Indigenous authors across Canada donate their books to Ontario classrooms

Indigenous writers angryoverthe Ontario government'sdecision to cutplanned curriculumrevisions aimed at helping students grow their knowledge ofIndigenous cultureare stepping upto donatetheir booksto classrooms.

Two weeks ago the Ontario Ministry of Educationannounced it would be cancelling the second phase of the Truth and Reconciliation curriculum revision writing sessions.

The sessions were set to take place over two weeks in July bringing together over 50 Indigenous educators, Elders and knowledge holders to work on revisingcurriculum to introduce more Indigenous knowledge and content into provincial classrooms.

• Indigenous educators puzzled, disappointed after Ontario cancelsTRCcurriculum writing sessions

In an effort to ensure that Indigenous knowledge is introduced into Ontarioclassrooms, a group of Indigenous authorsare taking actionby donating their books. They've alsooffered to personally spend time inclassrooms going through the content with students and teachers.

As news thatthe TRC curriculum writing sessions were cancelledspread across social media, writer Cherie Dimalinesays she was compelled to action.

"I was furiousnotsurprisedbutfrustratedand angry all the same.I got out of bed and went to the bookshelf to count every copy of The Marrow Thieves that I had there was 20," says Dimaline.

'We owe it to the youth'

She fired out a tweet offering the 20 copies of her book.

"We owe it to the youth Indigenous and Canadian to be allowed to live fully and well," says Dimaline.

"The only way this can happen is through Indigenous knowledge, and one of the best ways to get there in arespectfulandmeaningfulway, is through our stories," she adds.

The Marrow Thieves is a work ofdystopian fiction where the world had been destroyed by global warming.Indigenous people are hunted for their bone marrow which carries the ability to dream, something lost by the non-Indigenous population.

It's not only authors who have been offering up their own personal copies of their books.Publishing companies have been stepping up and providing Ontario educators accessto literature materials,inspired by Dimaline's efforts.

Other authors likeTraceyLindberg, Monique Grey-Smith, Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm and Chelsea Vowel have also donated.

"I am alsothrilledto see true allies beside us- Portage & Main Press, Coromorant Books, Penguin Canada, Harper Collins, OISE at U of T and the thousands of teachersandlibrarians who areworkingwithout extra compensation to tend the fires of growth and inclusion and excellence," says Dimaline.

Need to respond

Portage & Main Pressoffered 20 copies of Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm's The Stone Collection, which features 14 short stories addressing the multifaceted experience of modern Anishinaabe people.

"I think we need to respond when all kinds of actions are taken by governments that are detrimental to Indigenous people, and Indigenous communities ...we need to react," says Akiwenzie-Damm.

On top of the donation of her books, Akiwenzie-Damm is also offering readings for three schools, one in the Ottawa region, one in Northern Ontario, and one in her home territory in Southwestern Ontario.

"In order to understand people I think it's very important to understand their literature and their art and gain that insight into who different people are," says Akiwenzie-Damm.

"Our stories come from the land,the beings that occupied territories, the climate and the weather patterns. They reach far back into the history and the sort of geological history of the territories," she adds.

'One thing I can do'

Monique Gray Smith knew that she needed to do something in the wake of the cancelled TRC sessions and says she was inspired to action after reading Dimaline's tweet.

"For me as a citizen, this is one thing I can doas an artist to support those who are helping to educate the hearts and minds of our young people," says Gray Smith.

She offered up twenty copies of Speaking Our Truth: A Journey of Reconciliation.

Grey Smith's booktells the history of Canada from another perspective, one that includes the journey of Indigenous people.

"It's a book that allows readers in a gentle way to begin to respect us and begin to think critically about the history they've learned before and understand our history in this country that we call Canada in a very different way," says Gray Smith.

After the first 20 copies Gray Smith offered were scooped up, Orca Book Publisher donated 25 more.

"Educators have written to me and told me they've done the transformation not only for the students but for themselves, we have this relationship in the classroom that is circular. Everybody's learning together," says Gray Smith.

Nearly all of the books have been spoken for, although the authors are encouraging morepeople to follow suit by donating what they can for teachers and classrooms. They'realso calling out for more publishing companies to join the initiative.