About us

Algonquin owned, located on the traditional territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation, BC, Canada.

Who We Are

WaveMaker Press started in 2020 to share our love of books with others. We believe in the power books have to uphold values and recreate norms, not to mention teach literacy and entertain! Importantly, books also have a role in Indigenizing a traditionally very colonial industry. We are honoured by all our contributors, friends, supporters and families. Thank you for allowing us to do what we love. We are Algonquin owned, currently located on the traditional territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation, BC, Canada.

Our Purpose

To create accessible space in print for future wave-makers to stand up, speak out, and be heard through their creative processes of writing, artistry and storytelling. We do this by working with writers, artists, and storytellers from all backgrounds in a respectful way, with open minds, and through fair and transparent publication practices. We are blessed by every opportunity to inspire readers to write, artists to create, and daydreamers to envision a more inclusive future.

Our Mission

At WaveMaker Press, our mission is to empower voices that celebrate inclusion, social change and environmentalism by creating children’s books that showcase the richness and diversity of Indigenous culture in Canada. Through our publications, we aim to promote literacy, cultural awareness, and respect for Indigenous communities. As an Indigenous-owned publishing company, we are committed to working with Indigenous authors, storytellers, illustrators, knowledge keepers and cultural advisors to ensure that our books are authentic, accurate, and respectful. Our goal is to inspire and educate future generations, while also fostering pride and self-esteem in Indigenous children by sharing our authors’ stories and experiences with the world.

We go out and meet the storytellers

At WaveMaker Press, we approach publishing a bit differently than your typical publishing house. As an Indigenous-led organization, we recognize that the rich oral storytelling traditions of our communities don’t always translate directly into polished written manuscripts. Instead of waiting for those to land on our desks, we go out and actively engage with the storytellers themselves.

We make it a priority to listen to the voices in our communities, to seek out the stories that need to be shared. From there, we work closely with these storytellers, guiding them through the process of transforming their oral traditions into published children’s books. Many of our authors never even considered themselves “authors” before – they were simply keepers of their cultural knowledge and heritage.

We think that’s what really sets us apart. We don’t just acquire manuscripts and push them through the publishing pipeline. We collaborate with Indigenous knowledge keepers, elders, and community members to bring their stories to life in a way that honours the unique oral traditions of our peoples. It’s a more personal, community-driven approach to publishing, and it’s what allows us to amplify diverse Indigenous voices that might otherwise go unheard.

Articles about WaveMaker Press

5 questions with WaveMaker Press

An interview with Christer Bonner from WaveMaker Press Ltd, an Algonquin-owned and -operated press located on the traditional territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation, British Columbia, Canada.