Sila and the Land

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About the book

Sila and the Land is the story of a young Inuk girl who goes on a journey across the North, East, South and West. Along the way Sila meets different animals, plants and elements that teach her about the importance of the land and her responsibilities to protect it for future generations.

The process behind Sila and the Land is an important part of the story. Three young Indigenous women came together to write a children’s book that could help share perspectives on the land common across First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities. This includes a shared respect for the earth and an understanding of our responsibilities to protect it for future generations.
In order to convey these perspectives in the story, the authors spoke with youth from a number of Indigenous communities across Canada. They asked about why the environment was important to each of them and what land based teachings and experiences were significant to their identities and cultures. Their responses helped shape the book, offering examples of things Sila could learn from the land during her journey travelling across the North, East, South and West.

It is important to note that while there are shared perspectives across Indigenous communities there are also many differences. This book does not claim to represent any specific cultures or teachings, but instead encourages children and youth to seek out knowledge from the territories that they are living on. It also aims to inspire other young Indigenous writers and illustrators to believe in their gifts and the power of their stories.

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Collaboration by / This book helps

Created as part of Climate Action 150 with support from TakingITGlobal and GreenLearning Canada, and financial support from Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Catherine Donnelly Foundation.

A portion of the proceeds of the book will go toward the Native Youth Sexual Health Network and their work bringing attention to the impacts of environmental violence on Indigenous health, rights and justice.

Sneak Peek

About the Authors and Illustrator

Shelby Angalik is from Arviat Nunavut, an Inuit hamlet on the western shore of Hudson Bay. Her strong voice and courageous spirit has led her to a number of leadership opportunities where she has shared perspectives on topics such as literacy, climate change and the importance of Inuit traditional knowledge. Shelby cares deeply about empowering Indigenous youth to draw strength from their traditional values and to return to their languages as tools for understanding and protecting the land.

Ariana Roundpoint is wolf clan of the Kanien’kehakah people, born and raised in Akwesasne. She has a strong passion for culture revitalization, important work that is needed in order to protect Indigenous knowledge and ways of life for the upcoming generations. A central part of this work for Ariana is to increase awareness of how traditions are being lost and the harm that is being done to Mother Earth. She has a lot planned for her future and wishes to influence others to create change by spreading knowledge through her writing.

Lindsay DuPré is a Métis social worker and educator. She was born in Mississauga and has lived in Southern Ontario for most of her life, but attributes much of her knowledge and growth to the land and people from many different Indigenous nations. Lindsay focuses her gifts on areas such as Indigenous education, youth leadership, mental health and life promotion leveraging the power of stories to heal and shift perspectives. Lindsay is committed to helping mobilize the growing network of First Nations, Métis and Inuit youth fighting for social and environmental justice.

Halie Finney was born and raised in the Lesser Slave Lake region of Alberta where generations of her family have also called home. As an artist, Halie investigates her Métis heritage and how family deals with inevitable change in a place where things seem to remain the same. Currently, Halie resides in Edmonton, Alberta where she continues to work on her art practice.