Selection of the Month
A revelatory portrait of eight Indigenous communities from across North America, shown through never-before-published archival photographs--a gorgeous extension of Paul Seesequasis's popular social media project.
In 2015, writer and journalist Paul Seesequasis found himself grappling with the devastating findings of Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission report on the residential school system. He sought understanding and inspiration in the stories of his mother, herself a residential school survivor. Gradually, Paul realized that another, mostly untold history existed alongside the official one: that of how Indigenous peoples and communities had held together during even the most difficult times. He embarked on a social media project to collect archival photos capturing everyday life in First Nations, Metis and Inuit communities from the 1920s through the 1970s. As he scoured archives and libraries, Paul uncovered a trove of candid images and began to post these on social media, where they sparked an extraordinary reaction. Friends and relatives of the individuals in the photographs commented online, and through this dialogue, rich histories came to light for the first time.
Blanket Toss Under Midnight Sun collects some of the most arresting images and stories from Paul's project. While many of the photographs live in public archives, most have never been shown to the people in the communities they represent. As such, Blanket Toss is not only an invaluable historical record, it is a meaningful act of reclamation, showing the ongoing resilience of Indigenous communities, past, present--and future.
One Book, One Province
The Archer Library is pleased to be a participant in One Book, One Province, an initiative created by the Saskatchewan Library Association to encourage all residents of the province to come together during the month of March to read and discuss the same book. This year OBOP has chosen Blanket Toss Under Midnight Sun. You can learn more about the OBOP program and this year's book by visiting their website.
Dr. Sherry Farrell-Racette from the Faculty of Media-Art-Performance will assist in facilitating the discussion of the book. You can learn more about Dr. Farrell-Racette's work and research interests here.
We welcome everyone who wishes to participate in our discussion to register for our March 17th book club meeting by filling out our registration form. We hope to see you there!
Where to Find the Book
Zoom Meeting Information
Zoom information will be provided closer to the planned meeting: 12:00pm-1:00pm, March 17, 2021.