Children's Books

Novel by Bouton d’or Acadie

Published by Bouton d’or Acadie, these books make up their Wabanaki Collection and were donated by Louise Imbeault at the Moncton Community Hearings Youth Panel. These books tell Indigenous stories in French, English and either Mi’kmaq or Passamaquoddy. The project is named for the first peoples of Canada's East Coast, the Wabanaki, or the “People of the Dawn,” which include the Mi’kmaq, Wolastoqiyik, Abenaki, Penobscot and Passamaquoddy. All the content found in this collection relates to Wabanaki worldviews, including history, culture, language and education. The idea for the series of books originated with Madame Marguerite Maillet who saw that there was a lack of French-Indigenous stories in New Brunswick. She thought it was important for Indigenous youth to learn these stories, so she, along with other writers, gathered together the stories and produced a series of six books. These books are now being used in New Brunswick schools for grades one through six, along with a specially developed educational guide. When asked how they felt about the books, Indigenous children in Neguac, New Brunswick said it was important for them to learn their own stories.