June marks Indigenous History Month–a time to listen, reflect, and learn from the rich stories and enduring knowledge shared by Indigenous peoples. One of the most powerful ways to engage with these perspectives is through literature that speaks to the strength of community, the importance of land, and the resilience of culture. This blog highlights 40 compelling books by Indigenous authors. These works challenge, inspire, and invite deeper conversations about identity, resistance, belonging, and sustainability. Whether you are encountering these voices for the first time or returning to familiar ones, we hope this collection brings continued reflection and meaningful reading.
NON-FICTION
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Robin Wall Kimmerer, an indigenous scientist and writer, draws from her life as an Indigenous scientist to explore how the natural world teaches us generosity, reciprocity, and respect. By blending stories, traditional knowledge, and science, she reveals how plants and animals can guide us toward a more connected and caring relationship with the Earth.
Groundswell: Indigenous Knowledge and a Call to Action for Climate Change edited by Joe Neidhardt and Nicole Neidhardt
Published by Indigenous-owned publisher Strong Nations, Groundswell brings together a collection of essays from Indigenous and non-Indigenous contributors. These voices emphasize that traditional Indigenous knowledge systems are not only relevant but essential to addressing the global climate crisis. Each essay contributes to a shared message: healing the planet requires collective care, deep listening, and the leadership of Indigenous communities rooted in respect for the land.
There’s Something in the Water by Ingrid Waldron
This book uncovers the stark reality of environmental racism in Nova Scotia, where Indigenous and Black communities have long been exposed to harmful pollution and health risks. Using settler colonialism as a lens, she reveals how systemic racism and neglect have shaped environmental policies in Canada. At the heart of the book is a powerful account of grassroots resistance and the urgent need to centre race in environmental justice work.
Medicine Wheel for the Planet by Dr. Jennifer Grenz
In this book, Dr. Jennifer Grenz, a Nlaka’pamux restoration ecologist, shares her experience in blending Western science with Indigenous ways of knowing to offer a new vision for healing the land. Drawing from the four directions of the medicine wheel, she challenges the dominant narrative of human control over nature and instead embraces reciprocity, relational land care, and community as key to ecological restoration.
Decolonizing Education: Nourishing the Learning Spirit by Marie Battiste
In this compelling book, Battiste examines how colonial education systems have marginalized and oppressed Indigenous knowledge. Drawing on treaties, personal experience, and international law, she calls for a new model that centres Indigenous sciences, languages, and worldviews. Battiste argues that protecting Indigenous knowledge is both a treaty right and essential to addressing today’s educational and societal inequities.
When the Pine Needles Fall: Indigenous Acts of Resistance by Katsi’tsakwas Ellen Gabriel
Katsi’tsakwas Ellen Gabriel shares her firsthand account of the 1990 Kanehsatà siege and her life as a land defender, activist, and feminist leader. Blending memoir and political reflection, this powerful book explores Indigenous resistance, language, and land, offering a passionate call for decolonization and climate justice.
Ktunaxa Ethnobotany Handbook compiled by Peter McCoy and Michael Keefer
This pocket-sized field guide features 23 common plants with vibrant colour photographs, detailed descriptions, habitats, and traditional uses as shared by the Ktunaxa people. This accessible resource highlights the deep connections between land, culture, and plant knowledge across Ktunaxa territory.
It Stops Here by Rueben George and Michael Simpson
This is a powerful memoir and call to action by Rueben George of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, chronicling his community’s fight against the Trans Mountain Pipeline on their unceded lands. Blending personal stories, cultural resurgence, and political resistance, George reflects on his family’s legacy, Indigenous law, and the need to defend the sacred against environmental destruction. This book is both a tribute to resilience and a demand for justice.
Revered Roots: Ancestral Teachings and Wisdom of Wild, Edible, and Medicinal Plants by LoriAnn Bird
Métis herbalist LoriAnn Bird invites readers to reconnect with the Earth by exploring over 90 wild edible and medicinal plants. Emphasizing the environmental importance of these plants, Bird teaches how they sustain us and the responsibility we have to protect and honour them. The book blends personal experience with Indigenous knowledge to highlight the deep, interconnected relationship between nature and sustainability.
This Place Is Who We Are by Katherine Palmer Gordon
This work highlights the stories of Indigenous communities in central and northern coastal British Columbia, focusing on their efforts to reconnect with their land and waters. In a region rich with natural resources, these communities are restoring environmental balance while rebuilding cultural, spiritual, and economic strength. The book shares inspiring stories of resilience, from youth healing camps to the creation of eco-lodges.
I Will Live For Both of Us by Joan Scottie
This is a powerful story of Joan Scottie, an Inuit elder and activist who dedicates her life to protecting her community’s traditional hunting way of life. Born in Nunavut, Scottie led her community’s successful efforts to stop a uranium mining project that threatened their land and way of life. The book reflects on the environmental, political, and emotional struggles of Indigenous people, while emphasizing the importance of respecting traditional laws and values.
True Reconciliation: How to Be a Force for Change by Jody Wilson-Raybould
This book provides a clear path for individuals, organizations, and governments to take meaningful steps toward advancing reconciliation in Canada. With a focus on three core practices of learn, understand, and act, the author offers actionable advice on how to contribute to transformative change. With an inclusive history that weaves together Indigenous and non-Indigenous perspectives, this book empowers readers to break down barriers and foster a future that honours both the past and the present, leading to positive, lasting change.
Natural Curiosity by Doug Anderson, Julie Comay and Lorraine Chiarotto
This resource for educators deepens environmental education by centring Indigenous perspectives and responding to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action. This resource emphasizes the importance of integrating Indigenous knowledge into teaching about the environment and sustainability.
YOUNG ADULT
Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults adapted by Monique Gray Smith
Adapted by Monique Gray Smith, this book brings Robin Kimmerer’s work to a new generation. With added reflection questions, sidebars, and stunning illustrations by Nicole Neidhardt, this edition encourages young readers to explore the deep wisdom of plants and the value of reciprocal relationships with the natural world.
When We Play Our Drums, They Sing! By Richard Van Camp
This book follows 12 year old Dene Cho, who is frustrated by the loss of his people’s language, traditions, and relationship to the land. Through a heartfelt conversation with Elder Snowbird, he learns about the lasting impacts of Residential schools and begins to understand how reclaiming cultural knowledge and respect for the environment can shape a stronger future.
Lucy & Lola by Monique Gray Smith
This book follows 11 year old twins spending the summer with their Kookum on Gabriola Island. Surrounded by the natural beauty of the island, the girls begin to learn about their family’s history with Residential schools. Their time on the land becomes a space for healing, reflection, and deepening their connection to culture, family, and each other.
The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline
In a dystopian future ravaged by climate change, dreams have become a rare and precious resource. The government hunts Indigenous people for their bone marrow which is the last source of the ability to dream. The book follows a group of survivors as they journey north in search of safety, culture, and hope. Cherie Dimaline explores resilience, resistance, and the importance of Indigenous knowledge in the face of violence and loss.
Land-Water-Sky/Ndè-Tı-Yatra by Katłıà
In this novel rooted in Dene storytelling, Indigenous legends come to life as protectors of the land and water. Set in the Canadian North, the story follows spirits and shapeshifters who rise to confront environmental and spiritual threats. As myth and modern life collide, the novel explores what happens when nature itself fights back. Through powerful imagery and ancestral teachings, it is a reminder that the land is alive and sacred.
If I Go Missing by Brianna Jonnie and Nahanni Shingoose
Blending graphic storytelling and real-life, this book gives voice to the urgent issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada. Based on a viral letter written by fourteen-year-old Brianna Jonnie to the Winnipeg Police, the book challenges systemic racism and the lack of urgency when Indigenous teens go missing. This work imagines what happens when a young Indigenous girl disappears and asks readers to reflect on the value of every life.
Surviving the City by Tasha Spillett and Natasha Donovan
This graphic novel showcases best friends supporting each other through the pressures of urban Indigenous life. When best friend Dez’s grandmother falls ill, and Dez vanishes, her friend is left haunted by her own mother’s disappearance. The book explores themes of friendship, grief, and the realities faced by Indigenous youth.
Those Who Run in The Sky by Aviaq Johnston
Written by an Inuit author, this book is a thrilling coming-of-age that follows young shaman Pitu as he’s swept into the spirit world after a fierce blizzard. Stranded on the ice and met with dangerous supernatural beings, Pitu must learn to harness his powers to survive and find his way home. This powerful story explores strength, resilience, and the deep ties to culture and family that guide Pitu’s journey.
This Place: 150 Years Retold by Katherena Vermette et al.
This graphic novel anthology explores the past 150 years of history through the eyes of Indigenous creators. With powerful storytelling and stunning artwork, the collection reimagines history through Indigenous perspectives. Each story is rooted in real historical events, accompanied by timelines. A teacher guide is also available, making this a valuable resource for classrooms.
CHILDREN’S BOOKS
Sila and the Land by Shelby Angalik, Ariana Roundpoint and Lindsay DuPré
This book follows a young Inuk girl on a journey through the North, East, South, and West, where she learns from the different animals, plants, and elements about the importance of caring for the land. This story encourages children to seek knowledge from the lands they live on and celebrates the power of Indigenous storytelling. GreenLearning offers free resources to go along with the book here.
Whispers of the Earth: A Journey through Indigenous Wisdom by Launa Purcell and Carl Sam
In this book, authors invite young readers on a journey shaped by the footsteps of ancestors, where the trees sing, rivers dance, and stories travel with the wind. Rooted in Indigenous teachings, the book explores the wisdom of plants, animals, and land. It encourages children to slow down, listen deeply, and learn from the natural world.
The Land Knows Me: A Nature Walk Exploring Indigenous Wisdom by Leigh Joseph
Leigh Joseph invites children to explore the land through Indigenous plant knowledge, guided by her own experiences. Blending cultural stories, Squamish language, and hands-on learning, the book helps young readers connect with plants. With reflection questions, vibrant illustrations, and a plant profile section, this book is a rich and engaging introduction to the gifts of the natural world.
Can You Hear the Plants Speak? By Nicholas Hummingbird and Julia Wasson
In this book, Indigenous plantsman Nicholas Hummingbird draws on the teachings of his Cahuilla and Apache great-grandparents to explore the deep connections between plants and people. Through gentle storing and colourful illustrations, this picture book invites children to listen closely to the natural world and rediscover hope, respect, and renewal in every seed and raindrop.
The Heartbeat Drum by Deidre Havrelock
When Carol Powder was a child, her Moshum gifted her a drum which created a deep love for music. As she grew, she passed those songs to her family and defied tradition by forming Chubby Cree, an all-ages and gender drumming group. Today, they drum for healing, climate action, and cultural pride, all keeping the heartbeat strong for future generations.
The Barren Grounds: The Misewa Saga by David A. Robertson
In this fantasy series, two Indigenous foster children discover a portal to the land of Askí. Here they join a lone hunter and a mischievous squirrel on a quest to save a starving community. Blending Narnia-style adventure with Indigenous stories of the sky, this series explores belonging, survival, and cultural reconnection.
Walking Together by Elder Albert D. Marshall and Louise Zimanyi
This book introduces young readers to Etuaptmumk (Two-Eyed Seeing), a Mi’kmaw teaching that blends Indigenous and non-Indigenous ways of knowing. As spring awakens, children connect with nature by listening for frogs, watching robins, or giving thanks to maple sap, all while learning to care for the Land and Water with reciprocity and respect.
Be a Good Ancestor by Leona Prince and Gabrielle Prince
This picture book draws on Indigenous teachings to encourage readers to live in a respectful relationship with the Earth. It centres environmental responsibility, reminding us that every action we take, big or small, can help protect the land, water, animals, and future generations. The universal message of the book is to be a good ancestor.
A Dance Through the Seasons by Leona Prince
This book follows Young Woman as she journeys through the lessons of each season, guided by nature and traditional teachings. This poetic story reminds readers that the land is a wise teacher, offering guidance, resilience, and renewal when we take time to listen and learn.
We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom
This is a powerful picture book that urges young readers to join the fight to protect Earth’s most vital resource–water. The book follows a young water protector who takes a stand against a black snake (symbolizing the threat of pollution and environmental degradation) to defend her community’s water. With its urgent message and celebration of Indigenous-led environmental movements, this story inspires readers to act as stewards of the Earth.
FICTION
Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese
Set in 1950s Ontario, this novel follows Saul, an Ojibway boy taken from his family and sent to a Catholic residential school, where he faces deep trauma. He discovers a lifeline in hockey, revealing an extraordinary talent that takes him to the pros. However, healing from his past seems to be his greatest challenge. This powerful story of loss, resilience, and hope is an essential read for all Canadians.
Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
When a remote, northern Anishinaabe community is cut off from the outside world, panic sets in as resources dwindle and outsiders come in with their own agenda. As leadership falters and tension grows, a small group turns to Anishinaabe traditions for survival. Guided by an unlikely leader, they work to restore balance and community strength.
Five Little Indians by Michelle Good
After surviving years in a church-run residential school, five Indigenous teens are released into a world that offers them little support. In Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, the story traces their intertwined lives over the decades as they struggle to heal from the trauma endured. This powerful novel sheds light on the lasting impact of colonial violence and the strength required to survive it.
Beast: A Novel by Richard Van Camp
Set in 1980s Fort Simmer, this novel blends supernatural horror with themes of friendship, tradition, and intergenerational conflict. A Dogrib teen is bound by a centuries-old peace treaty between his people and the Chipewyan Cranes. But when Silver Crane, fresh from jail, the peace is threatened, and the Dogrib teen must protect the treaty.
Prairie Edge by Conor Kerr
In this novel, two Métis cousins live on the fringes, passing time in a rundown trailer. When one becomes frustrated by shallow activism, she hatches a radical plan to release bison in downtown Edmonton. Her cousin joins her in the act of rebellion and as the protest spirals, the fallout threatens their lives and others they care about. This story explores consequence, resistance, and the complexities of activism.
Monkey Beach by Eden Robinson
This book follows a rebellious Haisla teen struggling with her brother’s mysterious disappearance at sea. As the community searches, she heads on a journey to Monkey Beach, a place filled with legend and memory. Blending supernatural elements and Haisla traditions, the novel explores identity, grief, and the deep connection between land, family, and spirit.
The Back of the Turtle by Thomas King
When Gabriel returns to the now-deserted reserve of Smoke River, he’s haunted by guilt. The environmental disaster that devastated the land and took his family’s lives was caused by a product that he helped create for a powerful corporation. As the story unfolds, it raises urgent questions about environmental responsibility, Indigenous land rights, and the possibility of healing after ecological collapse.
The Whale Child by Chenoa Egawa and Keith Egawa
In this short novel, a whale child learns from his mother about the devastating impact humans are having on the ocean. Transformed into a child, he plans to visit the land and alert people of these dangers. He meets a young girl, and they travel the world confronting the reality of the environmental threats the planet faces.