In October 2021, Indigenous Peoples’ Day was recognized as a United States national holiday celebrating Native peoples and their histories and cultures. It is regarded by many to be a counter-holiday to Columbus Day, which commemorates Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the Americas and often eclipses a recognition of our continent’s prior inhabitants. Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians But Were Afraid to Ask (Young Readers Edition) goes a long way toward untangling lapses in our common knowledge and misperceptions of history as well as contemporary Native peoples. Ten topical chapters contain engaging questions--questions that many of us might ask. Chapter titles include: Terminology; History; Religion, Culture and Identity; Powwow; Tribal Languages; Politics; Economics; Education; Social Activism; Perspectives: Coming to Terms and Future Directions; and a concluding commentary entitled Finding Ways to Make a Difference.
Author Anton Treuer describes the borderland in Northern Minnesota where he grew up. In the borderland, communities and schools were a mix of Whites and Indians; navigating the confusing mix of tribal, state and federal jurisdictions was difficult. Varied cultural and family contexts made understanding hard, perhaps particularly for young people: “…nobody talked about the bigger issues, which sat like a giant bear in the corner of the room every time the schools and Native families interacted.” After leaving the borderland of his childhood and completing his college degree at Princeton University in New Jersey, Treuer realized that the confusion of expectations and perceptions that the borderland presented to both Indian and White individuals remained deeply embedded in his and others' lives. He committed himself to studying, writing and teaching about Native issues--fully aware that he is but one Indian among many, though confident his research and voice could be useful in the process of striving for understanding. The result is a highly informative, thoughtful, challenging and useful book for both Native and non-Native readers. Ages 13 and up. Levine Querido/Chronicle Books, 2021.
Excellent additional insight to the history of Native peoples is provided by An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People. Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz’s original work has been adapted by Jean Mendoza and Debbie Reese to reach readers in junior high and above. The authors mince no words in describing the reeducation needed within families, schools and institutions to understand better the history of our nation’s indigenous peoples, how they have fared over years of co-existence with larger populations, and, moving forward, what policies and practices can best respect the integrity and welfare of Native peoples. This is a valuable volume, inspiring reflection on and understanding of social justice issues. Ages 12 and up. Beacon Press, 2019.
For more excellent book recommendations, view https://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com
View the U. S. President’s Proclamation regarding Indigenous Peoples’ Day: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/10/08/a-proclamation-indigenous-peoples-day-2021/
