Award Winners from Strong Nation
Strong Nations (Snuneynuxw book distributor BC)
Features a list of award winners which have been shortlisted for First Nation Communities Read
Xwi7xwa Library Guide
Canadian Indigenous Literature Awards
- Burt Award for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Literature (CODE)Celebrating Indigenous authorship benefiting First Nations, Métis, and Inuit youth.
- Manitoba Book AwardsIncludes the Manitowapow Award for Indigenous writers or oral performers who demonstrate excellence in writing, storytelling or spoken word and who also actively support Indigenous verbal arts in Manitoba.
- First Nations Communities Read(Southern Ontario Library Service)
International Indigenous Literature Awards
- American Indian Youth Literature Award(American Indian Library Association)
- Victorian Premier's Literary Award for Indigenous Writing(Awards based in Australia)
- Deadly Awards (Archive)Deadly Awards from 2010-2014 Accessible through "Media" link at top of page
- Ngā Kupu OraMāori Book Awards (New Zealand)
- Taiwan Aboriginal Literary Awards (2016)Biannual awards organized by the Ministry of Education.
Recent Award Winners
"The American Indian Youth Literature Awards are presented every two years. The awards were established as a way to identify and honor the very best writing and illustrations by and about American Indians and Alaska Natives. Books selected to receive the award present American Indians in the fullness of their humanity in the present and in past contexts. Honor Books are also selected in each category."
Hearts Unbroken by ISBN: 0763681148Publication Date: 2018-10-092020 AILA Best Young Adult Book. New York Times best-selling author Cynthia Leitich Smith turns to realistic fiction with the thoughtful story of a Native teen navigating the complicated, confusing waters of high school -- and first love.
Indian No More by ISBN: 9781620148396Publication Date: 2019-09-242020 AILA Best Middle Grade Book. When Regina's Umpqua tribe is legally terminated and her family must relocate from Oregon to Los Angeles, she goes on a quest to understand her identity as an Indian despite being so far from home.
Bowwow Powwow by ISBN: 9781681340777Publication Date: 2018-05-012020 AILA Best Picture Book. This playful story by Brenda Child is accompanied by a companion retelling in Ojibwe by Gordon Jourdain and brought to life by Jonathan Thunder's vibrant dreamscapes. The result is a powwow tale for the ages.
#NotYourPrincess by Call Number: YUC C43 N68 2017ISBN: 9781554519583Publication Date: 2017-09-122018 AILA Best Young Adult Book. Native Women demand to be heard in this stunning anthology. Whether looking back to a troubled past or welcoming a hopeful future, the powerful voices of Indigenous women across North America resound in this book.
2018 AILA Best Middle School Book: Tales of the Mighty Code Talkers, Volume 1
Edited by Arigon Starr (Kickapoo), featuring Theo Tso (Las Vegas Paiute) et al. Albuquerque: Native Realities, 2016.
2018 AILA Best Picture Book: Shanyaak'utlaax: Salmon Boy
Edited by Johnny Marks (Tlingit) et al, illustrated by Michaela Goade (Tlingit). Juneau: Sealaska Heritage Institute, 2017.
Governor General’s Literary Awards
The Governor General's Literary Awards, run by the Canada Council of the Arts, "recognize Canada’s best English and French books in 7 categories: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Drama, Young People’s Literature – Text, Young People’s Literature – Illustrated Books and Translation (from French to English and vice-versa). The awards promote Canadian literature, and encourage Canadians to read. They provide valuable recognition to finalists and winners from peers and readers across the country." [x]
The Marrow Thieves by ISBN: 9781770864863
When We Were Alone by ISBN: 9781553796732
2017 Young People's Literature - Text Award: The Marrow Thieves.
By Cherie Dimaline (Métis-Anishnaabe). Toronto: Cormorant Books Inc., 2017.
2017 Young People's Literature - Illustrated Books Award: When We Were Alone
By David Alexander Robertson (Cree), illustrated by Julie Flett (Cree-Métis). Winnipeg: HighWater Press, 2017.
Other Children's Literature Awards
While these awards are not specifically Indigenous, they often feature books by Indigenous writers.
- Canadian Children's Book Centre Awards: These awards focus on books for young people published in Canada, and often include Indigenous texts. They include the prestigious TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award.
- Governor General's Literary Awards: These Canadian-centric awards seek to "reflect Canada's rich diversity", and often include Indigenous texts.
- Moonbeam Children's Book Awards: Moonbeam seeks to highlight "under-sung children’s books" through creating "nuanced categories" of awards.
Second Story Press Indigenous Writers and Illustrators Contest
Second Story Press, a feminist publisher based in Toronto, runs an Indigenous Writers and Illustrators Contest for Indigenous creators with unpublished manuscripts. Winners to date include:
- 2018: Jodie Callaghan (Mìgmaq), The Train
- 2018: Michael Hutchinson (Misipawistik Cree), The Case of Windy Lake
- 2018: Niki Wattas (Cree), illustrations
- 2015: Melanie Florence (Cree), Stolen Words
- 2015: Susan Currie (Cayuga), The Mask that Sang