October 4 is the National Day of Action and Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ People, also known as Sisters in Spirit Day. Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit people continue to face disproportionate rates of violence rooted in systemic racism, colonialism and gender-based violence.
This booklist offers resources to deepen understanding of the MMIWG2S+ crisis and inspire meaningful action toward justice, safety and healing.
Unbroken: My Fight for Survival, Hope, and Justice for Indigenous Women and Girls by Angela Steritt
Adult: Angela Sterritt wrote in her journal to help her survive and find her place in the world. Now an acclaimed journalist, she writes for major news outlets to push for justice and to light a path for Indigenous women, girls and survivors. In her brilliant debut, Sterritt shares her memoir alongside investigative reporting into cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada.
REDress: Art, Action, and the Power of Presence by Jaime Black-Morsette and Cathy Merrick
Adult: REDress is a powerful anthology uniting the voices of Indigenous women, Elders, grassroots community activists, artists, academics and family members affected by the tragedy of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit people from across Turtle Island.
Making Space for Indigenous Feminism by Gina Starblanket
Adult: The third edition of the iconic collection Making Space for Indigenous Feminism features feminist, queer and two-spirit voices from across generations and locations. Curated by award-winning scholar Gina Starblanket, this collection reflects and celebrates Indigenous feminism's intergenerational longevity through the changing landscape of anti-colonial struggle.
Highway of Tears: A True Story of Racism, Indifference and the Pursuit of Justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls by Jessica McDiarmid
Adult: For decades, Indigenous women and girls have gone missing or been found murdered along an isolated stretch of highway in northwestern British Columbia. The highway is known as the Highway of Tears, and it has come to symbolize a national crisis. Journalist Jessica McDiarmid investigates the devastating effect these tragedies have had on the families of the victims and their communities.
Spirit Crossing: A Novel by William Kent Krueger
Adult: The disappearance of a local politician's teenage daughter is major news in Minnesota. As a huge manhunt is launched to find her, Cork O'Connor's grandson stumbles across the shallow grave of a young Ojibwe woman--but nobody seems that interested. Nobody, that is, except Cork and the newly formed Iron Lake Ojibwe Tribal Police. As Cork and the tribal officers dig into the circumstances of this mysterious and grim discovery, they uncover a connection to the missing teenager.
Looking for Smoke by K.A. Cobell
Adult: When local girl Loren includes Mara in a traditional Blackfeet Giveaway to honour Loren’s missing sister, Mara thinks she’ll finally make some friends on the Blackfeet reservation. Instead, a girl from the Giveaway, Samantha White Tail, is found murdered. Despite deep mistrust, the characters take matters into their own hands and clear their names.
Nauetakuan, a silence for a noise by Natasha Kanapé Fontaine
Adult: Montreal student Monica happens upon an art exhibition that rocks her core and articulates a deep, intergenerational wound. She begins a search to connect more strongly with her Indigeneity, leading to a new friendship with Katherine, an Indigenous woman who is steeped in both culture and community. A powerful story of reclamation, matriarchies and the healing ability of traditional teachings.
