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Indigenous Ways of Knowing & Being

First Nations people in button blankets at Quatsino Sound
First Nations people in button blankets at Quatsino Sound, 19-- Photo Credit: Ben W. Leeson (VPL #14079)

This page will help you find information on Indigenous ways of knowing and being in Canada, focusing on aspects of survival, social life and culture, such as food, shelter, clothing, games, transportation, religion, and legends.

Building Effective Catalogue Searches

By subject heading - region - subdivision:

By group:

Useful subdivisions include:

  • Social Life and Customs
  • Folklore
  • Food
  • History
  • Rites and Ceremonies
  • Religion
  • Legends

Note: Be aware that terms or forms of names used in cataloguing or in titles of books may be different from those currently in use. For best results, you may need to use a variety of keyword search terms or forms of names.

Examples:

  • "Bella Bella" or "Heiltsuk"
  • "Nootka" or "Nuchalnuth"
  • "Indians" or "First Nations"

Useful Websites

The Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum tells the story of the First Nations people of the Plains through interpretive exhibitions, artifacts, and dioramas. Information about aspects of Plains life, including clothing, weapons, transportation, hunting and more.

Simon Fraser University program to maintain and develop ongoing partnerships with First Nations communities engaged in language revitalization efforts.

Website from UBC serves as a starting point for the reader who might be looking for specific topics relating to cultural traditions, materials or resources of Pacific Northwest First Nations.

History and traditional life and culture of the Inuit.

Online exhibitions include canoe traditions of the Fijian, Squamish, and Haida people, weavers in the First Nations community of Musqueam, and the making of a Chilkat robe.

The Royal BC Museum is home to thousands of spectacular photographs, films, recordings and objects showcasing the many First Nations cultures in BC. These items represent up to 10,000 years of history from across the province, celebrating the diversity and resilience of Indigenous peoples. 

Reclaiming My Language is a course to assist silent speakers to reclaim their language. Silent speakers are people who have a good understanding of their language but do not speak it. There are many kinds of silent speakers, including people who spoke their language before attending residential school. 

Digital Library Resources
Culture and History Subject Icon

Finding tool for historical information about BC in books, magazines and newspapers in the Vancouver Public Library collection.

Access:
Everywhere for everyone

Recommended Titles

Contact Us

Northwest History Index

This card index in Special Collection provides access to the Northwest History Collection, a heritage collection covering the early history and exploration of British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest.

The collection includes:

  • magazine and newspaper articles
  • pamphlets
  • books
  • chapters in books
  • many other resources

As of August 1998, no new material has been added to the Northwest History Index. It is continued by the British Columbia Index.