with the latest news being less than positive when it comes to a finalized agreement. Also, why is this even in a kids book? It’s not like it explains what treaties are, or why a new one is/was needed with the Algonquins. This is way, way too complicated a concept for this book and in no way offers insight into who the Algonquins were prior to colonization, who they are today, or how we got from there to here.
But facts aren’t the only problem with this tiny volume. One of the early sections of the book talks about the word Algonquin, telling the reader that we don’t know its meaning or origin, and they refer to themselves as the Omàmìwininì. And then it proceeds to refer to them as Algonquins without any explanation as to why the book is not using their preferred language, despite explicitly acknowledging it. It’s like introducing someone as Bob, confirming that you know his name is actually Steve, and then continuing to call him Bob. Especially at a time when we are more attentive than ever to the power of names, and when it would be so easy to say that because they tend to use the word Algonquin (see Algonquins of Ontario, a self-selected moniker), the book will refer to them under that name (or just use the name they use). Demonstrating any level of thoughtfulness here would have made a huge difference in my view.
The last gripe I have with this book is, to be fair, a broader gripe I have with our nation’s fixation on residential schools. They were without question one of the worst things Canada has ever done (and there’s stiff competition), but the singular focus of non-Indigenous people on residential schools seems to be an unconscious attempt to sweep under the rug the numerous other awful things colonial powers caused. Things like forced relocation and internment on reserves chosen to be placed on the most arid, flood prone, other otherwise deemed worthless land. Things like the criminalization of traditional practices and the displacement of Indigenous people who succeed by Canadian standards (by pursuing a higher education or joining the Canadian military) from their families. Talking only about one of these things without at minimum acknowledging that it is only one example of many is in my mind without question a way of whitewashing our history, especially when the harms of these policies continue to be felt to this day (for example, it wasn’t until 2010 that gender discrimination was eliminated from the Indian Act and work continues today to untangle the impacts of a century of this law being applied). It’s easy to say oh we had residential schools and they were bad so we closed them and feel like good guys, because the harm is removed and in effect over (it very much isn’t). It’s harder to say Indigenous kids today make up just under 8% of people under 15 in Canada, but over half of the children currently in care or that those children have been found repeatedly to be discriminated against by the federal courts, and still feel like the good guys. But we can’t be actually do good until we understand the problems we’re facing and our role in solving them.
It may not surprise you to learn that none of the three books Hudak refers the reader to for further education appear to be written by an Indigenous person.
I don’t know of any books to recommend in lieu of this one, however, options exist. If you want your kid to learn about the Indigenous nations around you, start by looking for Friendship Centres. Many cities have Indigenous organizations and for many of them, educating children about who they are is a key pillar of their work. These organizations and those like them will be your best resource for learning about them and your relationship to them in a good way. This map may also be a useful start – https://native-land.ca/. You could also attend a powpow in your region and ask folks (people in regalia for example, tend to like talking about their regalia) about the events and what they mean or if they know of places you can go to learn and connect with people. There is also a growing body of Indigenous-made media on streaming sites such as Prime, Crave, and others that, among other things, includes mythologies and creation stories aimed at specifically at kids.