The aboriginal kits are circulating collections of fiction and nonfiction material for both adults and juveniles in a variety of formats. These kits were created to supplement local public library and school collections on aboriginal topics. Selection for these kits was focused primarily on Alberta and secondarily on Canadian Aboriginal peoples. Each aboriginal kit contains adult and juvenile books, music, television and radio programs, and other material.

Aboriginal Kits Available for Loan

Block 1: Religion, spirituality, traditional philosophy, and elders. Resources on past and present issues with religion and spirituality; traditional philosophy in both historical and current contexts; writings and sayings of elders.

Block 2: Women’s identity, issues, & culture. Non-fiction and fiction resources exploring the complexities of women’s culture within a First Nations context.

Block 3: First Nations, colonialism, relations with government past & present. Includes treaty information, law, property rights, resources concerning residential schools, governmental issues, and related research.

Block 4: Language resources: mixed levels. Bilingual storybooks, phrase books, music, dictionaries, and workbooks. Particular emphasis on the Cree language.

Block 5: Health & Wellness. Resources related to traditional healing & medicine, addictions, mental health, sacred plants, and nutrition.

Block 6: Literature, storytelling & performing arts, leisure, sports, and games. Plays, radio performances, traditional stories and storytelling; essays on aboriginal literature, performer and athlete biographies, traditional sports and games, current sports, sports fiction.

Block 7: Peoples, nations, and groups. Identity issues related to specific First Nations groups and regions.

Block 8: Pride and identity. General discussion of issues related to First Nations pride and identity through non-fiction, fiction, music, and documentary.

Block 9: Traditional music, festivals, & pow wow. Primarily DVD documentaries and cd recordings featuring festivals, dances, and pow wow music. Some non-fiction and picture books.

Block 10: Land, nature, environment, & relationships with the natural world. Explores the links between people, plants, animals, landscapes, and other natural phenomena.

Block 11: Children’s and young reader’s resources. Fiction and non-fiction, history, every-day life, past and present, picture books, and juvenile fiction.

Block 12: Arts and crafts, architecture, cookery, and fashion. Traditional and modern arts and crafts of all sorts. Includes history, instructional books, cookbooks, and documentaries. Primarily non-fiction.

Block 13: Business, biography, adult and young adult fiction, popular music. Wide assortment of music CDs, documentaries, biographies, fiction and non fiction.

Block 14: Children’s and young reader’s resources. Children's music, history, every-day life, past and present, picture books, and juvenile fiction and nonfiction.

Aboriginal Kits Procedures

Requesting Procedures

To book an Aboriginal Kit, phone, fax or email requests to Yellowhead Regional Library. 

Phone: (877-962-2003)
Fax: (780-962-2770)
E-mail: yrlquery@yrl.ab.ca

Receiving Procedures

Kits destined for YRL Public Library members are sent via the Yellowhead Delivery System and will arrive on your regularly scheduled van run. Kits destined for YRL School Library members are sent via the Delivery on Demand process.

Returning Procedures

Please make sure to return aboriginal kits when they are due. Late returns result in delays for other libraries wanting to borrow kits. Please be considerate of others and conscious of loan periods. There is a contents list in every kit. Please check the list as you repack the kit to ensure you return all the pieces of the kit.