The Durham District School Board recently pulled several books from its libraries, including “The Great Bear” by David A. Robertson, an award-winning Indigenous author.
Robertson said the book, which features a portal to a fantasy world with talking animals, tackles bullying and the overrepresentation of Indigenous children in foster care.
The email to principals — which is signed by Erin Elmhurst, the superintendent of Indigenous and global studies; Georgette Davis, the superintendent of system innovation; and Jim Markovski, the associate director of equitable education — instructs schools to remove the books from circulation and “refrain from using them.
Asked whether the books were removed in response to a specific complaint from a parent, teacher or student, Aylesworth wrote there were “multiple questions from community members” about the books. “It is our moral imperative to be responsive to Indigenous voices when questions of this nature are brought forward, which is why it is important that we conduct a thorough review.”
In 2018, Edmonton Public Schools included “7 Generations,” his graphic novel series for high school students,because it contained “sensitive subject matter and visual inferencing of abuse regarding residential schools.”