Maskwacis Cultural College started a book giveaway initiative in 2009 to donate books from their library to indigenous communities. The program grew over time due to increased donations from organizations and book drives. At its peak, the program distributed over 35,000 books in 2018 to communities across Alberta and into the Northwest Territories through various events like powwows, celebrations, and conferences. The goal of the program was to increase access to books and promote literacy in indigenous communities.

1. Maskwacis Cultural College started the
initiative of giving away books to
indigenous communities in 2009. The
initiative was started when the regular
routine of weeding out donated books
from the college library. Maskwacis
Cultural College (MCC) offers training
programs for Education Assistants, Early
Childhood Development and the summer
Cree Language Instructor Training
program, Adult literacy and these
programs have requested for children’s
collection. MCC is a learning partner for
families and is community focused. A
major book drive was conducted by CBC
in 2013 and hence the awareness about
book giveaway was increased and hence
the demand for books was increased.
Peak months for book giveaway were
June, August, October and November.
Summer months reach helped to
decrease the summer reading loss and
October-November push provided
more books in the hands of our
families to make students succeed
during the academic year.
Books in indigenous communities resulted
in offering programs such as the Reading
Program during the summer, Ayamitah
reading circles, family book clubs, Library
in a Box service, and community
barbeques.
INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT
Maskwacis Cultural
College
2 Saddleback Rd. N
Maskwacis, AB
T0C 1N0
Phone (780) 585-
3925
Fax (780) 585-2080
www.mccedu.ca
We appreciate our donors: Save the
Children Canada, Scholastic,
Penguin Press, Orca Publishers,
ATCO, University of Alberta book
store, Destiny Funeral Homes, and
Meyokumin school, Writers Guild of
Alberta, Book Publishers
Association, Uncle Jimmy, Rotary
Club, Write to Read, Edmonton
Public Library, Library & Archives
Canada, Parkland Regional Library,
Yellowhead Regional Library, and
so many other donors, volunteers,
and people who conducted book
drives for indigenous communities.
Thank you to Dr. Claudine Louis
and all the staff of Maskwacis
Cultural College for supporting the
book giveaway initiative.
Maswkacis Cultural
College
BOOK
GIVEAWAY
–
ACCOUNTABILITY
REPORT FOR 2018
Date of publication
RESPECTFULLY PREPARED
BY MANISHA KHETARPAL &
JERILEE BUFFALO

2. EXPANSION OF THE
GEOGRAPHIC REACH
OCCASIONS ARE
INVITATIONS FOR BOOK
GIVEAWAYS
Although the main focus was the four
nations in Maskwacis, the distribution
of books naturally flowed across other
areas because of powwows, Treaty 6
events, and natural flow of indigenous
peoples. The geographic reach as
indicated by people filling the book
giveaway forms in 2018 was Samson,
Louis Bull, Montana, Ermineskin,
Pigeon Lake, Ponoka, Wetaskiwin,
Edmonton, Paul Band, Beaver Lake,
Saddle Lake, Sarcee Salteaux, Blood
Reserve – Kainai, Pikani, Thunderchild,
Little Pine, Driftpile, O'Chese, NWT,
Wesley Band, Withcekan Lake First
Nation, Red Pheasant, Cowessess,
Sunchild, Loon River First Nation, Fish
Lake, Enoch, Lac La Biche, Glenevis,
St. Brides, Kehewin, Frog Lake, and
Leduc.
35,090 books were given away across
18 different activity categories such
as:
 Powwows
 Celebrations
 Parades
 Job fairs
 Youth planning events
 Awasisak conference
 Treaty 6 education assistant
conference, etc.
Books were given away across 35
activities.
 See chart on the left