We Are Grateful * Otsaliheliga and We Are Here: Native American Truths Everyone Should Know, by Traci Sorell, illustrated by Frané Lessac

Author Traci Sorell, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, has given readers two gifts: her picture books We Are Grateful * Otsaliheliga and We Are Still Here: Native American Truths Everyone Should Know. Both are rich with information about the history and customs of Native Americans. Frané Lessac’s colorful illustrations – bold and detailed -- provide a perfect complement to the text.  

In We Are Grateful * Otsaliheliga, readers are invited to travel through the year and consider the reasons to celebrate what each season—indeed, each day—brings. The cool breezes of fall and the Great New Moon Ceremony. The stories and memories shared at wintertime, around a table with good food. In spring, the waters flowing, sprouts emerging and strawberries blossoming. Summer brings burgeoning fields, creeks full of crawdads, and then the Green Corn Ceremony honoring the first harvest. Woven into the graceful narrative are glimpses of both traditional and contemporary activities of family and community: fathers tending babies, young people learning to sew moccasins and build clay pots, students understanding traditions of the Cherokee people. Importantly, readers become familiar with the word otsaliheilga, meaning “We are grateful.” Gratitude—for all that life provides both good and difficult—is central to honoring the past and the present. Indeed, readers meet many words of the Cherokee language and are encouraged to pronounce them; they are presented phonetically, in English and in the Cherokee alphabet. Appended are further descriptions of concepts and holidays, an author’s note, an introduction to the Cherokee syllabary and a link to further information about the Cherokee Nation at www.cherokee.org. Ages 4-8.  Charlesbridge (HC), 2018 ; Scholastic (PB), 2019.

 

A comprehensive look at the history of Native Nations is presented by Sorell and Lessac in their non-fiction, richly-illustrated picture book We Are Still Here: Native American Truths Everyone Should Know. The setting is the Native Nations Community School, where twelve student presentations for Indigenous Peoples’ Day introduce readers to elemental aspects of Native history. Projects recount how life changed for Indigenous peoples when white people arrived from Europe and how the sovereignty of Native Nations has been both honored and deeply challenged through the centuries. Treaties between Native peoples and the U. S. government were made and broken; laws and practices tried variously to preserve or diminish Native cultures and languages; communities sometimes received support but often needs were ignored or misunderstood. Throughout the story, the refrain “We are still here” speaks to the endurance of Native peoples over many years. The specific student presentations highlight Assimilation, Allotment, the Indian New Deal, Termination, Relocation, Tribal Activism, Self-Determination, Indian Child Welfare and Education, Religious Freedom, Economic Development, Language Revival, and Sovereign Resurgence. Seen through the eyes of young people, topics are explained lucidly, providing a substantive opportunity for both Native and non-Native readers to know more about Indigenous peoples' history. A thorough time line, a glossary of terms and an author’s note further enrich this excellent book. Ages 8 and up. Charlesbridge, 2021.