Raven Reads Books Ltd

A curated collection of Indigenous literature and giftware.

For over a century, residential schools operated in Canada. Over 150,000 children attended these schools–many never returned. Often underfunded and overcrowded, these schools were used as a tool of assimilation by the Canadian state and churches. Thousands of students suffered physical and sexual abuse. All suffered from loneliness and a longing to be home with their families. The damage inflicted by these schools continue to this day.

Reconciliation means different things to different people. To many, reconciliation is about establishing and maintaining a mutually respectful relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in this country. For that to happen, there must be awareness of our collective past, and action to change our behaviour.

We are not there yet. The relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples is not a mutually respectful one. I believe we can get there.

As many of us do, I frequently asked myself what does reconciliation means and what role was I to play in this.

In 2016 began a book club at work to be able to share some amazing books I was hearing about (and to force me to read more). When I saw how eye-opening this experience was for myself and my co-workers I was inspired. I thought, what a shame that others do not get to experience this!

Around that time I also stumbled upon the concept of subscription boxes and noticed how many brands were available; however, I quickly noticed that none were in this space of sharing Indigenous culture and history through written word.

This is how I came up with the idea of Raven Reads. Raven Reads has everything to do with reconciliation and the Truth and Reconciliation Commissions calls to action for all Canadians. It is meant to allow you to create a safe space for you to learn about other cultures, learn a little bit of history, and try out fascinating products by other Indigenous entrepreneurs from around the globe!

Maarsii. Miigwetch.