NDN Coping Mechanisms: Notes From the Field

In an anthology that sheds light on some of the darkest parts of Canadian history, Billy-Ray Belcourt uses graphic language and dark imagery to explore the oppression of Indigenous people and to encourage readers to rethink colonization, decolonization, and the politics of gender, love, and sex. Belcourt’s poetry, prose, and graphics facilitate frequent opportunities for creative and critical thinking, particularly around Truth and Reconciliation. A timely resource for mature high school students, its focus on gender and cultural politics may complement specific units of study in a Grade 12 classroom, also lending itself to allow a broadened understanding of the content in a historical context.