Stories That Celebrate Indigenous Voices and Culture

Jun 24,2026 / By Trixie Raboy / No Comment

Stories have always been a powerful way to share culture, history, and identity—and this month is a meaningful time to listen, learn, and reflect. Indigenous voices offer perspectives shaped by deep roots, lived experiences, and rich traditions that continue to inspire today.

This curated list highlights books that celebrate Indigenous stories, from heartfelt journeys to powerful reflections. Each one invites readers to better understand the past, connect with the present, and appreciate the voices that deserve to be heard, shared, and remembered.

They Called Me 33 by Karen Chaboyer

A powerful story of survival, healing, and reclaiming identity.

Karen longed for acceptance, validation and love, but had no ability to form healthy, meaningful relationships. Born into a large family already suffering the effects of two generations of residential school, and surviving her own nine years at St. Margaret Indian Residential School, Karen (like everyone she knew) had been systematically stripped of her dignity, identity, language, culture, family and community support systems.

Not wanting to be alone as an adult, Karen tolerated unhealthy relationships with family and partners. Still, she was coping. But after suffering further trauma, Karen turned to alcohol and other addictions to numb her pain.

Eventually, Karen found the strength to reach out for help. She learned to grieve through layers of shame and was finally able to embrace her identity. Karen also discovered what has long been known in her culture – the healing power of sharing your story. Karen would now like to share this book, her story, with you.

Peaceful Relationships by Wendy Hill

A journey through Indigenous wisdom, healing, and finding peace within.

This book is a collection of teachings and experiences from a Native traditional healer. Wendy shares her people’s history and her own personal experiences of bringing peace into situations where it was desperately cried out for. It’s a self-help book to give you ideas and different ways of thinking to help bring you back to peace within. If you have never known peace then this book will explain how to achieve it, and how to be very defensive about maintaining this essence of the spirit.

Courage and Complicity (1st Edition) by Claudette Languedoc

A reflective story of idealism, loss, and a return to truth shaped by time and experience.

In August 1947, Mary Brock boarded a train in Toronto. She was headed for the wilds of Northwestern Ontario and a teaching job at an Indian residential school. Her family was horrified.
At the end of her first day of teaching, Mary was horrified too. This was not the exciting adventure she had imagined. But Mary wasn’t one to give up. Buoyed by her ideals and her pragmatism, she kept showing up.
She lasted the academic year. When she boarded the train for home, she knew she had failed; in every way that mattered. The ideals she had come with had shattered on her classroom floor, and a big piece of her heart lay buried behind a small log cabin in the woods.
Sixty years later, two unexpected gifts forced her to take a second look back and a more hopeful look forward. Maybe her ideals weren’t so naïve after all.

Strengthening Canadian Indigenous by Cathy A. Martin, Ed.D.

Mi’gmaq leader focused on education, governance, and community wellness.

Dr. Cathy Martin, Ed.D. is a Mi’gmaq woman who was raised and resided most of her life in the Listuguj First Nation. Dr. Martin has a Doctorate Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Phoenix. Dr. Martin has been an elected member of council for three terms for the Listuguj Mi’gmaq Government; two of those terms she was elected Chief Councillor.
Dr. Martin has a wealth of experience interacting at the grassroots level. Her diverse academic and career experiences, have demonstrated her research abilities, facilitation, and co-ordination skills. In addition, to the research skills necessary to obtain a Doctorate in Leadership, Dr. Martin was the main writer/researcher for the development of the First Nations Health Directors Curriculum Manual; which was an eight-module curriculum for Health Directors Association of British Columbia. Dr. Martin has also facilitated, at the grassroots level within her First Nation Community of Listuguj, in the development of a Community Safety and Wellness Accord; and in the grassroots development of domestic violence research and recommendations for a reduction of abuse program in the same community.
Dr. Martin’s future goals include a return to consultation, research, writing and the facil

Tellwell Books

Celebrating Indigenous History Month with Tellwell

Jun 29,2023 / By Alyssa Humphrey / No Comment

June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada, an opportunity to learn about the unique cultures, traditions, and experiences of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. It’s a time to honour the stories, achievements, and resilience of those who have lived on this land since time immemorial and whose presence continues to impact an evolving Canada. During National Indigenous History Month, we shine a spotlight on the incredible authors who have skillfully crafted literary masterpieces, weaving together narratives that have brought forth Indigenous voices and heritage, bridging the gap between past and present.

Elaine is from the Syilx (Okanagan) Nation and Secwépemc (Shuswap) Nation and is a member of the Penticton Indian Band.

Elaine was raised by her grandmother who spoke only the nsyilxcən language. It is this foundation that shaped her world view and the importance of connection and relationships.

She is an advocate for women and girls, facilitator of healing circles and mediator for highly sensitive issues that occur as a result of multigenerational trauma. Elaine has spent over 20 years in over 100 communities across Canada to promote healing and wellness. She is a partner of an Indigenous owned and operated planning company called Alderhill Planning Inc., along with Chris Derickson and Jessie Hemphill, who are all leading experts in Indigenous community planning.

Tellwell Books Tellwell News

Celebrating Canadian Indigenous Authors

Jun 29,2021 / By Monica Martinez / No Comment

We are celebrating and recognizing the tremendous history, heritage and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in Canada. We also acknowledge the inequalities and injustices Indigenous people face every day.

Our hearts ache for the thousands of lives lost and stolen across the country.

We encourage our family, friends, staff, and fellow Canadians to educate ourselves about the land we live on, the history of the Indigenous Peoples who cared for it, and the issues facing Indigenous Peoples in our communities. Let’s become a country worth celebrating.

Here is a selection of moving stories by Indigenous indie authors.

Calling My Spirit Back

by Elaine Alec

Indigenous Peoples have always carried the knowledge necessary to heal. When our people heal, our families heal, our communities heal and our land will heal. You cannot have one without the other.

These stories are teachings, prophecy, and protocols shared throughout the years by elders, language speakers, medicine people, and helpers. They have been the foundation to individual healing and learning self-love. They teach us how to make good decisions for ourselves and for all other aspects in our lives.

When our people were young, they were sent on the land to gather as much experience and knowledge as they could, and when they returned, they would contribute what they learned.

I am Syilx and Secwepemc and although many of my teachings come from this place, they also intertwine with indigenous knowledge shared through ceremony from many other nations.

People from all backgrounds have embraced concepts from other parts of the world that promote self-love, healing, and well-being through practices of discipline and meditation.

Very little has been shared about indigenous systems and how it promotes self-love and approach to healing.

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Author of the Month Tellwell Books

A Tribute to Albert Etzerza – Father, Husband, Best-Selling Author, Residential School Survivor

Jun 24,2021 / By Tellwell Publishing / No Comment

Thanks to his family, Albert Etzerza’s new book became a three-time Amazon Best Seller, bringing more awareness for the trauma created by the Canadian Residential School system

Trigger warning: this post mentions sexual assault on a minor.

At Tellwell, we have the privilege of working with authors from all over the world, each one with their own unique story, giving us the chance to see so many different facets of life. Recently, we had the pleasure of working with the family of Albert Etzerza, who realized Albert’s dream of becoming an author.

At the end of 2020, Albert’s wife, Rose and her five sons published Albert’s book, The Good, The Bad and The Innocent: The Tragic Reality Behind Residential Schools, an Albert Etzerza Story. It was one of Albert’s dreams to have his story published, and they helped him accomplish it after he passed away. Since publishing, they’ve gone on to host book giveaways, run social media campaigns, and gain mentions in local media across British Columbia. As a team, Rose and her sons helped Albert’s book hit the Amazon Best Seller list in three different categories: History of First Nations in Canada, Canadian Biographies, and First Nations in Canada.

Their teamwork, creativity, and drive are just a few of the reasons why we are featuring Albert as Tellwell’s author of the month!

We love celebrating our authors’ success, but it is the content of Albert’s book, and the fact that he bravely shared his story, that inspires us most of all.

Albert Etzerza at age 10. Image from *The Good, The Bad and The Innocent: The Tragic Reality Behind Residential Schools, an Albert Etzerza Story*

Albert Etzerza is a survivor of the Lower Post Indian Residential School. He was only six-years old when he began attending Lower Post, which was part of Canada’s Indian Residential School system, a system rooted in colonization and the oppression and killing of Indigenous people. In 1991, Albert spoke out about the abuse he endured throughout his years spent at Lower Post, including the fact that he was repeatedly molested by a school supervisor. Albert eventually took the Canadian government to court for the abuse he was subjected to and the trauma he was left to deal with. He then went on to write The Good, The Bad, and The Innocent to share his story and offer people a look at the tragic reality behind residential schools in Canada; and, to help other residential school survivors heal and find hope.

We were fortunate to speak with Rose, Albert’s wife, to learn more about Albert’s story and hear how the book is being received across Canada.

Don’t miss the chance to read an excerpt from The Good, The Bad, and The Innocent at the end of this post!

Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Rose, Tahltan/Tlingit First Nation, artist and a mother of five boys.

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Tag Archives: National Indigenous History Month