Blog

Years of working with underrepresented communities, and belonging to one himself, has taught Ambe Chenemu the value of one word: empowerment. Going on three years now, Chenemu has been the president and founder of the Black Advocacy Coalition, also known as BACupNorth. The coalition advocates for issues relevant to Black people in the North and supports the socio-economic development of the Black… Read more.

In celebration of Black History Month, Black Advocacy Coalition (BACupNorth) has gathered a collection of books written by Black authors from around the world. The books on this list span many genres -- from historical fiction and autobiography, to sci-fi and more. Some stories tackle complex issues such as intergenerational trauma, racism and reclaiming one’s identity. Others celebrate love,… Read more.

Family Literacy Day started in 1999 to raise awareness about the importance of reading and engaging in literacy-related activities as a family.  It has continued annually to this day. Family Literacy Day is coming up on Friday January 27th and we have some exciting interactive activities organized for families here in the North! The national theme for 2023 is “Celebrate your Heritage”.   We… Read more.

After 36 years, we bid farewell to the Peter Gzowski Invitationals for Literacy (PGI) at the end of 2022. The Peter Gzowski Foundation for Literacy (PGFL) has followed the changes in fundraising and capacity over the years and has decided that their financial support can be better used to help literacy programs directly rather than supporting fundraisers. We look forward to seeing the new shape… Read more.

To complete our holiday book blogs, we are happy to share what we are looking forward to reading in 2023. To see our 2022 holiday book selections, check out the blogs here and here.   Conversations with a Rattlesnake by Theo Fleury and Kim Barthel The NWT Literacy Council recently attended a workshop in Vancouver run by one of the authors of Conversations with a Rattlesnake, Kim Barthel. The… Read more.

NWT Literacy Council staff have an annual tradition of sharing suggestions for books we are giving as gifts during the holidays, books we have enjoyed reading in the last year, or books we are looking forward to next year. We hope you enjoyed our first set of recommended books here. Check out our third list on January 5, 2023 to see what we will be reading in the new year. The Expectant Father… Read more.

Each December, NWT Literacy Council staff share books we have enjoyed reading this year, books we will be giving as holiday gifts or books we look forward to reading in the next year. We are excited to share our 2022 book picks with you! Check back on Thursday December 22 for our second set of suggestions, and on January 5, 2023 to see what we will be reading in the new year. Time is a Flower… Read more.

The holiday season is upon us. Our mailboxes and inboxes are beginning to fill with ads and flyers for Black Friday and Cyber Monday megadeals. Following this whirlwind weekend of sales is another important date to be aware of: Giving Tuesday. Giving Tuesday is a special day that celebrates the impact of collective generosity. It’s a day that encourages people to use their time or financial… Read more.

It was a beautiful day at the Wıı̀lıı̀deh site on Sunday September 25 for Indigenous Culture Camp. Over 50 families tried out Dene and Inuit games, learned about and took part in feeding the fire, participated in a drum dance, and shared delicious food from many different cultures. A number of weeks ago, this event was just an idea that came up in a conversation I had with Stacey Drygeese… Read more.

Take a plain language writing course. Learn and develop the skills you need for clear communication. Look at a document and do a plain language audit. How could you change it to make it clearer and more concise? Ask all levels of government to use plain language for all their brochures, forms, reports, and other public information. Plain language writing means all readers can easily find… Read more.