Rich and diverse narratives of Indigenous Toronto, past and present told in newly released anthology

By Brian Wright-McLeod

TORONTO— Rarely does an anthology cover the expanse of history, culture, contemporary arts and activism as the new book, Indigenous Toronto, Stories That Carry This Place. Edited by Denise Bolduc, Mnawaate Gordon-Corbiere, Rebeka Tabobondung, Brian Wright-McLeod, and John Lorinc, the new release was published by Coach House Books.

The authors and contributors represent a mosaic of visual and written experiences, backgrounds and First Nations within the Toronto area including the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, Huron-Wendat, and Mississaugas of the New Credit.

Indigenous Toronto, Stories That Carry This Place is divided into four sections: Agreements, Naming and Places; Trailblazers and Changemakers; How We Carry This Place; Transforming the City.

With an introduction by Hayden King, an Anishinaabe from Beausoleil First Nation, the book presents writings on archeology, oral history, treaties to the documentation of numerous historic and contemporary figures within 35 chapters and as many contributors.

Co-editor Mnawaate Gordon-Corbiere outlined the process of laying out the chapters and sections.

“The overall content is presented in a way that allows the reader to begin at any point in the book as the content is fluid and remains relevant to each subject contained in the volume.”

“A lot of discussion went into the cover design. We wanted it to look contemporary,” said Denise Bolduc, co-editor of Indigenous Toronto, Stories That Carry This Place. “It’s been an incredible privilege to work on this project.”

Contributors include political scientist Hayden King, artist and curator Wanda Nanibush, Chief Johl Whiteduck Ringuette, poet and broadcaster Duke Redbird, playwright Drew Hayden Taylor, educator Kerry Potts, writer/journalist Miles Morrisseau, and photographer Nadya Kwandibens.

Rebeka Tabobondung outlined the contributor process selection.

“There are so many stories that mean so many different things. The book represents a tip of the iceberg of what can be told. We also wanted to include organizations that have done so much for the urban Indigenous community,” she said. “We also wanted to include place names and their importance to the culture.”

Wright-McLeod wrote four chapters including interviews with health worker Joe Hester, artist/entrepreneur Duke Redbird, and a brief history of grassroots activism as well as radio programming that bloomed in the city since the 1980s.

The project spanned three years from the publisher selecting editors to the editorial team defining the topics and potential content and images. Although many subjects and events may have been overlooked or omitted due to limited space within the pages of the volume, the overview of topics offers a rich history from the perspectives of Indigenous writers, academics, authors, and image-makers.

“The process of being introduced to potential editors and selecting the people was a three-year journey that brought to life the potential of what could be created,” noted John Lorinc, Coach House Books editor.

The vast and rich content of this book offers a visionary presentation of the history and cultures that have come to define the land of a modern metropolis known as Toronto.

Indigenous Toronto, Stories That Carry This Place is available through Coach House Books, Toronto.