A first place to go for recommendations on books with Native creators/content is the American Indian Library Association’s American Indian Youth Literature Award. Every other year, since 2006, “the AIYLA identifies and honors the very best writing and illustrations by and about Native Americans and Indigenous peoples of North America. Books selected to receive the award present Indigenous North American peoples in the fullness of their humanity.” Their award will also be announced as part of the ALA Youth Media Awards announcements for the first time in January 2020.

Dr. Debbie Reese’s website, American Indians in Children’s Literature, is one of my go-to resources for finding critical reviews of children’s literature with Indigenous content. I have learned much from her and her critiques about the essential need for representation that is accurate and authentic in books about Native Nations and peoples. She also includes yearly best books recommendations.

Oyate “a Native organization working to see that our lives and histories are portrayed with honesty and integrity, and that all people know that our stories belong to us. For Indian children growing up in the 21st century, it is as important as ever for them to know who they are and learn about the histories that they come from. For all children, it is time to know and acknowledge the truths of history. Only then will they come to have the understanding and respect for each other that now, more than ever, will be necessary for life to continue.”

Cynthia Leitich Smith is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation, children’s book author of picture books to young adult. She also promotes Native books and creators and has kidlit recommendations on her site.

Indigo’s Bookshelf is a blog by the teens & young adults behind the twitter account @OfGlades.

Original Post 10/30/19:
My November #classroombookday post for Follett Community this year shares my picture book recommendations for Honoring Voices of Native Nations. My post is timed to align with Native American Heritage Month, but I hope you’ll share these books with your students throughout the year, not just in November, because all students deserve to be represented in the classroom all year long. Please visit this link to read my entire post supporting these recommendations with more context and guidance for critically analyzing Native representation in books you choose to share with students.

November often brings thoughts about Thanksgiving. My thoughts are about how to ensure that the stories students hear and the representation they see of Native peoples during this month are not harmful or ones that continue perpetuating negative stereotypes, as they too often are surrounded by in November. It is also Native American Heritage Month, and while I know that it is vital to include books by and about various cultural and racial groups throughout the entire school year, not just in one month, many are asking for book recommendations with Native characters at this time of year. But since this is a marginalized culture about which we see some of the most egregious offensive stereotypes, I wanted to share a booklist full of picture books that honor Native Nations to use in your #classroombookaday read-alouds this month and every month.

The National Congress of American Indians says this about Native American Heritage Month: “The month is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people. Heritage Month is also an opportune time to educate the general public about tribes, to raise a general awareness about the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges.” I hope these picture book recommendations will help you work toward that goal.

What do you picture when someone references Native Americans or American Indians? Is it the “leathered and feathered vanishing race” of historical representations (Matika Wilbur, TEDtalk, 2013)? Is it the “stereotypical images of young children in headdresses, passive girls in long, black braids, and the portrayal of native people as savage beasts are reported in many children’s books today” (McMahon, Saunders, & Bardwell, 1996, as cited in Sabis-Burns, 2011, p. 135)? Is it the fake feather headband and buckskin clothes of the clipart kids that are prevalent in a simple Google search or on Teachers Pay Teachers resources? Is it these stereotypical, inaccurate, historical, biased views of Native Americans that children are socialized into? And how do we offset that in the classroom? Our #classroombookaday read-alouds are a great place to start. If we focus on selecting books from #ownvoices authors and illustrators who share their tribal affiliation or membership, look for tribally specific characters and stories that avoid the monolithic view of Native Americans as all one culture versus more than 570 individual sovereign nations. Look for those that include Native peoples in the present day with contemporary clothing and references (and present tense!), and we can start to offset the stereotypes with authentic portrayals.

Fox and Short (2004) point out, “every child reserves the right to see themselves positively and accurately portrayed in stories and to find truth based on their own experiences instead of negative stereotypes and misrepresentation” (as cited in Sabis-Burns, 2011, p. 133). Whether you have Native students in your classroom or not, it is vital that all children see contemporary, accurate, positive representations of Native peoples in the books that are shared in school. Mora (1998) claims, “How a media depicts a group affects how a group sees itself, such is the power of images, the power of words” (as cited in Cai, 2002, p. 71). Those images and words have that same power over how children from outside that group see those within it. When children are exposed to stereotypical images of a racial group over and over in the books they read, it negatively affects the perception of that group from both cultural insiders and outsiders. That is where our picture book choices for read-alouds can make a difference. We have the ability to share positive, contemporary, realistic, accurate representations of Native peoples and cultures of Native Nations that can serve to offset the negative images many students get throughout school and the media they consume.

Dr. Debbie Reese’s website, American Indians in Children’s Literature, is one of my go-to resources for finding critical reviews of children’s literature with Indigenous content. I have learned much from her and her critiques about the essential need for representation that is accurate and authentic in books about Native Nations and peoples. I cited her work along with several other researchers and scholars during a recent MLIS grad class on multicultural children’s literature, for which I chose to do A Critical Analysis of Native Representation in Picture Books for my final research paper. I put together a shareable graphic on guidelines for critically assessing Native content in children’s literature. I am hopeful this will be a resource to help you in selecting books for #classroombookaday, other read-alouds, your curriculum selections and your classroom or school library.

The books I have selected for this month’s recommendations meet the criteria on this list upon a critical read. Be sure to also read the back matter for any of these books that includes it. Further information can set context and make the difference between fully understanding the message of the book versus putting a white-centric perspective onto it. A prime example, Luby & Goade’s Encounter is a Native perspective on first contact that is far better than Yolen’s popular one (about which Dr. Reese had shared critiques). However, if this new Encounter is shared uncritically with just the story itself, it can lead to a skewed perspective of friendliness of these encounters which is a disservice to kids and classrooms trying to do more anti-bias work in considering whose story is told and which perspectives are missing. But when pairing Luby’s back matter alongside the text of the story, it can serve to spark more critical thinking and lead to valuable conversations about the colonists’ arrival on indigenous lands.

That is the power of sharing picture books with Native representation all year long (remembering to prioritize those with contemporary settings!) so that representation is present and deeper conversation and learning can happen beyond biased perspectives textbooks provide, all during enjoyable read aloud experiences. I believe these picture books are all ones that will make a good addition to your #classroombooakday read-alouds throughout this year.

Even with that, I didn’t even know what I didn’t know about the community traditions of various Native Nations before I started working at ICS. As an intertribal school, there is a bit of a blending of the commonalities of several different tribes, but I also got to spend time learning a Native Language (Menominee – though in the 3 years since I’ve left and not using it, I’ve sadly lost most of my memory of it), being invited to participate in ceremonies and powwows, and receiving teachings through culture mentoring lessons and activities. I loved my time there and getting to work with students and families in that community and infuse culture into all elements of the work, and am still sad to have left. All of this is to give a little bit of context as to why I may be slightly more aware than the average White teacher about concerning and stereotypical representations of First/Native Nations in children’s literature. I also follow Dr. Debbie Reese (Nambe Pueblo) of American Indians in Children’s Literature who is an amazing resource for all of us in breaking down representations of Native characters in books.

To be clear: That doesn’t mean I won’t/don’t still make mistakes. That doesn’t mean I won’t/don’t still miss things (especially coming from an outsider perspective, there are things I would never be able to know). This is not to say I don’t still have much I can learn. But, I am concerned.

With the realization that this post is somewhat centering my White perspective, those are also the teachers I’m talking to. I am concerned about the number of teachers I see recommending books or putting elements in their schools that are problematic in their representations of First/Native Nations cultures and people or perpetuating stereotypes. But what I’ve come to realize is that so many educators just don’t know (and we could have whole other books about why the systemic oppression and supremacy in this country from its founding have led us to where we are now), but for the purposes of this post, let’s just say we all need to do better. Some educators might just need to do more Google searching to find out if there are critiques of books we’re considering using (Debbie’s blog is a great place to start). And some might need to move past the nostalgia of books we have fond memories of and realize they are problematic with our new lenses of looking at them. And all educators need to remember that we are dealing with impressionable kids and generational white supremacy is an issue, especially when any reference to “Indians” or Tribal Nations is done in a historical viewpoint that erases them as contemporary, sometimes urban, people. Really it comes down to this: We should all be doing our best to learn, grow, become more critical consumers, and get better at this whole thing, while never compromising the stance that affirming the humanity and lived experiences of ALL kids should be at the center of our work.

To help with that, I decided to make a post compiling a few picture book recommendations for using in #classroombookaday read alouds, so I have one spot to direct people to. Because my students’ humanity should not up for debate, and anything that works against that should not be in a classroom or library. As Elisa Gall succinctly reminded on twitter tonight:

So I’m sharing some #ownvoices picture books
that present positive, contemporary representations
of First/Native Nations culture and characters and creators
that are powerful books to read aloud with students. 

A look at modern Native American life as told by a citizen of the Cherokee Nation

The word otsaliheliga (oh-jah-LEE-hay-lee-gah) is used by members of the Cherokee Nation to express gratitude. Beginning in the fall with the new year and ending in summer, follow a full Cherokee year of celebrations and experiences. 

Appended with a glossary and the complete Cherokee syllabary, originally created by Sequoyah.

The sun on your face. The smell of warm bannock baking in the oven. Holding the hand of someone you love. What fills your heart with happiness? This beautiful board book, with illustrations from celebrated artist Julie Flett, serves as a reminder for little ones and adults alike to reflect on and cherish the moments in life that bring us joy.International speaker and award-winning author Monique Gray Smith wrote My Heart Fills with Happiness to support the wellness of Indigenous children and families, and to encourage young children to reflect on what makes them happy. 

Nimoshom loved to drive the school bus. Every day, on the way to and from school, he had something to say. Sometimes, he told the kids silly stories. Sometimes, he taught the kids a new word in Cree.
“Nimoshom and His Bus” introduces basic Cree words. A glossary is included in the back of the book.

Go on a Mission to Space with Chickasaw astronaut John Herrington, as he shares his flight on the space shuttle Endeavor and his thirteen-day mission to the International Space Station. Learn what it takes to train for space flight, see the tasks he completed in space, and join him on his spacewalk 220 miles above the earth.

Windy Girl is blessed with a vivid imagination. From Uncle she gathers stories of long-ago traditions, about dances and sharing and gratitude. Windy can tell such stories herself–about her dog, Itchy Boy, and the way he dances to request a treat and how he wriggles with joy in response to, well, just about everything. 
When Uncle and Windy Girl and Itchy Boy attend a powwow, Windy watches the dancers and listens to the singers. She eats tasty food and joins family and friends around the campfire. Later, Windy falls asleep under the stars. Now Uncle’s stories inspire other visions in her head: a bowwow powwow, where all the dancers are dogs. In these magical scenes, Windy sees veterans in a Grand Entry, and a visiting drum group, and traditional dancers, grass dancers, and jingle-dress dancers–all with telltale ears and paws and tails. All celebrating in song and dance. All attesting to the wonder of the powwow. 
This playful story by Brenda Child is accompanied by a companion retelling in Ojibwe by Gordon Jourdain and brought to life by Jonathan Thunder’s vibrant dreamscapes. The result is a powwow tale for the ages.

Circles are all around us. We just have to look for them. Sometimes they exist in the most unusual places.
Grandpa says circles are all around us. He points to the rainbow that rises high in the sky after a thundercloud has come. “Can you see? That’s only half of the circle. That rest of it is down below, in the earth.” He and his granddaughter meditate on gardens and seeds, on circles seen and unseen, inside and outside us, on where our bodies come from and where they return to. They share and create family traditions in this stunning exploration of the cycles of life and nature. 

“I like to eat, eat, eat,” choruses young Johnny as he watches Grandma at work in the kitchen. Wild rice, fried potatoes, fruit salad, frosted sweet rolls—what a feast! Johnny can hardly contain his excitement. In no time, he’ll be digging in with everyone else, filling his belly with all this good food.
But wait. First there is the long drive to the community center. And then an even longer Ojibwe prayer. And then—well, young boys know to follow the rules: elders eat first, no matter how hungry the youngsters are. Johnny lingers with Grandma, worried that the tasty treats won’t last. Seats at the tables fill and refill; platters are emptied and then replaced. Will it ever be their turn? And will there be enough?
As Johnny watches anxiously, Grandma gently teaches. By the time her friend Katherine arrives late to the gathering, Johnny knows just what to do, hunger pangs or no. He understands, just as Grandma does, that gratitude, patience, and respect are rewarded by a place at the table—and plenty to eat, eat, eat.
Writer and beadwork artist Cheryl Kay Minnema is a member of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. Artist Wesley Ballinger, also a member of the Mille Lacs Band, works for the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission.

This vibrant picture book, beautifully illustrated by celebrated artist Danielle Daniel, encourages children to show love and support for each other and to consider each other’s well-being in their everyday actions.
Consultant, international speaker and award-winning author Monique Gray Smith wrote You Hold Me Up to prompt a dialogue among young people, their care providers and educators about reconciliation and the importance of the connections children make with their friends, classmates and families. This is a foundational book about building relationships, fostering empathy and encouraging respect between peers, starting with our littlest citizens. 

Set in the Okanagon, BC, a First Nations family goes on an outing to forage for herbs and mushrooms. Grandmother passes down her knowledge of plant life to her young grandchildren.

Tink, tink, tink, tink, sang cone-shaped jingles sewn to Grandma Wolfe’s dress.
Jenna’s heart beats to the brum, brum, brum, brum of the powwow drum as she daydreams about the clinking song of her grandma’s jingle dancing.
Jenna loves the tradition of jingle dancing that has been shared by generations of women in her family, and she hopes to dance at the next powwow. But she has a problem—how will her dress sing if it has no jingles?
The warm, evocative watercolors of Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu complement author Cynthia Leitich Smith’s lyrical text as she tells the affirming story of how a contemporary Native American girl turns to her family and community to help her dance find a voice. 

The determined story of an Ojibwe grandmother (nokomis), Josephine Mandamin, and her great love for nibi (water). Nokomis walks to raise awareness of our need to protect nibi for future generations and for all life on the planet. She, along with other women, men and youth, has walked around all the Great Lakes from the four salt waters, or oceans, to Lake Superior. The walks are full of challenges, and by her example she challenges us all to take up our responsibility to protect our water, the giver of life, and to protect our planet for all generations.

I hope you enjoy these books and find a way to share them with students. And I hope this post has given you something to consider when selecting books with First/Native Nations content and characters, and that you’ll seek out information to determine if they are accurate and positive representations before sharing with kids. We can all still learn, and once we do, we need to act with the new information to do better. I hope this list will help you in your efforts.

Title: GHOST HAWK

Author: Susan Cooper
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books (a Simon & Schuster Children’s imprint)
Release Date: August 27, 2013
Number of Pages: 336
Age Recommendation: Ages 10-14, grades 5-9
Source of Book: ARC sent from publisher

From Newbery
Medalist Susan Cooper, a story of adventure and friendship between a
young Native American and a colonial New England settler.

On
the winter day Little Hawk is sent into the woods alone, he can take
only a bow and arrows, his handcrafted tomahawk, and the amazing metal
knife his father traded for with the new white settlers. If Little Hawk
survives three moons by himself, he will be a man.

John Wakely is
only ten when his father dies, but he has already experienced the
warmth and friendship of the nearby tribes. Yet his fellow colonists
aren’t as accepting of the native people. When he is apprenticed to a
barrel-maker, John sees how quickly the relationships between settlers
and natives are deteriorating. His friendship with Little Hawk will put
both boys in grave danger.

The intertwining stories of Little
Hawk and John Wakely are a fascinating tale of friendship and an
eye-opening look at the history of our nation. Newbery Medalist Susan
Cooper also includes a timeline and an author’s note that discusses the
historical context of this important and moving novel.

First Thought: A magnificent treasure of a book. Quietly powerful story sews its threads into your consciousness and doesn’t unravel.

GHOST HAWK is a beautifully written book that is quiet in its impact, but leaves an deep impression. The gripping tagline on the cover is Memory ~ Mystery ~ Murder, is fitting (and the cover is stunning). The descriptions are rich, the text is accessible, the story is epic. The plot follows a circle of life flow starting with before Little Hawk is born, in the 17th century set in Colonial New England, with everything coming full circle many many years later. The elements of the Native culture are embedded in an unobtrusive way because that’s just how life is, yet explained for those unfamiliar with them. 

Narrated by Little Hawk whose voice hooked me into the story from the beginning, GHOST HAWK provides a Native perspective of an unimaginable, controversial, and tumultuous time in United States history, a historical perspective many don’t know, and one that’s important to tell. His voice stays strong, even after a shocking moment that changes the trajectory of the story, and his gentle ways provide the calming presence necessary to process the events that occur.  Seeing events from his perspective, feeling his love and fear, living his friendships all help the reader connect to the story in a meaningful way.

I have not previously read anything by Susan Cooper, but based on this, I can see why she was a Newbery medalist, and I would not be surprised if GHOST HAWK is on the shortlist this year. It just feels like it’s that kind of book. Powerful, meaningful, surprising, endearing, hopeful, beautiful. I felt utterly connected to this story and the characters in it. Although not a quick read, it was a book I needed to keep reading.

Final Thoughts: This is the book I’m going to be proclaiming everyone should read this year. And I really hope you do.