What is it that we are remembering on Remembrance Day? Originally named Armistice Day, the focus was on celebrating the agreement to end the fighting of World War I. In Canada the name changed to Remembrance day in 1931 and the emphasis shifted towards honouring the soldiers who fought in WWI. The impact of war reaches far beyond the frontlines and often the many violent impacts on the lives and experiences of people, in wars past and present, remain unobserved. See our selected titles to learn about the contributions of Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, and women to the Canadian war effort, as well as titles that examine the ethics of war, including impacts on civilians.
The library has lots of philosophy classics, however this feature focuses on philosophy applied to everyday life such as: social justice, human-animal relationships, politics, and travel. There is a look at Japanese thinking on the transient nature of life; a contemporary look at how to reconcile human values with the hard science of physics and how this can help solve today's global problems; and last, but not least, a unique exploration of life's ultimate questions through the magical lens of Disney creations.
"R. v. Guerin is a landmark Supreme Court of Canada decision [November 1984] that established the Canadian government's fiduciary duty to First Nations, a trust-like relationship stemming from the sui generis right of Aboriginal title....The concept of fiduciary duty has gone on to inform other Aboriginal rights cases as well as the protection of Aboriginal rights under Section 35 of the Canadian Consitution." (1)
See our selections here to read more about this local case, that was fought by the Musqueam, led by Chief Delbert Guerin, and to understand how Aboriginal law and Aboriginal rights have evolved since.
(1) Salomons, T. & Hanson, Erin. (2009) Guerin Case. indigenousfoundations. https://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/guerin_case/
Here is a selection of some of our more recently-acquired titles authored by our creative and talented Langarans! These include a diverse range of formats: plays, short stories, novels, graphic novels and non-fiction. We're particularly honoured to have Mary Jane Joe's (Langara's Elder in Residence) residential school memoir "Xwist Memin Kin - I want to go Home" in our collection.
