news | Monday August 12, 2013

8th Fire’s Essential Reads List

8th Fire is a multiplatform, multicultural documentary project that explores the richness and diversity of Aboriginal cultures and Canada’s complex 500-year relationship with Indigenous peoples.

In February of 2012, 8th Fire asked Paul Seesequasis, Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair, and Richard Van Camp to help put together a list of ten books that represent some of the best reading from the past decade by fascinating Aboriginal writers in Canada. They came up with the following list.

• Native Poetry in Canada: A Contemporary Anthology edited by Jeanette Armstrong (Broadview Press, 2001)
• Deadly Loyalties by Jennifer Storm (Theytus Books, 2007)
• Red Rooms by Cheri Dimaline (Theytus Books, 2007)
• The Night Wanderer by Drew Hayden Taylor (Annick Press, 2007)
• Will’s Garden by Lee Maracle (Theytus Books, 2008)
• Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden (Penguin, 2008)
• One Native Life by Richard Wagamese (Douglas & McIntyre, 2009)
• Restoring the Balance: First Nations Women, Community, and Culture edited by Gail Guthrie Valaskakis, Madeline Dion Stout, and Eric Guimond (University of Manitoba Press, 2009)
• Think Indian by Basil Johnston (Kegedonce Press, 2010)
• Discovery Passages by Garry Thomas Morse

CBC published a slide show depicting the book covers with some commentary on their significance. The list has just been formalized as a PDF available online.