LibGuides: English Subject Guides: English 8: Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

History of Residential Schools Oka Crisis/Mohawk Resistance Indigenous Issues in Canadian Pop Culture Indigenous Cultural Expression in Canada

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Call Number: YA SHE
Bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot.

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History of Residential Schools

Canadian Geographic's History of Residential Schools in Canada
Chanie Wenjack Biography -- The Canadian Encyclopedia
A History of Residential Schools in Canada
CBC News' FAQ on residential schools, compensation and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
The Lonely Death of Chanie Wenjack
This 1967 article in Macleans about the death of Chanie Wenjack demonstrated the attitudes held towards indigenous peoples at the time.
Where Are The Children? Healing the Legacy of Residential Schools
An online exhibition with photographs, a timeline, and stories of residential school survivors.

Oka Crisis/Mohawk Resistance

Notice how two different names, Oka Crisis and Mohawk Resistance, are used to describe the same event. Why might this be? How does the name used to describe the event shape your expectations and feelings about it?

Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance
An article and film about the Mohawk Resistance from the National Film Board of Canada.
The Mohawk resistance of 1990, a look back at the beginning of the end
A news story about the Mohawk Resistance from the Aboriginal People's Television Network.
The Oka Crisis
An entry in the Canadian Encyclopedia explaining the Oka Crisis.
The Oka Legacy
This is a CBC documentary which is only available to be viewed on the LCC campus.

Indigenous Issues in Canadian Pop Culture

Secret Path by Gordon Downie; Jeff Lemire (Illustrator)
Call Number: 782.42 DOW
Secret Path tells the story of Chanie "Charlie" Wenjack, a twelve-year-old boy who died in flight from the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School fifty years ago.

Gord Downie on Chanie Wenjack: ‘His story is Canada’s story’

Indigenous Cultural Expression in Canada

History of the Pow Wow
A history of the pow wow in the United States.
Indigenous Arts and Stories -- The Canadian Encyclopedia
How do indigenous peoples express their values, beliefs, and cultures? How can this help them to rebuild their identity after the damage caused by residential schools?
Music of Indigenous Peoples in Canada -- The Canadian Encyclopedia
What diverse musical traditions do the indigenous peoples of Canada have?
Powwows in Canada -- The Canadian Encyclopedia
Pow Wows in Kahnawake
Every year, the residents of Kahnawake hold a big pow wow. What's it like?