![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/the-animal-people-choose-a-leader-by-richard-wagamese-illustrations-by-bridget-george.jpg\")
The Animal People Choose a Leader by Richard Wagamese, upper right, illustrations by Bridget George, lower right. (Douglas & McIntyre, Yvette Lehmann, Submitted by Bridget George)<\/p>\n
In the picture book\u00a0The Animal People Choose a Leader<\/a>, a group of animals, who share the same language,\u00a0come together to decide who should be their leader. The different animals give their reasons why they should be considered for this revered position, and then they decide that the animals must race one another around a mountaintop lake. This tradition-steeped story reflects on respecting the land, wisdom and kindness.\u00a0<\/p>\n Wagamese was an Ojibway writer from the Wabaseemoong First Nation in Ontario. He is the author of six novels, including\u00a0Indian Horse<\/a>, which was a finalist on\u00a0Canada Reads<\/a>\u00a02013, defended by Carol Huynh. He also wrote a collection of poetry and three memoirs.\u00a0He\u00a0was\u00a0shortlisted for the CBC Nonfiction Prize<\/a>\u00a0in 2015 for\u00a0Finding Father.\u00a0Wagamese\u00a0died in 2017 at the age of 61<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n George is an Anishinaabe writer and illustrator from London, Ont. She was raised on the Kettle and Stony Point First Nation\u00a0and she belongs to the bear clan. Her first picture book that she also wrote was\u00a0It’s a Mitig!<\/a>. She has illustrated numerous children’s books including\u00a0Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior<\/a>\u00a0by Carole Lindstrom.\u00a0<\/p>\n The remaining books on the children’s\u00a0shortlist is\u00a0Bannock in a Hammock by Masiana Kelly, Dad, I Miss You<\/a> by Nadia Sammurtok, Boozhoo!\/Hello! by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley, translated by Mary Ann Corbiere, and\u00a0Hummingbird\/Aamo-binashee by Jennifer Leason, translated by Norman Chartrand.\u00a0<\/p>\n Who We Are<\/a> by Murray Sinclair,\u00a0with Sara Sinclair and Niigaan Sinclair, made the shortlist in the young adult\/adult category.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sinclair made his mark on Canadian society as a judge, activist, senator, the chief commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the co-chair of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry \u2014 and wrote\u00a0about it in his memoir\u00a0Who We Are<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n The book answers the four guiding questions of Sinclair’s life \u2014 Where do I come from? Where am I going? Why am I here? Who am I? \u2014 through stories about his remarkable career and trailblazing advocacy for Indigenous peoples’ rights and freedoms.\u00a0<\/p>\n Anishinaabe and a member of the Peguis First Nation, Sinclair was the first Indigenous judge appointed in Manitoba\u00a0and the second appointed in Canada.\u00a0He won awards including\u00a0the National Aboriginal Achievement Award, the Manitoba Bar Association’s Equality Award\u00a0and its Distinguished Service Award (2016)\u00a0and\u00a0received Honorary Doctorates from 14 Canadian universities. Sinclair died on Nov. 4, 2024 at the age of 73.<\/a><\/p>\n The remaining books on the list for young adults\/adults are\u00a0The Baby Train by Stella Shepard, Little Moons<\/a> <\/a>by Jen Storm, illustrated by Ryan Howe,\u00a0Lost at Windy River<\/a> by Trina Rathgeber, illustrated by Alina Pete, and Medicine Wheel for the Planet<\/a> by Jennifer Grenz.<\/p>\n The winners will be announced during First Nation Public Library Week from October 6-10.\u00a0<\/p>\n The First Nations Communities Read Awards are sponsored by the Periodical Marketers of Canada.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Two five-book shortlists have been announced for the\u00a02025-2026 First Nation Communities READ Awards.\u00a0 The First Nation Communities READ…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":31782,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[489,156,111,139,69],"class_list":{"0":"post-31781","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-books","8":"tag-books","9":"tag-entertainment","10":"tag-new-zealand","11":"tag-newzealand","12":"tag-nz"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31781","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31781"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31781\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31782"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31781"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31781"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31781"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/who-we-are-by-murray-sinclair.jpg\")
Who We Are is a memoir by Murray Sinclair, pictured. (McClelland & Stewart)<\/p>\n