New Children's Books

Six new Indigenous books for younger readers
Sure, June is National Indigenous History Month, and June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day. But with Indigenous literature undergoing a renaissance in Canada, there are plenty of titles to last you year-round. Here are a few for younger readers to get you started.

Peter Pan

I would say that my position is that the film and play version of Peter Pan is that represents the racist past and ongoing oppression of indigenous people and I do not support it's production. It has done more damage to the image, history, and culture of indigenous people than almost anything else as it is the one single memory almost everyone has of Native Americans. Simply portraying a real group of people as part of a "fantasy world" makes our real culture invisible, keeps us stuck in the past, and puts us up against pretend, imaginary characters, instead of the living, breathing people we are.

The Other Slavery

New Book Delves Into History of Native Enslavement Dina Gilio-Whitaker

A newly released book is helping reshape a subject little known to most U.S. citizens—the hidden history of Indian slavery. The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America by Andrés Reséndez (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016) is possibly the most exhaustive read on the subject to date; certainly, at least, in being geared toward the average reader. The book’s 431 pages include not just a readable and engaging narrative, but detailed appendices as well. Indian Country Today Media Network spoke with Reséndez, a history professor at the University of California Davis, about his third book. 

Read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2016/06/18/other-slavery-new-book-delves-history-native-enslavement-164839

Stealing Children: A Look at Indigenous Child Removal Policies

“So they turned to this policy of trying to close down the boarding schools and they turned toward a policy of trying to turn over the education and care of Indian children to the states,” says Jacobs.

Jacobs says a close examination of the records shows that 25 percent to 35 percent of Indian children were removed from their families.


Jacobs notes that A Generation Removed is also about Canada and Australia. “I think that it’s important to show that this is going on globally, at the same time in three different places, and that the same practices and policies are being used against indigenous families in all three places. The international part of my work is important to convince people that this is really a serious issue of human rights violations against indigenous families.”

Read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/11/21/stealing-children-look-indigenous-child-removal-policies-157884

Not Light in the Forest or Indian in the Cupboard by CFT

Oh my! Not Light in the Forest or Indian in the Cupboard.  Unless it is exceptional, don't go with a nonNative author, though I mention a few below.

http://oyate.org/ is an amazing site with explanations and references for what is good and not so good.  Also, you can call them, they are extremely helpful and will talk to you and tell you about books not on their list (because the haven't been vetted by their committee yet)

Code Talkers by Joseph Bruchac deals with issues of being essential to a military unit while feeling completely isolated.  It deals with the issue of language and culture.  It is geared for kids, but the movie that was made from it is geared for parents.

Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich is a good alternative to Little House on Prairie books.  Same time period, different issues (obviously), but they are linked to white settlement.

Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks is written mostly from a white girl's perspective by a white women, but it is the story of the first Wampanoag to attend Harvard University and takes place on the Vineyard.  It's a better option than most books (if you aren't going with a Native author).  A lot rests on the teacher to be able to explain why the white people and Wampanoag act they way they do (society, rules, cultures, laws, etc.) and bridge that abstract gap.

I love Charles Mann's book, 1491:  New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus for a nonfiction historical take.  The adult version is my current FAVORITE book on Native American history.

Indian Givers by Jack Weatherford is an oldie but goodie, also nonfiction, about contributions and how they connect with the rest of the world.

2014 Letters by CFT

What do you think about the book, 1000 White Women (the book) by Jim Fergus?  It is the imagined fantasy tale of a group of white women who went to marry into the Cheyenne tribe in exchange for 1000 horses as proposed by Chief Little Wolf to President Grant. I had difficulty with some of the language used (like savages, as the main character first calls the people she marries into, but over time they become the Cheyenne, who she loves and risks her life for), but loved the main character and some of the women in the book. 

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I know the book. I started reading it, but could not "willingly suspend my disbelief" and therefore could not get passed the first chapter! No "chief" would ever do that and the names were too untrue for me (Little Wolf, come on!). At some point, I did force myself to read it, since several folks have mentioned it to me.  It's a made up story of white women, who were not believable, since they were too outspoken for that time period.  They also did things that would never have been allowed in a Native American community and the men were portrayed as weak.

The other larger issue is that the "white man's Indian" is more appealing than the "authentic Indian story" that is told by Native People about Native People. All these white male authors making money on telling OUR story! It wouldn't be such a big deal if Native authors were able to get their stories out, but it's not like we live in another country where we can do that, we live here, and this country squashes the authentic story in favor of "what sells." All the Native American authors put together over time don't make as much money as one novel from Tony Hillerman, for example, according to Native American author, Sherman Alexie. That's my take on it.

On final thought.  While most Native People accepted all "immigrants" into their Nations, the reverse was definitely NOT TRUE. The political part (racism, privilege, etc.) is entirely missing - Whites would never have supported or approved of "their own" joining a NA culture - that's one of the horrible things in the history of the United States. The anti-miscegenation laws that existed until 1965 (and beyond in some areas) are reminders that it was a no-no to integrate.

It's too bad that it is so easy to pass this off as a possible reality.

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Hi Claudia and Elli,

I hope you are both well and enjoying the summer. You probably don't remember me, but I was lucky enough to take your EMI class "Teaching About Native Americans" in the Fall of 2010. I remember that I had a blast and it really informed my teaching. At the time, I was teaching third grade at Thoreau School in Concord. I have since changed jobs and I'm currently teaching third and fourth grade in Cambridge. 

During the upcoming school year, we will be teaching a year-long integrated social studies theme study: "People of the First Light: Wampanoag People from the Beginning to Today." My colleagues there have been teaching it for awhile. This will be my first year teaching it. We are looking for a few things to better our study and I wondered if you could help us. It's a year-long study, so we feel that we can do so much and want to make sure we are doing the best job we can.

*We'd love to take some professional development, so if there are workshops or classes that you know about that you could refer us to, we'd appreciate it. As independent school teachers, we wouldn't be able to take any EMI classes, right? 

Ell can send a long more information about upcoming courses - YES you can take them.  EMI has been absorbed by EDCO in Waltham and is now called IDEAS.  I will be teaching a 5 hour version of the Native American course in November.

*Also, we'd love to connect with some Wampanoag educators and perhaps set up classroom visits. 

There are a few I can recommend.http://www.mcnaa.org/donna-edmonds-mitchell.html
http://www.mcnaa.org/annawon-weeden.html
http://www.manyhoops.com/wampanoag-links.html (scroll down for Wampanoag artists)

*We are going to the Wampanoag homesite at Plimoth Plantation, but we're also interested in other possible field trips. 

Pequot Museum is FABULOUS.  It's a long drive, Connecticut, and worth every moment.  Also, you could attend a pow wow.  They are on weekends, definitely possible to teachers, and maybe extra credit for students? 

*And we were wondering which on-line resources you recommend for learning about the Wampanoag Nation in particular.

My websites are:
Native American Activist (Arawak) - http://nativeamericanresources.blogspot.com/
Educator for Social Justice - http://multiculturalinitiatives.blogspot.com/

I have teaching information there.

--
Claudia

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I recently was asked to present about Native American "MYTHS."  I get many requests this time of year for the upcoming Native American Heritage Month (November).  They thought I was going to talk about stories - you know "myths and legends" because they saw "The Myth of Thanksgiving" on a website with my name.  I explained that, first, our oral traditions are not myths anymore than the oral traditions in the Bible, Torah, and Qu'ran are not myths.  Then I explained that what I talk about is how the story of Thanksgiving is false, you know, a MYTH.  Columbus's story is a myth, too.

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First off, creating a game sounds interesting, exciting, and fun. As a teacher myself, I understand the value of movement, role-playing, and experience in learning. Secondly, I suggest you contact John Goff historicpreservationanddesign@gmail.com who lives in the Salem area, is a historian, writes for the paper, and works with Salem Village. He knows a lot about the Native Americans from that area of Massachusetts and the history. I do have some feedback based on what I read. Voodoo came with the African slaves and is not an Indigenous Nation practice. While there were practitioners, Tituba, for example, I'm not sure you want to bring it up and confuse it with Native American practices. It's also primarily connected to the Caribbean, not Salem area. Even though you are creating a fictional story, you are referring to real life Native People. If you want to make up magic, witches, and wizards, then that's fine, plenty of authors have created their own mythology around these types of characters. But if you made up practices for Irish, Italian, or Greek people , I'm sure those cultures would be upset and so would NA's. Using a real people and their culture puts you in the position of needing to be authentic, as you said, and also responsible for being accurate and not perpetuating stereotypes and misinformation. Twilight was fictional, too. Everyone knows that vampires don't exist, but associating them with Native Americans perpetuates a real life issue - that is, that people think we are all dead and/or don't exist any more! I also think you need to be careful with what you describe and label as "magic." Witches and wizards don't exist in the stereotypical magic way they are portrayed in books, but they do exist as a "religious" practice - Wicca. Native Americans, I reiterate, are real live people, and we have "religious" practices, too. I prefer the word "spiritual practice" because religion has an peculiarity that involves a congregation and leaders, etc. "Magic" may be appreciated when wine becomes the blood of Jesus, but many NA's would not appreciate having our spiritual practices that communicate with the creator and natural world being labeled as "magic." It's stepping on the toes of religion/spirituality and needs to be carefully considered. Just a few opening thoughts, since you asked for input, and I'm glad you did - it shows that you know you have to think about it! Claudia >:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:< Claudia A. Fox Tree Native American Activist (Arawak) - http://nativeamericanresources.blogspot.com/ Educator for Social Justice - http://multiculturalinitiatives.blogspot.com/ Artist - http://arawak-design.blogspot.com/

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I am the executive director and co-founder of a youth education organization in Newburyport, and our mission is to create opportunities for kids to spend time outside and connect to nature. We started as a summer-only program on a boat, and have evolved into year-round programs, including an all outdoors forest kindergarten. Our name no longer accurately reflects what we do and creates confusion. It’s time to grow into a new name, and we have been searching since late last summer for just the right words.

We draw great strength and inspiration from the Merrimack River, and it is the heartbeat of our programs. When researching ideas for a new name, we learned Native Americans  called it "Merroh Awke,”  meaning “strong place.” We really like it and find it so meaningful, and are considering it as a new name, "Merroh Awke Nature School” or “Merrohawke Nature School.”

However, before going in this direction with a name change to Merrohawke Nature School, we also really feel that we’d like the advice, guidance and blessing of Massachusetts Native Americans who have known this river for so long through their generations, and having met you as past pow wows, I thought you might be able to help steer us in the right direction? In no way would we wish for this name change to unknowingly be offensive or disrespectful, and I wish to seek your guidance accordingly.

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Thanks for contacting me.  I have cc'd Annawon Weeden on this email as he is a Wampanoag and his ancestors lived on this land specifically.  My ancestors are from the Caribbean.  He is also learning his indigenous tongue and may have more insight into your quest for a new name for your nature school.

First, let me say that I support the development of nature schools and am familiar with quite a few schools and camps.  Nature schools do amazing and important work.

In regards to changing the name of your school to one that uses indigenous language, my negative experiences are predominately related to inaccurate representations of Native American words. For example, if the word "Winnebago" conjures a recreational vehicle and not the the nation of people from the Great Lakes, then there's a problem.

Using the words Massachusetts to describe this land, or Quinsigamond for a lake, or Wachusett for a mountain, or Shawsheen for a river, all work for me because they are the actual words used by indigenous people, more or less, for the land, lake, mountain, and river.  They are not being used to represent something else.  Having said that, since you want to use a name of water for a water-based camp (Merrohawke), that seems like an appropriate use to me, especially if the history is recognized in the naming.

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Thank you very much for your reply. We so appreciate it, and absolutely understand (and regret indeed) how use of indigenous language can go astray when not meaningfully thought out... I am very interested in any additional thoughts you may have Annawon? In particular, we’d appreciate your thoughts as well on its proper pronunciation. We are assuming Merrohawke sounds like merro-hawke, two syllables, and then evolved to Merrimack, but we could be wrong and appreciate your insight deeply.

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Dear Claudia,

I am wondering if you have dealt with the play of "Peter Pan" before in your school, and whether you might have any advice for me. Our elementary school is producing it this year with the 5th grade and they have already purchased the scripts, paid for the royalties, etc, so they are not willing to just choose a different play. So, they've asked me to help them figure out how they might maintain the historical period aspects of it while making it less racist. I am currently reading through it and flagging parts that rely on and promote stereotypes so that we can discuss them and figure out some changes. 

Have you ever done this with a play? If so, I'd love to talk with you about it. Do you have time for a chat this week? either during the day or after 9pm?

Thank you in advance for any words of experience and advice you have.

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I hate this show!  It's so racist that I can't begin to explain how much I hate it.  Anyone who does this show (or Thoroughly Modern Millie) has OBVIOUSLY no awareness of the outright racism the production displays and has not even begun to consider its impact on young minds.  Peter Pan is most horrible in that it is the one long standing image/production that sets forth all racism against Native Americans to come.  Any adult I ask who has not educated themselves about Native People will bring forth the Peter Pan version.  The show is total garbage and I find no redeeming qualities in it at all.

Having said that, and heard that it's a "done deal," you might want to ask a teacher or parent with anti-bias background to sit on the review committee before they select a show in future years.

I would strongly urge the teachers to do lessons, create visuals (posters), and then display accurate representations of Native Americans in the lobby/hallway on the days of the performance.  And, I would veto watching the Disney cartoon version. The song, "What Makes a Red Man Red" has no place in our educational system.

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Here is my blogpost: http://nativeamericanresources.blogspot.com/search?q=peter+pan

*****
Why do Native American men always go for white women?  What's wrong with Native American women? (and other remarks/questions like these).

Based on my experience teaching about racism/active anti-racism, being multiracial, and my own reading of research and history on the construction of "race," I feel compelled to shed some light.

The conversation is not about white ethnicity, therefore not about the ethnic group from the Caucasoid mountains. Ethnic groups can usually trace their ancestor to a particular region, with the exception of Jews, somewhat, who were forced out of so many areas. Caucasian is NOT the appropriate word to use in a race conversation, and it harkens to a classification system that is no longer used in professional circles, the one that includes "Negroid" and "Mongoloid." 

Racial categories are related to a particular culture and history (i.e.: who fits in and out changes over time).  The current language for socially constructed racial categories in the U.S.A. is white, black, Asian, Latino/a, and Native American. That's just what it is, so using the term "white" is appropriate because it refers to the actual real world experience someone is having based on how they look in a particular area of the country during a certain historical time period (read "Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack" by Peggy McIntosh).  I REPEAT - race is socially constructed, not biological, so NOT REAL, but racism (actions based on how someone looks) is very real! However, racial classifications do not tell the whole "identity" story, in that someone can look one way and certainly be multiracial and/or multiethnic. In the Native American community, we need to learn to not make assumptions and be open to the reality of 500 years of mixing, on purpose and through other factors, such as rape.

Having said that, one point that I want to bring up is that there are many parts of our history that that have "interfered" with or "changed" what was going on for Native people at a time period.  For example, at one time, we had our own perfectly good "religion" and then the missionaries came. We also only had other Native people to choose from for partners.  But then we accepted traders, explorers, runaways, free blacks, etc., etc. now we have more options and love is love, even man and man and woman and woman.

On a personal note, some of my children know they are recognized and treated as Natives, and others as whites, but all identify as multiracial. They have to pass "identity tests" from others (within the "group" and from outside the Native "group"), but the most important thing to them is the cultural identity; the traditions that are practiced and passed on. That's what we might lose, regardless of our appearance, and one of the most important parts of being Native to remember.  Our stories, our songs, our food, and more come from the plants, animals, and climates of what is now known as North and South America.  Our ancestors are lived, died, and are buried here.

One more thing, back in the day, if you we're nonNative, no matter what your race, you were often accepted into the tribe, nation, or reservation, and treated as culturally Native. Some of those nonNatives ended up on the Dawes roll, so we have been mixing for a long time indeed and have set a precedence of accepting diversity, regardless of race, but continuing to practice Naive traditions.  Once you join, you are "in" and that's that.

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Dear Friends,

I've been involved in a battle once again with the Boy Scouts in this state and can really use your help. Many years ago this council ran an Indian Camp, it was based on a make believe Indian village in the mid 1800's in the plains. The leaders were called dog soldiers, the kids lived in teepees and dressed up as Indians ( actually a mishmash of clothing) with Indian names. In 2000 Charles Yow a lawyer from the American Indian movement took on this camp and got the camp closed by threatening to have the Boy Scout tax exempt status revoked for racism. Unfortunately Charles did not make it through Hurricane Katrina and now the battle is in my lap once again. The compromise that Charles made with the Green Mountain Council was to close the camp and reopen it the following year under the supervision and advice of a Native Advisor. Charles recommended someone; I'm not sure who it was.  This did not happen. The camp reopened under the name Frontiers Camp with the same leaders. It was supposed to have visitors from various cultural groups visit the camp and the youth were supposed to experience life on the frontier in the mid 1800's. Over time the history and agreements were forgotten and broken- things have progressively gotten worse. Surprised anyone?

To get to my point the Camping Committee Chairman does not believe that dressing up, painting ones face and "Playing Indian" is problematic. Nor does he believe having ceremonies, having kids pick an "Indian name" , saying Native prayers and dancing and singing around campfire are a problem. He believes this is only my opinion.  So he asked me to write to a few friends and have them write to him and voice their opinions after they look at the Frontiers Camp site and view the 2014 promotional video. I 'm asking if you could please spare some of your valuable time to view the site and comment to this person, his name is Scott Morgan, his email is scottpmorgan@mindspring.com

The Frontiers Camp site.

http://www.scoutingvermont.org/Camping/FrontiersCamp/

Thanks for your time.

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The U.S.A. has a long history of dressing up as "Indians" and playing "cowboys and Indians," and it is not a good story for Native Americans.  The book, Playing Indian by Philip J. Deloria highlights the ways in which non-Indian people have corrupted (Boston Tea Party) and appropriated Native American culture and history for their own benefit.  Some of that benefit is to develop a more "free and wild" personal identity, however, the flip side is that Native Americans are then stereotyped, only seen as one-dimensional, often associated with the past, and not viewed as contemporary, living, diverse people.

When our practices are taken out of context, it is insulting.  Would someone feel qualified (and think it is okay) to perform the Eucharist to kids outside of religious training or even a church!  Our practices and traditions are sacred to us, too.

Using indigenous language to name buildings and places is problematic as well.  For example, if the word "Pontiac" conjures the image of a car and not a great leader, then there's a problem.  The fact that we know Sequoias as a tree, but not that they are related to Sequoyah, the Cherokee writer and inventor of the alphabet (syllabary) is another example.

Using the word, "Massachusetts" to describe this land, or Quinsigamond for a lake, or Wachusett for a mountain, or Shawsheen for a river, all work because they are the actual words used by indigenous people, more or less (some slight changes from original language), for the actual land, lake, mountain, and river that is being referenced.  They are not being used to represent/name something else, unrelated.

The greatest numbers of Native Americans live here in North and South America, not in Europe, Africa, or Australia.  If we can't keep accurate and authentic pieces of our culture alive here, then it won't happen anywhere.  It's not like a German who knows that Germany has an active, living, cultural center of their history and heritage.

When racism is not "named" once observed, then it can't be interrupted and changed, and that's an even bigger problem. Racism is about a SYSTEM (see David Wellman) that is and has been in place to raise one group and put another down, often without the "lifted" group having any conscious awareness that it is happening (privilege - see Peggy McIntosh).  It keeps stereotypes, misinformation, and missing information as the "norm" by perpetuating these "lies" through media, books, speakers, etc.  This is called the "cycle of oppression"  It continues, unless interrupted.

Lastly, one reason Native American don't (can't) "stick together" is internalized oppression (we've internalized the same negative stuff about ourselves.  We've also learned that resistance doesn't always get us to where we want to be). Another is that there are so many more pressing issues (food, water, etc.) on, say, reservations, that have to be met first.  That doesn't mean it's not an issue, it just means it's on the "list of issues." Look how long it took women to get the right to vote! 

The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) might be the next place to investigate.

Good Luck,
Claudia

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I came across your page and it was so rife with information! Thank you for that!

Secondly, I am part Native American. I was fortunate enough to meet people who taught me a little about the spiritual side and I'm just really into it, it "fit" even before I started learning. I was fortunate enough to have crossed paths with people who took the time to teach me these things and don't mind answering my bazillion questions.

Now, I have a question and the last thing I want to do is offend. I am truly ignorant on this topic, but a comment on youtube actually brought this question up for me. I read what you had to say about the Pledge in search of my answer, but it didn't quite clarify my actual question since it was slightly different but along the same lines. So while I haven't asked my question, I'm wondering if you'd mind if I ask you and as I said, I'm genuinely interested in learning and I could read all day, but to be able to actually ask someone who can tell me would be far more enlightening. I could ask my friends and I would hope they know me well enough to not be offended but those things don't often come up in conversation.

So please let me know if it's OK for me to ask and I hope I'm not taking too much of your time. And thank you for reading!!!

What is your question?  I get all kinds of questions, some people don't like my answers.  Not saying I have an answer, but I'll try.  I might not get right back to you, though, but maybe I will.

Claudia

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Take your time getting back to me, I know you're probably really busy. And if they don't like what you have to say, it may be because you speak it truthfully from your heart which is exactly what I want.

Well, when it comes to the Coca-Cola America The Beautiful commercial that's been all the hype lately, someone was ranting on youtube about how she was half Native American and her culture should have been represented with the Native American language because it was the original language here in America. She was upset because the commercial represented "immigrants" but why not her Native American culture? I question these things as it is, but her argument opened up another world of confusion for me. I'm wondering...Is it just me and my ignorance, or would someone who was truly in touch with their Native American heritage be upset about NOT being represented in a commercial about America featuring immigrants? I'm looking at it from a stance of, well I'll just say "history" and I'm sure I needn't say more. But then again, I feel it would be a little more inclusive and give acknowledgement to an underrepresented ethnic group. But back to the main thing that had me confused, I don't know if this would have been the proper venue for representing the culture.

I hope I put that in a way that wasn't offensive and I hope my words weren't garbled too much.

Thank you and have a great day :D 

First of all, the commercial had a Native American voice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lhcl0pfznoc&list=PLCIVZWq1FAwcWJmgdF5o3-QTZZ-OnBUgA

Secondly, I wouldn't complain about "America the Beautiful" being diverse because "America" is actually diverse.  Before it was called "America" maybe it wasn't, but since being named "America" it is.  So there.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie by CFT

I've read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, twice, and I've seen him in real life (he's a funny guy and looks just like my youngest brother - they are doppelgangers ).

I like Sherman Alexie and this book is semi-autobiographical.  There is a lot about identity and racism. It tends to appeal more to boys. If I had to compare his experience to something, I would say that he is like a Boston kid coming to New England suburbs through the METCO program, since he chooses to go to a school off the reservation (obviously this contributed to Alexie's access and ability to move within the "white man's world" in that he is a successful, published author and there are almost no other Native American authors as successful in the U.S., except maybe Joseph Bruchac.)

Having said that, the biggest controversy is that the book from the Native American perspective is that it's about reservation life.  I know, sounds weird when you are looking for a book about the authentic Native American experience.  I will repeat, it's semi-autobiographical, so it is "authentic" to the author's experience.  However, only 25% of all Native Americans live on the reservation, so keep that in mind.

In addition, because it is reservation life, there is the problem with "reinforcement of stereotypes" because of the poverty and alcoholism that he depicts.  Again, this was his experience, and alcoholism is indeed an issue among Native People, but it is not the only experience of being Native American.

The book did not "stick with me" - hence I read it twice.  I prefer the books by Thomas King for multiple reasons, but they are not novels.  They are short stories, written the oral tradition style, and each one can be used to tackle an important historical or cultural issue.

I would strongly recommend researching Sherman Alexie and learning about his life before reading the book, to keep it in context.  For example, he wrote about learning to read in this short story:  http://static.schoolrack.com/files/34213/220710/Chapter_4-Part_3.pdf

I paraphrased an interview Alexie did about literature on my blog:  http://nativeamericanresources.blogspot.com/2007/11/white-authors-who-write-on-indian.html

Other controversy comes from, as you could guess, white families:  https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/160930-some-parents-seek-to-ban-the-absolutely-true-diary-of-a-part-time-india and http://iknowwhatyoushouldread.wordpress.com/2013/11/11/why-the-absolutely-true-diary-of-a-part-time-indian-is-so-controversial-and-why-you-should-read-it-anyway/

New Book: "Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians but Were Afraid to Ask"

"Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians but Were Afraid to Ask" made me think about the incident and about how non-Natives ask us strange questions.

For the most part I think American Indians simply ignore, laugh or try to forget about the strange and embarrassing questions asked by non-Natives.

In "Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians but Were Afraid to Ask," he covers a wide range of topics, such as terminology, history, religion, culture, powwows, politics, economics, casinos and education. The book can be read from front to cover or can be read by subject.

The chapter on history is a treat because it presents accurate accounts about Columbus, the first Thanksgiving and real story of Pocahontas that school aged never learn in America about the nation's first people.

The author of nine books, his "Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians but Were Afraid to Ask" will not disappoint American Indians or non-Natives who want to learn more about American Indians so that they don't end up asking strange and embarrassing questions.

Books Surrounding the 1492 Events

How to Tell the Difference (analyzing books about Native Americans for bias)

To use when presenting multiple perspectives and doing critical analysis. I DO NOT agree that all of these are respectful or even "good" at telling the story. However, they are all resources in illustrating the variety of views and seeking out truths and realities.

* My personal favorites

Traditional (Pro) Columbus Perspective

Pelta, Kathy. Discovering Christopher Columbus: How History is Invented. Lerner Publications Company. Minneapolis, 1991.

Scott, William. The Log of Christopher Columbus' First Voyage to America in the Year 1492 As Copied Out in Brief by Bartholomew Las Casas, One of His Companions. Linnet Book. Hamden, CT, 1989.

Ventura, Piero. 1492: The Year of the New World. G.P. Putnam's Sons. New York, 1991.

AMAZING CULTURE

Arawak/Taino Perspective and Culture

Alvarez, Julia. The Secret Footprints. Dell Dragonfly Books. New York 2000.

Barreiro, Jose. 2012

Crespo, George. How the Sea Began. Clarion Books. New York, 1993. *

Danticat, Edwige. Anacaona: Golden Flower, Haiti, 1490. Scholastic, Inc. 2005.

Delacre, Lulu. Golden Tales. Scholastic, Inc. New York, 1996.

Dorris, Michael. Morning Girl. Hyperion Books for Children. New York, 1992.

Fontanez, Edwin. On this Beautiful Island. Exit Studio. 2004.

Fontanez, Edwin. TAINO: Guanin's Story. Exit Studio. 1996.

Jacobs, Francine. The Tainos: The People Who Welcomed Columbus. G. P. Putnam's Sons. New York, 1992.

Jaffe, Nina. The Golden Flower: A Taino Myth From Puerto Rico. Simon and Shuster Books for Young Readers. New York, 1996.

Lee, Alfonso. My Island and I/Mi Isla y Yo: The Nature of Puerto Rico. Pangaea. Saint Paul, MN, 2002.

Luby, Brittany. Encounter. 2019.

Muckley, Robert. Stories from Puerto Rico. Passport Books. Chicago, IL, 1999.

Ramirez, Michael. The Legend of the Hummingbird. MONDO Publishing. New York, 1998.

Reid, Basil A. Myths and Realities of Caribbean History. The University of Alabama Press. Tuscaloosa, AL, 2009

Rohmer, Jesus, Rea, and Castillo. Atariba and Niguayona: A Story from the Taino People of Puerto Rico. Children's Book Press. 1987.

Yolen, Jane. Encounter. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. New York, 1992.

DEVASTATED CULTURE and RESISTANCE

Alternative (Con/Against) Columbus Perspective

Chicago Religious Task Force. Dangerous Memories: Invasion and Resistance Since 1492. Chicago Religious Task Force. Chicago, IL, 1991

De Las Cases, Bartolomé. The Devastation of the Indies: A Brief Account. The John Hopkins University Press. Baltimore, MD, 1994. *

Dunbar-Ortiz, Roxanne. An Indigenous People's History of the United States. Beacon Press. 2015. *

Hawke, Sharryl. Seeds of Change: The Story of Cultural Exchange After 1492. Addison-Wesley. Reading, MA, 1992. *

Konig, Hans. Columbus: His Enterprise: Exploding the Myth. Monthly Review Press. New York, 1991. *

Loewen, James. The Truth About Columbus. New York Press. New York, 1992. *

Mann, Charles C. 1491. Vintage Books. 2006 (but NOT his other book 1493). *

Norman, Alma. The People Who Came, Book 1. Longman Group. United Kingdom, 1986.

Ricci, Michael. Was It Worth It? A Collection of International Cartoons About Columbus and His Trip to America. WittyWorld Publications. North Wales, PA, 1992.

Riley, Sandra. The Lucayans. MacMillan. Hong Kong, 1991.

Small, Deborah. Monthly Review Press. New York 1991.

Zinn, Howard. A People's History of the United States. Harper Perennial Modern Classics. Originally published in 1980, updated in 2005 http://www.historyisaweapon.com/zinnapeopleshistory.html and just about the Arawak: http://www.historyisaweapon.com/zinnapeopleshistory.html

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1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created by Charles C. Mann

From Amazon.com
Timeline for 1493
200,000,000 B.C.: Geological forces begin to break up the world’s single giant continent, Pangaea, forever separating the hemispheres. After this, Eurasia and the Americas develop completely different suites of plants and animals.
1493 A.D.: Columbus sails on second voyage, establishing the first consequential European settlement in the Americas. Without intending to, he ends the long separation of the hemispheres—and sets off the ecological convulsion known as the Columbian Exchange.
1518: In the first environmental calamity of the modern era, accidentally imported African scale insects in Hispaniola lead to an explosion of fire ants. Spaniards flee the ant-infested island in droves; colonists in Santo Domingo hold procession in honor of St. Saturninus, praying for his aid against the insect plague.
1545: Spaniards discover the world’s biggest silver strike in Bolivia. In the next century, the world’s supply of this precious metal will more than double, giving Europe an economic edge that will help it colonize Africa, Asia and the Americas.
1549: Initial appearance of tobacco—the addictive American drug that becomes the first global commodity craze—in China. That same year, Hernán Cortés inaugurates the human part of the Columbian Exchange by signing the first contract to import large numbers of Africans to the American mainland.
1571: Miguel López de Legazpi colonizes Manila and establishes continual trade with China—Columbus’s life-long, never-fulfilled dream. Knitting the entire inhabited planet into a single web of trade, Legazpi’s actions are the beginning of today’s economic globalization.
~1615: Earthworms come to northern North America in English ship ballast. During the next three centuries, they will re-engineer forests from Ohio Valley to Hudson Bay.
1630-60: The gush of American silver finally causes its price to collapse, setting off a the world’s first global economic calamity.
1644: Collapse of Ming dynasty. Long struggle between remaining Ming in south and incoming Qing dynasty in north leads the latter to forcibly evacuate most of the southern coast; millions of dispossessed people pour into the mountains, where they grow maize and sweet potatoes, American crops first smuggled into China from Manila and other European bases.
1775: France’s Flour War, set off by high bread prices, persuades King Louis XVI to allow the pioneering nutritional chemist Antoine-Augustin Parmentier to stage a series of publicity stunts to persuade farmers to grow potatoes, a distrusted foreign species from Peru. Parmentier’s PR is so successful that broad swathes of northern Europe are soon covered with a monoculture of potatoes.
1781: Britain’s “southern strategy” pushes Gen. Cornwallis’s army into North America’s malaria zone, an area dominated by malaria parasites introduced from Europe and Africa. Defeated by malaria, the British army surrenders to a general it never fought: George Washington. This ends the Revolutionary War.
1845: Europe’s potato monoculture, which is unlike anything ever seen in Peru, turns out to be especially vulnerable to another Peruvian import, the potato blight. Ravaging the continent from Russia to Ireland, the blight causes a famine that kills an estimated two million people, half of them in Ireland.
~1867: Léopold Trouvelot, French amateur entomologist, smuggles gypsy moths to Medford, Mass., hoping to breed them with native silk-producing moths to produce a more robust silk-producer. Their almost immediate escape sets off an invasion that continues today. Trouvelot hurriedly returns to France before the dimensions of the problem can be known.
1880-1912: Industrializing nations, desperate for the elastic belts, pliable gaskets and the aborbent tires needed by steam engines and vehicles, buy every scrap of rubber they can get from the Amazon’s rubber trees, the sole source of high-quality latex. The ensuing rubber boom collapses after an Englishman smuggles rubber trees out of Brazil. Soon much of southeast Asia is covered with this foreign tree.
1979: The golden apple snail is sent from Brazil to Taiwan to launch an escargot industry there. It escapes, proliferates, and becomes a major menace to the island’s rice crop.

ANOTHER TIMELINE
Civilizations of North America

The New Book (Where I Contributed a Chapter on Native Americans)

I write during the summer or other available times. I've had poetry (3 poems in process right now) and articles for magazines published, but this is my first book chapter. Actually, I wrote it about 5 years ago, when my life with kids was not so busy with 5 teenagers, and it took this long to get to print! I received the proofs in March (a very exciting moment!). This book will be a college text book that costs about $183 (no surprise there!).  UPDATE:  Now out in paperback for $36.00 here.

The book is called Covert Racism: Theories, Institutions, and Experiences (Studies in Critical Social Sciences) and my chapter is "Aren't They All Dead: Passive Racism Against Native Americans." I use school examples mixed in with other stories to explain the issues.

Twilight Myths of Stephanie Meyers

Here is where you can read about the Quileute by the Quileute, instead of by the author of the Twilight series.

and a teaser…
Though the legends about the origins of the Quileute people in the best-selling vampire books set in Forks and LaPush have some resemblance to the real stories -- they both involve wolves -- the tribe wants to make sure fans are aware of the rich reality of their true culture.

Books about Arawak/Taino and Contact

Books about the Caribbean
Hispanic literature overlap
Lesson plans and resources
Links to videos

While I don't think there is an "excellent" book, I do think that there are some good starting points. Some of the ones listed below are nonfiction and some are historical fiction. I listed traditional stories about the Arawak/Taino and some about our encounter with Columbus. The reading probably ranges from grades 1-5.

On this Beautiful Island by Edwin Fontanez
The Golden Flower: A Taino Myth From Puerto Rico by Nina Jaffe
TAINO:Guanin's Story by Edwin Fontanez
Encounter by Jane Yolen
Morning Girl by Michael Dorris
Atariba and Niguayona: A Story from the Taino People of Puerto Rico by Harriet Rohmer, Guerrero Rea Jesus, Jesus Guerrero Rea, and Consuelo Mendez Castillo
Golden Tales by Lulu Delacre
Anacaona: Golden Flower, Haiti, 1490 by Edwidge Danticat

Books for Older Readers

* My personal favorites
-- Specifically Canadian Selections
(Nation of Story) - (Nation of Author)

-- Bird Girl and the Man Who Followed the Sun: An Athabaskan Indian Legend from Alaska – Velmas Wallis

* The Dancing Healers: A Doctor's Journey of Healing With Native Americans – Carl Hammerschlag (Jewish, not Native)

Growing Up Native American: An Anthology by Patricia Riley

I Am Regina – Sally M. Keehn

Indian Shoes – Cynthia Leitich Smith

Lasting Echoes – Joseph Bruchac

The Last Snake Runner – Kimberly Griffith Little

One Good Story, That One – Thomas King (Cherokee)

Paddle-to-the-Sea – Holling C. Holling

Rain Is Not My Indian Name – Cynthia Leitich Smith

Reservation Blues – Sherman Alexie

* The Scalpel and the Silver Bear: The First Navajo Woman Surgeon Combines Western Medicine and Traditional Healing – Lori Alvord and Elizabeth Cohen Van Pelt

Soft Rain : A Story of the Cherokee Trail of Tears – Cornelia Cornelissen

Spirit Horse - Ned Ackerman

To Spoil the Sun – Joyce Rockwood

Trail of Tears – Joseph Bruchac (Abenaki)

--* The Truth About Stories: A Native Narrative (Indigenous Americas) – Thomas King (Cherokee)

-- Two Old Women – Velma Wallis

Walker of Time – Helen Hughes Vick

POETRY

Bitterroot – Abena Songbird (Abnaki)

Durable Breath: Contemporary Native American Poetry – John E. Smelcer & D. L. Birchfield (Ed)

No Parole Today – Laura Tohe (Diné – Navajo)

Rainbow Dancer – Heather Harris (Metic, Cree)

Poetry – Multilingual

Columbus Day – Jimmie Durham (Cherokee)

Sculpted Stones – Victor Montejo (Spanish, Maya)

Books About Thanksgiving

How to Tell the Difference (analyzing books about Native Americans for bias)

To use when presenting multiple perspectives and doing critical analysis. I DO NOT agree that all of these are respectful or even "good" at telling the story. However, they are all resources in illustrating the variety of views and seeking out truths and realities. 

1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving (National Geographic) by Catherine O'Neill Grace

A Turkey for Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting and Diane de Groat

by Kevin Cunningham (Author), Peter Benoit (Author)

Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message (Reading Rainbow Book) by Chief Jake Swamp (Author), Erwin Printup (Illustrator), Jr. (Illustrator)

Giving Thanks: The 1621 Harvest Feast by Kate Waters and Russ Kendall

How Many Days to America? A Thanksgiving Story by Eve Bunting (Author), Beth Peck (Illustrator)

Nickommoh!: A Thanksgiving Celebration by Jackie French Koller and Marcia Sewall

People of the Breaking Day by Marcia Sewall (Author, Illustrator)

Squanto and the First Thanksgiving (On My Own Holidays) by Joyce K. Kessel (Author), Lisa Donze (Illustrator)

Squanto and the First Thanksgiving: The Legendary American Tale (Rabbit Ears' Holiday Classics) by Mr. Eric Metaxas

Strawberry Thanksgiving by  Paula Jennings (Modern Curriculum Press. Cleveland, OH, 1992)

Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving by Laurie Halse Anderson

The Circle of Thanks: Native American Poems and Songs of Thanksgiving by Joseph Bruchac and Murv Jacob

The First Strawberries (Picture Puffins) by Joseph Bruchac and Anna Vojtech

The First Thanksgiving Feast by Joan Anderson (Author), George Ancona (Illustrator)

The First Thanksgiving: What the Real Story Tells Us by Robert Tracy McKenzie

The People Shall Continue by Simon J Ortiz (Author), Sharol Graves (Illustrator)

The Pilgrims' First Thanksgiving by Ann Mcgovern (Author), Elroy Freem (Illustrator)

The Thanksgiving Story by Alice Dalgliesh

The Very First Americans (All Aboard Books) by Cara Ashrose (Author), Bryna Waldman (Illustrator)

Thanksgiving Is for Giving Thanks! (Reading Railroad) by Margaret Sutherland and Sonja Lamut

The First Thanksgiving (Step-Into-Reading, Step 3) by Linda Hayward (Author), James Watling (Illustrator)

Squanto's Journey: The Story of the First Thanksgiving by Joseph Bruchac (Author), Greg Shed (Illustrator)

The First Thanksgiving (Picture Puffin Books) by Jean Craighead George (Author), Thomas Locker (Illustrator)

The Wampanoags and the First Thanksgiving by Everyday Learning  

We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell (Author), Frane Lessac (Illustrator)

If You Lived During the Plimoth Thanksgiving by Chris Newell