Our mindful stories, in all their forms and functions—and whether vocalized, embodied, or inscribed—honour the sacrifices of those who came before us and who made it possible for us to continue the struggle today as specific peoples in relation with the world. They help us bridge the gap of human imagination between one another, between other human communities, and between us and other-than-human beings. Fundamentally, they affirm Indigenous presence—and our present. That our nations do indeed have a vibrant present gives us hope that we’ll have a future, too (Justice, 2018, p. 16)
This special issue of the Bank Street Occasional Paper Series emerged in a way that is true to the aims of the authors contained within it; it developed out of a place of relationality and deep reverence. The two of us, Joaquin and Dawn, have been working and collaborating together for almost 10 years, a partnership that began in Minneapolis and now spans across Turtle Island. We have collaborated on research, presented together, written together, all in the service of Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination as it is expressed in the spaces of curriculum and pedagogy.
Our partnership coalesced around our mutual love of literature, and especially Indigenous literature. Dawn has authored several books for children and young adults, and Joaquin voraciously reads and reviews many Indigenous-authored texts. We both teach in higher education, and have a deep concern with the ways teachers are prepared for engaging with Indigenous topics and stories in the classroom, which also inspires our work. We immediately embraced the collaboration on this special issue, excited by the opportunity to share our love of Indigenous Children’s and Young Adult Literature (ICYAL) with the Occasional Paper Series audience.
