Hello !
I'm a film student and I intend on making a documentary about the Ainu people, encompassing many aspects, such as their History, Culture, Spirituality, Place in the Japanese Society, Music, Food...
However, since I am French, there are very few ressources in my language regarding the Ainu. I'm willing to import books in English (I'm studying Japanese, but am not ready at all to read any book whatsoever written in Japanese). Are there any good books about Ainu Culture, History or Spirituality ?
I can recommend The Conquest of Ainu Lands: Ecology and Culture in Japanese Expansion by Brett Walker. Warning is that it is very academic and a bit dry, but I find it to be a fairly extensive depiction of Ainu-Japanese relations from 1590-1850, and the Japanese colonization process of the Ainu. It includes depiction of Ainu culture and religion, and a pretty thrilling account of the 1669 Revolt of Shakushain against Japanese rule. it also explores the trading networks the Ainu were a part of. I find it to be a quite good depiction fo Ainu history in the period, and although it is certainly not a book written for popular entertainment, I couldn't help but find the account of the doomed 1669 revolt somewhat thrilling.