Blog

Meet the local artist who designed the NWTLC's recent colouring pages to celebrate Black Excellence in the North. Inemesit Essien Graham has been a guest in Somba K'e, the traditional home of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, for 17 years. She is a writer, anti-racism educator, personal trainer and group fitness instructor, and visual and spoken word artist of West African descent from the… Read more.

Taalrumiq is an Inuvialuit and Gwich’in Fashion Designer, Artist and Digital Content Creator originally from Tuktuuyaqtuuq, whose work is inspired by and highlights Inuvialuit culture, language and history.  February is Indigenous Languages Month in the NWT. According to the GNWT, “This is a month to celebrate the diverse Indigenous languages in the Northwest Territories and to encourage… Read more.

Drin Gwiinzih! Niniin ganjit sho ihtlee. Heart of the Yukon, Keno City, Elsa, Mayo qwats'at ihtlee. Na'aa Effie Mullin-Vittrekwa vagi, Teetlit Zheh gwats'at din cho. Shitsuu Annie Vittrekwa-Doe vagi. Tia'ah Kris Pavlovich vagi, Keno City gwats'at din cho. Yellowknife Dan Gwitchin. Mayo Gwichin ihtlee. Gwiinzih adik' anyotih. Nidivee Gouzo. Hai Cho! Good day. It's good to see you. I’m Cynthia… Read more.

We are excited to join in celebrating Black Excellence this month with a few fun giveaways! The 2024 theme for Black History Month is: “Black Excellence: A Heritage to Celebrate; a Future to Build”. This theme celebrates the rich past, and present contributions and accomplishments, of Black people in Canada and internationally, while aspiring to embrace new opportunities for the future. … Read more.

As a little kid, I remember visiting my Granny and Grandpa’s house [1]. The woodstove would be on, a large bowl of bògǫǫ̀ [2] would be on the table, and there was always lots of laughter. My ears would perk up at the sound of Tłı̨chǫ Yatıı̀ being spoken. My Granny had even nicknamed me “smiley”, I was always so happy to be in that house, sitting, listening, even if I didn’t know what was… Read more.

This is the third installment in our annual holiday book recommendations blog series. Each year we have so much fun thinking about the books to recommend for gifts or for putting on your own to-be-read list. You can check out part one here and part two here. You Come from the Stars by Tanya Snow The book I’d like to gift this year is You Come from the Stars, written by Tanya Snow and… Read more.

Our staff love sharing book suggestions! Here is part 2 of our annual holiday book recommendations. You can check out part 1 here. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins The book that I’m recommending and gifting my daughter this holiday season is The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins. This book is a prequel to the popular Hunger Games series that I got for my… Read more.

NWT Literacy Council’s Holiday Book Picks, Part 1 Each December, the staff of the NWT Literacy Council write a blog series about the books we have enjoyed reading this year, books we are planning to give as holiday gifts, or are planning to read over the break. Here are the first of our choices. The Noise Inside Boys: A Story About Big Feelings by Pete Oswald This book has been a favourite in… Read more.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL) is a free, monthly book-gifting program for children ages 0-5. Each month age-appropriate book is sent directly to the mailboxes of registered children, personally addressed to the child. The program inspires a love of reading among families and has been warmly received in many communities across the territory.  Since 2012, The NWT Literacy Council has… Read more.

From the Philippines, to Saipan, to the U.S., then Canada: these are the places where my footprints have been. My life has been painted by these places, diversified by culture, people, values, and differences which I have assimilated and which have become part of who I am. Life has always been a continuing journey for me. Every stop means a reset, being planted in the soil, withstanding the… Read more.