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Elementary | Native American Voices
At the Mountain's Base by Traci Sorell; Weshoyot Alvitre (Illustrator)
Native American women and men have served at high rates in all branches of the military. A 2020 American Indian Youth Literature Honor Award winner for Picture Books, this lovely poem is a tribute to them and their loved ones back at home. Glimpses of daily life through the lens of a World War II pilot and a fictional Cherokee Nation family illuminate this era in history.
Black Elk's Vision by S. D. Nelson
Native American medicine man Black Elk describes growing up in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, his relationship to Crazy Horse, the battles he was involved in, and his time with Buffalo Bill's Wild West show.
Fry Bread by Kevin Noble Maillard; Juana Martinez-Neal (Illustrator)
Simple text and colorful illustrations celebrate the place of fry bread in Native American family life and history. Includes a recipe for making the author's own style of fry bread.
My Heart Fills with Happiness by Monique Gray Smith; Julie Flett (Illustrator)
Indigenous lifeways continue, in spite of the many onslaughts we experienced. With a quiet joy or exuberant happiness, Smith and Flett show indigenous families as they spend time together, walking, cooking, singing, or dancing. A significant dimension to this book is its dedication to indigenous survivors of residential schools.
Nibi's Water Song by Sunshine Tenasco; Chief Lady Bird (Illustrator)
When Nibi, an Indigenous girl, turns the tap in her house, only mucky brown water comes out. That starts her on a search for clean water to drink. Though she must face polluted rivers, unfriendly neighbors, and her own temporary discouragement, Nibi's joyful energy becomes a catalyst for change and action as her community rallies around her to make clean drinking water available for all.
We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell; Frane Lessac (Illustrator)
Shows young readers the ways Cherokee people express gratitude throughout the year. Features Cherokee words along with pronunciation, Cherokee syllabary, and definition.
We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom; Michaela Goade (Illustrator)
Water is the first medicine. It affects and connects us all . . . When a black snake threatens to destroy the Earth and poison her people's water, one young water protector takes a stand to defend Earth's most sacred resource.
We Are Still Here! by Traci Sorell; Frane Lessac (Illustrator)
Eleven students the Native Nations Community School offer presentations on various aspects of Native American history and modern culture, including forced assimilation and relocation, the stealing of Native American land and broken treaties, and current economic, religious, and cultural revival efforts by tribe members. Each presentation ends with a common rallying chant, "We are still here!" calling attention to the relevance and importance of Indigenous issues.
When I Was Eight by Gabrielle Grimard (Illustrator); Christy Jordan-Fenton; Margaret-Olemaun Pokiak-Fenton
Olemaun is eight and knows a lot of things. But she does not know how to read. Ignoring her father’s warnings, she travels far from her Arctic home to the outsiders’ school to learn. The nuns at the school call her Margaret. They cut off her long hair and force her to do menial chores, but she remains undaunted. Her tenacity draws the attention of a black-cloaked nun who tries to break her spirit at every turn. But the young girl is more determined than ever to learn how to read.
When We Were Alone by David A. Robertson; Julie Flett (Illustrator)
A young Cree girl wonders about things her grandmother does such as wearing colorful clothes and having long hair. As she asks her grandmother about these things, she learns about what her grandmother's life was like when she was young and had to attend a residential school.
At the Mountain's Base by
Native American women and men have served at high rates in all branches of the military. A 2020 American Indian Youth Literature Honor Award winner for Picture Books, this lovely poem is a tribute to them and their loved ones back at home. Glimpses of daily life through the lens of a World War II pilot and a fictional Cherokee Nation family illuminate this era in history.
Black Elk's Vision by
Native American medicine man Black Elk describes growing up in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, his relationship to Crazy Horse, the battles he was involved in, and his time with Buffalo Bill's Wild West show.
Fry Bread by
Simple text and colorful illustrations celebrate the place of fry bread in Native American family life and history. Includes a recipe for making the author's own style of fry bread.
My Heart Fills with Happiness by
Indigenous lifeways continue, in spite of the many onslaughts we experienced. With a quiet joy or exuberant happiness, Smith and Flett show indigenous families as they spend time together, walking, cooking, singing, or dancing. A significant dimension to this book is its dedication to indigenous survivors of residential schools.
Nibi's Water Song by
When Nibi, an Indigenous girl, turns the tap in her house, only mucky brown water comes out. That starts her on a search for clean water to drink. Though she must face polluted rivers, unfriendly neighbors, and her own temporary discouragement, Nibi's joyful energy becomes a catalyst for change and action as her community rallies around her to make clean drinking water available for all.
We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by
Shows young readers the ways Cherokee people express gratitude throughout the year. Features Cherokee words along with pronunciation, Cherokee syllabary, and definition.
We Are Water Protectors by
Water is the first medicine. It affects and connects us all . . . When a black snake threatens to destroy the Earth and poison her people's water, one young water protector takes a stand to defend Earth's most sacred resource.
We Are Still Here! by
Eleven students the Native Nations Community School offer presentations on various aspects of Native American history and modern culture, including forced assimilation and relocation, the stealing of Native American land and broken treaties, and current economic, religious, and cultural revival efforts by tribe members. Each presentation ends with a common rallying chant, "We are still here!" calling attention to the relevance and importance of Indigenous issues.
When I Was Eight by
Olemaun is eight and knows a lot of things. But she does not know how to read. Ignoring her father’s warnings, she travels far from her Arctic home to the outsiders’ school to learn. The nuns at the school call her Margaret. They cut off her long hair and force her to do menial chores, but she remains undaunted. Her tenacity draws the attention of a black-cloaked nun who tries to break her spirit at every turn. But the young girl is more determined than ever to learn how to read.
When We Were Alone by
A young Cree girl wonders about things her grandmother does such as wearing colorful clothes and having long hair. As she asks her grandmother about these things, she learns about what her grandmother's life was like when she was young and had to attend a residential school.