The newest issue of the Occasional Paper Series, “Why Indigenous Children’s and Young Adult Literature Matters,” turns its attention to Indigenous Children’s and Young Adult Literature (ICYAL), a vibrant and rapidly expanding field that offers young readers stories rooted in community, identity, and self-determination.
Guest editors Joaquin Muñoz, faculty member in the Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy at The University of British Columbia, and Dawn Quigley, associate professor in the Education Department at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, invite us to consider ICYAL not only as a literary category, but as a powerful space for connection and resistance—one where Indigenous authors are reshaping how children encounter history, culture, and contemporary Indigenous life. In the conversation below, they reflect on the importance of this body of work, the decade-long partnership that shaped their editorial vision, and their hopes for how educators might bring these stories into classrooms with care and intention.
Q: This issue centers on Indigenous Children’s and Young Adult Literature (ICYAL) as a space of connection, representation, and resistance. What makes this body of literature so vital in today’s educational and cultural landscape?
There have been so many amazing strides by Indigenous artists, scholars, actors, writers, and other creatives that push our thinking about how we understand and celebrate Indigeneity. Authors of children’s and young adult literature are creating stories of amazing characters and experiences which give readers insights and appreciation of Indigenous worldviews and ways of being. When connected to critical self-reflection, these ICYAL narratives can be powerful tools to inspire appreciation and hope. These narratives can teach readers about new ways to understand the challenges that face us today, by exploring the world through lenses of Indigenous Peoples and their striving towards self-determination and sovereignty.
Q: You’ve worked together for nearly a decade in research, writing, and teaching. How did your long-standing collaboration shape your vision for this special issue?
From the moment we met, our same passions for ICYAL were very apparent. We both loved to not only read and discover new ICYAL materials, but we also believe in advocacy for its inclusion in all levels of education. Our collaborations include Native ways of knowing in research, yet we also weave in aspects of teaching to support the representation of Indigenous stories. All of this led up to our collaboration for this special issue of the Bank Street Occasional Paper Series. In crafting the Call for Papers and reading the amazing submissions, we ourselves expanded our own definition of “Indigenous” literature, which you will read in the issue. It was such an honor to support and promote these authors.
Q: Many educators are eager to bring Indigenous stories into their classrooms but may not know where to start. What guidance or encouragement would you offer teachers engaging with ICYAL for the first time?
Our biggest piece of advice is to start with two guiding principles: peoples and place. If you are able to, find ICYAL that comes from the place you are in. Find local authors, ideally members of communities that are nearby your school, to help readers make connections to the specific peoples and places around you. This helps to show young people that Indigenous Peoples, though all under the category of Indigenous, are all unique communities with different languages, customs, and traditions.
Q: Looking ahead, what do you hope readers take away from this issue?
The authors and scholars featured in this issue offer incredible insights and ideas for how to read, interpret, and incorporate ICYAL into classroom practice. They also offer compelling ways for any reader to take up the amazing works of art the authors are creating today, and use them to learn and grow. Above all else, we hope that this issue introduces readers to new books, characters, and worlds they have not met yet, and to expand what they read and enjoy to include the incredible writing of Indigenous authors.