Thursday, July 31, 2008
Picture Book Review Discussion B: Portrayal of Native Americans
Each member of the group must bring a picture book to share that will add to the conversation on the issues related to the article(s) to be discussed. Please post your review of your book in class. Indicate complete bibliographic information (title, date, author, publisher, genre) Give a brief, but engaging summary, provide an anlysis of the book as it relates to the discussion topic and as a piece of quality children's literature. Discuss the audience for whom it is attended and how it lends itself to the classroom.
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Bruchac, M. (2005). Malian's Song. London: University Press of New England. ISBN 0-916718-26-3. Historical Fiction.
Marge Bruchac, an Abenaki Indian and historian recounts the history and traditions of the Abenaki People in Malian's Song. Malian is a young Abenaki girl who lives with her people in Montreal. One night her father carries her into the woods and tells her to run to the tribe's winter camp. Her people are attacked by the English; the village is destroyed but many of her people survived the attack. After the attack Malian's family rebuild, she eventually marries and years later generations return to live on land that holds years of history.
Marge Bruchac’s portrayal of the Native American culture is presented in a respectful manner. The author makes accurate references to the Abenaki culture. Bruchac also intertwines the Abenaki language within the text. The illustrations are authentic and representative of the Abenaki people.
Bruchac’s uses her cultural background to retell this historical event. Her sensitivity is displayed by accurately describing the events of the attack on the Abenaki people by the English.
This picture book would be appropriate to use in the study of Native America Indians because of the authenticity. The context is suitable to students in grades 3 and older.
Whale Snow
Debby Dahl Edwardson
Illustrated by Annie Patterson
Edwardson, D.D. (2003). Whale snow. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.
ISBN: 1570913935
Genre: Picture Book
A young boy of Inupiaq heritage learns about the significance of the spirit-of-the- whale and of his given name, Amiqqaq, in Whale Snow. This story is set in present time in a whaling village on the Arctic coast of Alaska. The story begins with Amiqqaq noticing fat snowflakes falling outside that his aaka, grandmother, refers to as “whale snow,” signifying the possibility of a whale giving itself to the People. Soon after, Amiqqaq’s father returns home from his whale hunt with the Amiqqaq whaling flag letting them know of the gift of the bowhead whale. Amiqqag is allowed to accompany his father on a skidoo back to the whaling camp to see the bowhead whale caught by his father’s whaling crew as they prepare the whale. The flag is displayed at the entrance of Amiqqaq’s home to alert the villagers of the whale’s capture and to let the entire village know that all are welcome to take part in the Inupiat’s time-honored whaling feast. The reader learns of some of the traditions of the Inupiat and the importance of family, community and customs that link the past to the present in this story. Edwardson weaves Inupiaq words within the text of Whale Snow. She includes notes about the oral and written language of the Inupiat and provides a glossary of Inupiaq words and their English translations. She also includes information regarding the historical relationship of the Inupiat and the bowhead whale, as well as recent laws passed that challenged these traditions. She had the English version of this story translated to Inupiaq which can be read at the following website: www.charlesbridge.com. I would recommend this book for students in the primary grades.
The author, Debby Dahl Edwardson, is not Inupiat, but has lived in Burrow, Alaska among people of Inupiag heritage for many years. Her husband is Inupiat and is an engaging oral storyteller according to Edwardson. They have seven children together and she has immersed herself in the community by volunteering on the school board, working on local radio programs and writing for the local newspaper. In her article, Stewart refers to Bishops statement, “No human culture is inaccessible to someone who makes the effort to understand, to learn, to inhabit another world” (181). Edwardson has done this. In an interview found on the Alaskan Authors’ website, she gives the following reason for writing this story and other stories for children, “I also wanted our local children to see one of their own cultural celebrations reflected in a book because I believe that every child deserves to see his or her own cultural traditions reflected in the literature they read. If we want children to read we need to offer them a recognizable entrance into the world of reading at a young age.” This book is recommended by Oyate, a Native organization seeking to promote accurate portrayals of the lives and histories of American Indians and was named to the 2004 IRA list of Notable Books for a Global Society.
The illustrator, Annie Patterson, grew up in the state of Washington and attended art school there. Soon after graduating from The Art Institute of Seattle, she moved to Alaska and now lives in the same upper arctic community as Edwardson, the author, where she has learned about the Inupiaq culture. Her watercolor illustrations represent the present day homes, clothing and geography of the area.
This story specifically tells about the culture, language, beliefs and traditions of the Inupiat rather than a generic group of American Indians. The reader learns about their oral tradition, the cause for the necessity of their development of a written language, the story of the spirit-of-the-whale, the tradition of the whale feast and the continuation of the whaling industry. It also supports Eikstadt’s charge that children be informed that American Indians are still alive and part of contemporary culture and have not ceased to exist.
This book is suitable to use with my second grade students as we learn about the culture of American Indians from various regions of North America. We focus on the overarching idea that how people live/ lived is/was determined by where you live based on the climate and natural resources available in a given region. Also, we can compare and contrast modern day American Indians living in the arctic region with those from long ago. In addition, this is an appropriate book to use for our character education program because the message of the legend of the spirit of the whale is one of avoiding conflict and practicing generosity. Children will enjoy learning some of the Inupiaq words contained in the story and the glossary.
http://www.alaskanauthors.com/2008/03/author-interview-debby-edwardson.html
Eikstadt, H. and Falk-Ross, F. (n.d.). Native American literature as a component
of multicultural education. Illinois Reading Council Journal, 36(1), 10-13.
Stewart, M. P. (2002). Judging Authors By the Color of Their Skin? Quality
Native American Children’s Literature. Mellus, 27(1), 179-196.
One of
JOURNEY to CAHOKIA
A Boy’s Visit to the
Great Mound City
by
ALBERT LORENZ
WITH JOY SCHLEH
Little Hawk’s father, Red Earth has been summoned to the council house along with Gray Fox, by Bear’s Track, the village chieftain, and chosen to travel to the great city of Cahokia, the largest and most developed urban center, to trade furs and copper for the goods their tribe needs. Since the trip is a very long one and will take two moons time both the families will travel with the two men. The families begin their trip down the Mississippi carried in their canoes. One afternoon, Little Hawk sees earth molded into shapes, some were ovals and rings, deserted and overgrown and he is curious but his father does not know what they are and suggests they may find the answers when they reach their destination. Another time the canoes are beset by warriors from a different tribe who attack with bows and arrows, and spears but lack canoes so are unable to upset the families’ canoes and rob them. Finally they reach their destination and experience a city with thousands of inhabitants and other visitors who are also there to trade. They are taken to two spacious cottages unlike the tepees they are used to and two men come, one an interpreter and the other, a guide, to show them the city. Little Hawk’s family spends the rest of their time exploring, trading, and viewing the ceremony of the coronation of Cahokia’s new chief, Great Sun. The weather begins to change and the families must return to their village before the Winter sets in.
The text of this book becomes secondary, at times, to the illustrations created by Joy Schleh. It is here where the reader experiences the many different tribes that are present at Cahokia, along with the architecture, culture, and social discourse that make up this fictional trip taken by two families in a time frame two thousand years preceding the arrival of Europeans in North America.
Using the guidelines found in Helen Eikstadt and Francine Falk-Ross’s article entitled, Native American Literature as a Component of Multicultural Education, the teacher will find that the Native Americans are portrayed as real human beings, with communities that are dynamic, evolving entities and the individuals in the story have coherent motivations of their own , are in charge of their own destinies, and regional, cultural, and tribal differences are recognized through the talented artwork of Joy Schleh. To further enhance the story Albert Lorenz included a map of pre-European America along with actual photographs of artifacts that are housed at the Art Institute of Chicago.
This book is a child’s picture book which holds a high level vocabulary thus making it a book to be read by an adult to a young audience or older child. It would make a good addition to a theme on America’s history, or in a unit on Multiculturalism in America. On another note it is about a family taking a trip and a theme centered on families traveling would be a good way to use this book.
Lorenz, Albert (2004). Journey to Cahokia: A boy’s Visit to the Great Mound City.
New York, New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
The Song Within My Heart
David Bouchard (author)
Allen Sapp (illustrator)
The picture book The Song Within My Heart is a memoir written by Canadian author David Bouchard, published in 2003, based on the childhood recollections of Native American – or First Nations Cree – artist Allen Sapp. Sapp’s evocative oil paintings complement Bouchard’s lyrical verse which brings readers into Sapp’s first pow-wow experience with his grandmother – his Nokum – as she guides him through the meaning of the singing and the dancing he hears. Much of the storyline unfolds through dialogue between young Sapp and his beloved grandmother: When young Allen asks her about the drum sounds, she tells him, “There aren’t a lot but there are things/That you should learn to call your own./Your stories, songs and beating heart/Are truly yours and yours alone.” During the course of this story (a story which is somewhat nonlinear in structure –another characteristic of Native American literature) Sapp does discover his “own” by finding his way toward identifying with his Cree heritage.
Bouchard effectively expresses Sapp’s experiences from Sapp’s first person point of view. While Bouchard is not Native American, his verse reflects authentic Native American culture – and writing – in several ways. First, Bouchard incorporates audience interaction and dialogue, “an important aspect of oral tradition which is often lost in the translation of the written word” (Stewart, 2003). Bouchard writes: “To understand the song I sing/Close your eyes and listen/And try to hear the subtle things/It’s of my Nokum that I sing.” Also in the Native American tradition, Bouchard writes of the pow-pow as it has been “passed down from generation to generation” (Stewart, 2003). And again, as in authentic Native American tradition, Sapp (via Bouchard) is passing along his grandmother’s stories and, thus, taking on her role as the storyteller. Most importantly, this is a true story about a contemporary Native American man finding his identity by connecting to his Cree family and community philosophies, and exploring deep and corresponding feelings. Readers see how Sapp learns to value his heritage and his identity as Cree, similar to many Native American texts that are about the search for identity.
Sapp produced the oil paintings that depict Native Americans – Cree – in authentic garb involved in traditional pow-wow ceremonies, thus lending credibility to the images. Further, the last two pages of the book are titled “A note from the painter,” with photographs of himself and his Nokum, and a short narrative biography. He shares his grandmother’s advice to pursue his art, as he cannot read or write. She tells him: “Don’t do stupid things, like getting involved with alcohol and drugs.” David Bouchard comes to this project with many credentials, including a resume that includes more than twenty children’s books. Here, he accomplishes a remarkable feat by giving authentic voice to the Cree.
Given the philosophical and contemplative nature of the words and themes, this book would be most appreciated by an older audience, including middle school age. This book would perfectly complement Native American or multicultural studies, or could stand on its own as a coming-of-age story. The elegance of the words lend themselves to performance reading, including readers’ theater. On many pages, you “hear” drumbeats and chanting: “HEY hey hey hey, HI hey hey hey HEY hey hi,” or “BOOM boom boom boom BOOM boom boom boom,” which would work beautifully with the verse as a choral reading performance in the classroom.
Bouchard, D. (2003). The Song Within My Heart. Raincoast Books. ISBN 978-1551925592
Stewart, M.P. (2002). Judging authors by the color of their skin? Quality Native American children's literature. MELUS. 27(1), 179-196.
Erdich, L. (2003). Sacagawea. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda Books, Inc. ISBN: 0-87614-646-9. Biography
Lise Erdich and Julie Buffalohead tell the story of the teenage girl who traveled with Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery during rhe time of the the US expansion with the Louisanna Purchase. In terms of writing and characterization, the author tells the story fairly straightforward, without bias on either side . It is told through a strictly non fiction, informative lens. The author gives the historical account of Sacagawea's influence on Lewis and Clark and their expedition.
The illustrations are like paintings. The illustrator, Julie Buffalohead, of Ponca heritage herself, and has studied art at Minneapolis College and Cornell University, specifically researching the traditional artwork of Native American people. Her paintings focus on Sacagawea in this book, and there are less illustrations of the white men in this story.Her paintings lend an authentic touch to this biography.
This book is recommended for ages 6-12 by the publisher, however, I think it is appropriate in all classrooms for it's biographical information, historical input and authentic illustrations in primary classrooms up to
12th grade.
Capaldi, G. (2008). A boy named Beckoning: The true story of Dr. Carlos Montezuma, Native American Hero. New York: Carolrhoda Books. ISBN: 0-8225-7644-0
The story of Dr. Carlos Montezuma's growing up in a "white man's" world is a touching, biographical one. The author and illustrator, Gina Capaldi, has brought to life the tragic childhood of Wassaja, a Yavapai Indian during the 1870's. Wassaja, which means Beckoning, was taken by a local enemy tribe, the Pima. During his captivity, he was heckled and threatened with spears and war clubs. "The woman threw dirty rags, and the children spat." He was even given a new name- Hejelweiikan, which means "left alone."
Wassaja was eventually sold to Mr. Carlos Gentile who came from Italy. It is here that Beckoning's life begins to change. Mr. Gentile's attempts at comforting the young Indian boy were in vain until one day the two went to a man who owned two young Indian girls hoping it would make Beckoning feel better. The two girls turned out to be Beckoning's sisters who had also been captured and sold into slavery. It was a sad time when the day was over, as Beckoning never saw his sisters again.
In November of 1871, Wassaja received a new name - Carlos Montezuma- a combination of his guardian’s first name and the Montezuma ruins near his boyhood home. Many trials and tribulations followed the young Carlos throughout his boyhood and ended in his graduating from Chicago Medical School and his drive to become a doctor for Native American people.
Gina Capaldi's book is a wonderful introduction to Native American history using actual documents to retell a wonderful story of courage and determination. Ms. Capaldi is not of Native American descent. However, I feel that because the book is a retelling of actual letters sent by Dr. Montezuma along with historical photographs from the time being written about, it can be seen in a positive, authentic light. I appreciate that the author chose to use official documents to tell the story and didn't mold it into a historical journey that would be deemed inaccurate and stereotypical. Her choice of art work along with authentic photographs create a touching story of one Native American’s journey from home to capture to home again.
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