We wish to acknowledge this land on which we gather as Treaty 4 Territory, the traditional lands of the Cree, Dakota, Nakota, Lakota, Saulteaux and the homeland of the Métis Nation.
Regina Public Library is committed to working together with Indigenous peoples as we take important steps forward on the pathway of collaboration, reconciliation, and change.
Here you'll find programs, services and resources that support and celebrate Indigenous culture, traditions and histories.
We've included traditional and contemporary resources that reflect cross cultural awareness, education and understanding for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. These programs, resources and services create opportunities to develop a deeper understanding of reconciliation.
Celebrate National Indigenous History Month with a series of programs for all ages that honour the rich heritage, diverse cultures, and outstanding achievements of Indigenous peoples. Experience and learn about Indigenous culture, traditions, and art to develop a deeper understanding of Indigenous peoples.
Waitlisted Programs
Visit our programs page for more Indigenous offerings, or explore our additional resources, below.
Download the Decolonize YQR Booklet:
Download the NIHM colouring page, colour it, and then display your finished art on your front window to show your support for National Indigenous History Month.
RPL offers Indigenous programming year-round. Visit our programs page to find out what's available.
Selections of films from the RPL Film Theatre collection
Indigenous Word of the Week:
We learned a word each week in one of the six languages spoken in Treaty 4 this summer. Check out our Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram every Tuesday for the latest edition of our 30 second video tutorials.
1 - Indigenous Word of the Week - Hello in Michif
2 - Indigenous Word of the Week - Thank you in Michif
3 - Indigenous Word of the Week - Hello in Saulteaux
4 - Indigenous Word of the Week - Thank you in Saulteaux
5 - Indigenous Word of the Week - Hello in Cree
6 - Indigenous Word of the Week - Thank you in Cree
7 - Indigenous Word of the Week - Hello in Dakota
8 - Indigenous Word of the Week - Thank you in Dakota
9 - Indigenous Word of the Week - Hello in Lakota
10 - Indigenous Word of the Week - Thank You in Lakota
11 - Indigenous Word of the Week - Hello in Nakoda
12 - Indigenous Word of the Week - Thank you in Nakoda
13 - Indigenous Word of the Week - I Love You in Cree
Five Phrases Videos:
1 - Indigenous Word of the Week - 5 Phrases in Saulteaux
2 - Indigenous Word of the Week - 5 Phrases in Cree
3 - Indigenous Word of the Week - 5 Phrases in Dakota
4 - Indigenous Word of the Week - 5 Phrases in Lakota
5 - Indigenous Word of the Week - 5 Phrases in Nakoda
6 - Indigenous Word of the Week - 5 Phrases in Michif
The RPL Dunlop Art Gallery proudly represents Indigenous artists, and in 2021 alone acquired permanent or long-term works by four prominent Indigenous artists.
Anishinaabe artist Jaime Black’s REDress installation is a visual reminder of the staggering number of women who are no longer with us. Through her work, Black draws attention to the gendered and racialized nature of violent crimes against Indigenous women and to evoke a presence through the marking of absence. These photographs can be viewed at Albert Branch.
Two murals by renowned Saskatchewan artist Daphne Boyer, All my Relations and For Clémence, celebrate her Metis and Fransaskois heritage. These murals were displayed at Central Library and Sherwood Village Branch until April 2022.
(Left) Daphne Boyer, All My Relations, vinyl, 2021. Central Library. Photo by Don Hall.
(Right) Daphne Boyer, For Clémence, vinyl, 2021. Sherwood Village Branch. Photo by Don Hall.
Jeffrey Veregge’s Stark is installed in Regent Place Branch, Last Son is installed at Connaught Branch, and She’s Got it Where it Counts at Glen Elm Branch. Veregge combines references to popular comic icons with imagery of his S’Klallum (Port Gamble/Coast Salish) ancestors.
Jeffrey Veregge, Stark, print, 2013.
David Garneau’s Métis in the Academy and Displacement, Indigenous Scholarship come from a series of still life paintings that explore the artist’s complex experience of living as a contemporary Indigenous person, academic, and artist. Métis in the Academy is available to view at Prince of Wales Branch.
(Left) David Garneau, Métis in the Academy, acrylic on canvas, 2019
(Right) David Garneau, Displacement, Indigenous Scholarship, acrylic on canvas, 2019.
Also available through Overdrive/Libby:
From the community:
Making bannock with the Sioux Chef
See the Sioux Chef in action making traditional oven bannock. He'll also share a few tips on how to give a boost to your baked bannock.
Tipi raising and sharing traditional tipi teachings
Learn about the teachings and values related to the tipi poles; for caring for ourselves, and living in balance. View this video to learn about construction, placement, and traditional teachings associated with the tipi.
Knowledge Keepers: Sharing Stories from the Métis Community: an oral history project honouring Métis families of Indian Head and the Qu’Appelle Valley. We're grateful to the Indian Head Museum for allowing us access to view this film.
From Regina Public Library:
Indigenous Word of the Week: Follow us on our Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram accounts for our 30 second Indigenous Word of the Week tutorials!
Video: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation 2021: Bevann Fox, author of Genocidal Love: A Life After Residential School, honoured survivors and encouraged commitment to meaningful and lasting reconciliation in her Sept. 30 talk at Central Library. Watch the full program!
Cree: The Cree language has the largest speaker population of all of Canada’s First Nations languages
Ojibwe: Ojibwe has been called by many names including Anishinaabemowin, Ojibwe, Ojibway, Ojibwa, Southwestern Chippewa, and Chippewa. It is a Central Algonquian language spoken by the Anishinaabe people throughout much of Canada from Ontario to Manitoba and U.S. border states from Michigan to Montana.
Michif: Michif is a mixed language which combines Cree with French. For the most part, Michif uses Cree verbs, question words, and demonstratives while using French nouns.