Aboriginal french immersion resources for the new curriculum in BC

I have been working with Amber the Aboriginal Education Worker in my school to compile a list of our french language resources that fit with the new curriculum.  Both of us have busy schedules so we have been working for about 1/2 hour a day once a week.  It has taken us several months to complete this project to support the teachers in our school.  Amber and I have also benefited by having the opportunity to see the variety of resources we have in our library.

We have created a google doc for our list. Check it out here.
As we reviewed the french language resources not only for fit with the new curriculum by topic, but also by language level.  In keeping with aboriginal sense of place and how that is important for any learning we have identified the First Nation (s) of the author of the work.

We did team up with some other librarians and started an "English language" list but they did not have the time to complete this column.  The English column is more a list of works that are available in French and English (i.e. the translated titles).

I learned a lot from Amber about First Nations culture, for example I was unaware of the significance of the "red road".  This project is a small step in my journey of inclusiveness.

Review of book series "As-tu vu?"

The book series  As-tu vu, by  Éditions les Malins came to my attention when the Aboriginal Educator in my school reviewed the book titled Autochtones.  I wrote this post since the publisher did not reply to my concerns about content.   I immediately discarded this book due to it's multiple errors.  Including:

• 'Les Abenakis (de l'est)  .... ils sculptaient des totems" (images de totems de Haidi de la cote ouest)  
• "les cowboys du far west on appris des Mohawks le lancer du lasso..."  Les Mohawks vivent dans les forets d'est,  C'est des autres (comme les Blackfoot) qui vivent aux prairies avec les chevals.
• the costume is not regalia!!! on the page that is talking about traditions (regalia is traditional) "Les algonquins ont comme tradition...
• "Dans certaines tribus indigenes, les chasseurs gardent la tete de leur victime en signe de victiore..."  this fact is taken out of context and perpetuates negative stereotypes!  This content is also is inappropriate for elementary schools.  The images on this page are of African aborignals, they are definately not "les Cris".
• "La gomme a macher est une invention des innus"  Mais les Innus vivent au tondre ... sans Arbres!

It has made me look at the other titles in this series.  Most are good!  I have noticed a few errors in the following titles:
Les grands explorateurs- (une erreur) Christophe Colomb a decouvert l'Amerique... but there is no mention of the Vikings!

Espions et leurs Gadgets (une erreur)- the book explains that "d'amerindiens sont des "chasseurs d tetes".  Now inappropriate fact out of context, that perpeturates negative stereotypes.  We are working on rebuilding connections with First peoples, not damaging them.

Les chiens de traineau (deux erreurs) - the book says Inuit children do not need warm blankets when taking rides on the dogsled as their dogs are so warm.  When it would be after dogsledding.   The book makes a connection to the "1929 Krach boursier" .  This in not a French word for the 1929 Stock market crash, which a child would definitely not know about.

À la recherche des livres autochtones!

To recognize the mix of students in my school I have been looking for books about Aboriginal people, that are written by Aboriginal authors or have a real representation of people of the First Nations of Canada.  One of my challenges is not to over-represent Inuit people but to find stories that are in a variety of environments.   Here is what I have found at this moment:

Book Publishers (Maisons d'Éditions)
Les Éditions soleil de minuit (http://www.editions-soleildeminuit.com/index.html)
Pemmican Publishers  (http://pemmican.websites.ca/Home.page) (~7 French children's titles)
Éditions Hurbubise (books by Michel Noel)
Les Éditions Cornac (http://editionscornac.com/index.php)
Scholastic Canada (several titles e.g. Lune d'érable, Les bas du pennsonait)
Pearson (leveled reader series "L'échos de l'île de la tortue")(http://www.lesechosdeliledelatortue.com/index.html)

Booksellers (Librairies):
Good Minds (www.goodminds.com) (many choices)
Strong nations (few French choices)
Scholastic Canada (quelques titres )
Librarie Pantoute (editions Hannenorak et Cronac)
Librairie Hannenorak (http://fr-fr.facebook.com/pages/Caf%C3%A9-librairie-Hannenorak/124973337528981)

Language Webpage:

First Voices (French and English) http://www.firstvoices.com/fr/home

Some suggested titles for French immersion students

read aloud's primary

• Entre dans la Grande Ronde par David Bouchard
• La Quete Spirituelle de Petit Ours par Diane Silvey (coastal BC) (has an English teachers guide)
• La ceinture fléchée par Sylvain Rivard (trilingual) Les editions Hannenorak

read aloud's intermediate:

• La piroque de Shin-chi par Nicola Campbell (residential school) and the sequel Shi-shi-etko
• all David Bouchard's picture books  e.g. Nokum, ma voix et mon Coeur
• Tant que couleront les rivières by Larry Loyie (Northern Prairies)

individual reading: grades (1)- 2

• Le corbeau est noir by Brenda Watson (B.C.), from Les Éditions soleil de minuit (14 other titles)
• tri-lingual books Wabanaki Series by Bouton d'Or Acadie; e.g. Le Roi de Glace by Allison Mitcham
• leveled reader series L'échos de l'île de la tortue (Pearson)

 

grades 3-4 

• - Michel Noel - les Papinachois (Abernaq - Ontario) (series de 8 titres)  (Dominique et compagnie) 
• - 6 titles in series "les loups rouges" (Wendat - Quebec) e.g. Le petit aigle et l'enfant par Johanne Laframboise; Natanis par Christine Sioui Wawanoloath. (now Les Éditions Cornac)
• - leveled reader series L'échos de l'île de la tortue (Pearson)

 intermediate:

• Louis, fils des Prairies (Metis) par Noelie Palud-Pelletier
• Tant que couleront les rivières par Larry Loyie (Northern Prairies)
• Les bas du pennsonait (Fatty legs) and its sequel ...par  Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton