Written by Soft as Bones author Chyana Marie Sage. 

In Indigenous communities, spring marks the beginning of the year: it is the time of beginnings, birth, creation. It marks the time when things are no longer frozen, and Mother Earth begins again. If I think about the perfect season for my debut memoir to be born into the world, it would be spring — the thawing after a long, cold winter. 

 I often see the world in seasons, symbols, and circles, and my book, Soft as Bones, moves in a braided spiral, carrying the reader through the cycles of water and seasons of life. Soft as Bones carries the reader through generations, histories, lore, and ceremony. Of course my book, which consists of four parts, would be born into the new beginning of a calendar year, a new cycle — right in time for Indigenous History Month, a time of celebration and uplifting Indigenous voices.

 I think my favourite aspect of being a Cree, Métis, and Salish iskwew is the way we carry stories. Storytelling is the way lessons are passed down, but they’re also an embodiment of resilience, creativity, and an attempt to capture the complex beauty within our varying Nations. Storytelling is both how we return to ourselves, and how we reimagine our futures. 

 Here are seven recommended reads that capture different aspects of what it means to be Indigenous. 

The Outside Circle by Patti Laboucane-Benson, illustrated by Kelly Mellings

A graphic novel unlike any other, The Outside Circle tells the story of Pete, a young Cree man caught in cycles of violence, incarceration, and systemic trauma. What sets this book apart is how it combines powerful storytelling with social insight — it’s not just Pete’s story; it’s the story of the over-incarceration rates of Indigenous peoples in Canada. Illustrated in stark, expressive visuals, this book isn’t afraid to show pain, but it also offers hope through cultural reconnection, healing circles, and ceremony. 

Blood Sisters by Vanessa Lillie

In this chilling, fast-paced thriller, Vanessa Lillie tells the story of Syd Walker, an archaeologist who returns to her hometown in Oklahoma after the remains of a missing woman are discovered. Blood Sisters blends crime fiction with themes of MMIWG2S+, land, and justice. Lillie writes with clarity and compassion, refusing to let her characters or her readers look away. For fans of mystery and true crime with a powerful Indigenous lens, this one is not to be missed.

An Ordinary Violence by Adriana Chartrand

This haunting debut novel follows Dawn, a young woman who returns to her rural hometown in Manitoba after a family tragedy. What unfolds is a gripping psychological descent into memory, secrecy, and inherited trauma. Chartrand, a Métis writer, weaves suspense with sharp social commentary, creating a story that feels both grounded in Indigenous realities and unsettlingly gothic. An Ordinary Violence is about what we carry, what we hide, and what ultimately must come to the surface.

A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair

What if our stories could reclaim the fantasy genre? Melissa Blair, an Anishinaabe and Métis author, answers this question with A Broken Blade, the first in a thrilling trilogy. Set in a colonized kingdom, the novel follows Keera, a half-elven assassin caught between loyalty and rebellion. Blair wrote this anonymously at first, slipping it into bookstores across Canada in a kind of literary resistance. The result is a bold, unapologetically Indigenous fantasy novel that blends action, identity, and ancestral strength. A must-read for fans of Throne of Glass or The Witcher, but better.

A Two-Spirit Journey by Ma-Nee Chacaby

This memoir from Ma-Nee Chacaby, a Two-Spirit Ojibwe-Cree elder, is a profound account of resilience, identity, and spirit. Told in her own voice, with honesty and generosity, Chacaby recounts a life shaped by poverty, abuse, and homophobia, but also by community, love, and cultural teachings. Her journey toward self-understanding as a Two-Spirit person is deeply moving. This book is both a history and a personal healing story that will stay with you long after the last page.

Unbroken: My Fight for Survival, Hope, and Justice for Indigenous Women and Girls by Angela Sterritt

Angela Sterritt, a Gitxsan journalist and author, blends investigative reporting with memoir in Unbroken, a vital and timely book that explores the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIWG) in Canada. What makes this book so powerful is how Sterritt weaves her own story—of surviving the streets and reclaiming her life—into a broader narrative of systemic failure and grassroots resistance. Unbroken is urgent, clear-eyed, and impossible to ignore.

We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom, illustrated by Michaela Goade

This Caldecott Medal–winning picture book is a gorgeous way to introduce young readers to the importance of protecting our Earth and our waters. Written by Anishinaabe/Métis author Carole Lindstrom and illustrated by Tlingit artist Michaela Goade, We Are Water Protectors is inspired by Indigenous-led movements like Standing Rock. It speaks to the sacred relationship we have with water and the responsibility we all share in protecting it. The language is lyrical and empowering, and the illustrations are breathtaking. A beautiful gift for anyone, child or adult. 

Read Soft as Bones by Chyana Marie Sage.