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Stereotypes and the Canonization of Kateri Tekakwitha
Catholics and a great many Native people know that Kateri Tekakwitha was canonized a few hours ago in Rome. She is now a saint. Some news stories acknowledge the complex history and emotions around the...
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Kateri Tekakwitha a "squaw"?! Her father "pagan"? Nun in toy headdress?!
I spent some of the last 24 hours following news coverage of the canonizaton of Kateri Tekakwitha.As I noted yesterday, for Native people that are Catholic, Tekakwitha's canonization is a complex and...
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About Russell Means...
Early yesterday (October 22, 2012), I learned that Russell Means had passed away.As I thought about Russell Means, I remembered when I first learned about him. I was an undergraduate at the University...
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DVD: Racing the Rez
In the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, Pueblo Indians fought and drove the Spanish out of our homelands. The revolt was carefully planned by tribal leaders, and then it was set in motion by runners who carried...
View ArticleComing up: Native American Month 2012
We're about a week away from the month that the President of the United States designates as Native American Month. Below are suggestions on how you might get your library ready for parents, teachers...
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"This is Not Who I Am, And this is Not OK"
Last year, students in Ohio University's S*T*A*R*S (Students Teaching About Racism in Society) student group launched a campaign to push back on Halloween costumes of cultural groups. They created a...
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Eric Gansworth's IF I EVER GET OUT OF HERE
In my mail on Saturday (October 27, 2012), was a galley for Eric Gansworth's If I Ever Get Out of Here, published by Scholastic. The cover:Reading the first few pages... Gansworth doesn't hold back....
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Patricia Riley's GROWING UP NATIVE AMERICAN
Today (November 1st, the first day of American Indian Heritage Month), I'd like to introduce you to Patricia Riley's Growing Up Native American. The subtitle is Stories of oppression and survival, of...
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Presidential Proclamation: National Native American Heritage Month, 2012
The White House Press Secretary released President Obama's Presidential Proclamation, designating November as National Native American Heritage Month, 2012. Below is a screen capture of the webpage...
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Dear Gwen Stefani: Please make a video...
Dear Gwen Stefani,It is good that No Doubt released a statement today, stating that you never intended to offend, hurt, or trivialize Native American people, culture, or history. I understand that you...
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Alyson Noel's FATED
A reader wrote to ask if I would take a look at Alyson Noel's young adult novel, Fated. I looked it up, and seeing that it was set in New Mexico, I took it with me on the road to do a workshop with...
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Terrific news! Louise Erdrich's THE ROUND HOUSE won the 2012 National Book Award
Last night (November 14, 2012), Louise Erdrich's The Round House won the 2012 National Book Award in the fiction category for the adult market, but it will be one of those crossover books, read widely...
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AICL tomorrow on NATIVE AMERICA CALLING
Sorry for this late notice... Just letting readers of AICL know that I'll be a guest tomorrow (Friday, Nov 16, 2012) on Native America Calling. Friday, November 16, 2012 – Twilight Saga’s Biggest...
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TIGER EYES: Judy Blume's book and its film adaptation
Recently in Native news sources, I read that Tatanka Means (his father was Russell Means, activist and actor who recently passed away), is in Tiger Eyes, a film adaptation of Judy Blume's Tiger Eyes....
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Navajo film project: RAINBOW BIRD
On AICL, I encourage parents, teachers, librarians, and anyone who works with children and the books they read or the movies they watch, to seek out books and films by Native people who know their...
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THIS AMERICAN LIFE: "Little War on the Prairie", THE DAKOTA 38, and resources...
On November 23, 2012, This American Life devoted an entire show to a single topic. Titled Little War on the Prairieit is a well-executed look at the ways that people tell a state's history, leaving out...
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Erdrich's CHICKADEE and Smith's INDIAN SHOES in NY TIMES
On December 4, 2012, The New York Times published "Books to Match Diverse Young Readers" about books that featured characters who are "black, Latino, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native." Here's a...
View ArticleRussell Hoban's SOONCHILD
Ummm... Russell Hoban, author of some terrific picture books, wrote this on page 6 of Soonchild: John came from a long line of shamans. His mother was Stay With It and his father was Go Anywhere. His...
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James and Joseph Bruchac's RABBIT'S SNOW DANCE
Have you heard Joe Bruchac tell a story? He's got a terrific voice for telling stories. As I read Rabbit's Snow Dance, I was able to play that voice in my head as Rabbit says:"I want snow," he said. "I...
View ArticleJodi Lynn Anderson's TIGER LILY - Part 2
Back in June, I read part of Jodi Lynn Anderson's Tiger Lily. I didn't like what I read and posted my thoughts. The book is now on School Library Journal's "Best of 2012" list, so I got it out of the...
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