Native American Literatures

Draft Version

Native American Literatures

Educational and Historical Resources

in the library

Dorothea M. Susag

561 4^th Lane NE

Fairfield, MT 59436

The books listed here are made available to teachers and others at workshops and conferences throughout the state wherever I make presentations or “book talks.” Anyone using this list should keep in mind that teachers may contact specific Montana tribal education directors or culture committees for additional and current publications.

Identifying tribal affiliations of authors and stories, I have organized the books in this list according to the following categories:

1. Picture Books, Juvenile Fiction and Non-Fiction, Biography, and Cultural Tradition (with summaries)

2. Traditional Story Picture Books and Published Collections (with summaries)

3. Montana Publications – Tribal and Others (with summaries)

4. Chapter Books - Young Adult Novels, Biographies, Plays (with summaries)

5. Novels, Short Stories, Plays

6. Collections of Traditional Stories

7. Biographies and Autobiographies – People and Their Words

8. Anthologies of Short Stories, Essays, and Poetry

9. Historical and Cultural Resources

10. Poetry

11. Educational Resources

12. Literary Criticism Resources

#1 Picture Books, Juvenile Fiction and Non-Fiction, Biography, and Cultural Tradition

Armstrong, Jeanette (Okanagan). Enwhisteetkwa: Walk in Water. Penticton, BC: Theytus Books, 1982. 44 pp.

Summary: These stories are set in the mid-1800's in British Columbia at the time of early contact with the Sema (Non-Indians). In four “Season” chapters, the narrator remembers her life as a young girl, beginning with a “soft” song sung by her grandmother. Smoothly integrating individual stories and dialog with ordinary seasonal and daily activities of the Okanagan people, Enwhisteetkwa beautifully communicates an interesting and very believable story.

Bateson-Hill, Margaret. Shota and the Star Quilt. Illustrated by Christine Fowler. Consultant, Gloria Runs Close to Lodge. (Oglala) Lakota text by Philomine Lakota. New York: Anna McQuinn, 1998. 27 pages. ISBN - 1-84089-021-5.

Juvenile Fiction and Cultural Tradition - Grades 2 - 6

Summary: “Set in Minneapolis, Shota and the Starquilt is a modern story which examines one of the age-old themes of traditional stories: the triumph of love and friendship over power and greed. The text includes a complete Lakota translation. The Lakota star pattern is central to the story, and there are templates in the back of the book so that children can make their own paper collage. A supplementary section provides information about the Lakota people, their language and culture.”

Bruchac, Joseph. (Abenaki/Slavic) A Boy Called Slow. Illustrated by Rocco Baviera. New York: Philomel Books, 1994. 28 pages ISBN 0-8037-2078-5

Juvenile Fiction – Grades 4 - 9

Summary: This is the story about the childhood of a boy, born to the Hunkpapa band of the Lakota Sioux. He was called “Slow” until one winter when a group of Lakotas meet a Crow war party. Slow has the chance to earn his new name. “And so it was that the boy who was once called “Slow” gained the name Tatan’ka Iyota’ke, a name which is known well, for Tatan’ka Iyota’ke, means Sitting Bull–one of the greatest of all the Lakota warriors. And this is his story.

Bruchac, Joseph. (Abenaki/Slavic) Crazy Horse’s Vision. Illustrated by S.D. Nelson. New York: Lee & Low Books, 2000. 33 pages ISBN 1-880000-94-6

Juvenile Historical Fiction – Grades 3 - 8

Summary: This is a story based on the life of the dedicated young Lakota boy who grew up to be one of the bravest defenders of his people. In the “Author’s Note,” Bruchac provides background of the Lakota peoples and the oral tradition and mystery that surrounded the life of Crazy Horse. Nelson’s “Illustrator’s Note” describes the influences for his paintings in this book.

Bruchac, Joseph. (Abenaki/Slavic) Jim Thorpe’s Bright Path. Illustrated by S.D. Nelson. New York: Lee & Low Books, 2004. 38 pages ISBN 1-58430-166-X
Juvenile Biography – Grades 3 - 8

Summary: This is the biography of the early years of Jim Thorpe, son of a mixed-blood father (Sac and Fox) and a Pottowatomie woman. A twin, and born in Indian Territory that would become Oklahoma, Jim Thorpe and his brother, Charlie, grew in the “old ways” and skills that made his father’s people strong. And he ran. It is said he had so much endurance “he could outrun a rabbit.” But his father believed his boys needed “white man’s knowledge to survive.” So he enrolled them in a boarding school twenty-three miles from their home.

After three years, Charlie died of pneumonia while at school. Devastated, Jim ran the twenty-three miles home and begged his father to let him stay. To prevent his son from running away from school again, Pa Thorpe sent him to Haskell in Lawrence, Kansas – 300 miles away. There Jim learned manual tasks, “useful to white society,” and there he learned to play football with a hand-made ball of scrap-leather stuffed with rags.

Again a family crisis drew him running the 300 miles home. His father had been shot in a hunting accident. Although he recovered, Pa sent his son to another school closer to home – Garden Grove, where he learned about electricity. While there, a recruiter from Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania who was impressed with Jim’s track accomplishments encouraged Jim to transfer.

The rest of the book tells of Jim’s introduction to high-jumping and competitive football. The last three pages complete the story of the person U.S. Congress would eventually resolve in 1999 to name “America’s Athlete of the Century.”

Bruchac, Joseph. (Abenaki/Slavic). Many Nations: an Alphabet of Native America BridgeWater Paperback, 1998. ISBN: 0-8167-4460-2

Children’s Picture Book

Summary: Illustrated by Robert F. Goetzl, Many Nations teaches the alphabet while it depicts the diversity and beauty of Native American cultures and communities. Each page begins with a different Native American culture, or an animal, or an experience important to Native people: Anishinabe, Blackfeet, Choctaw, Dakota...Eagle, Fox...Tuscarora, Umpqua, Visions...”X marking the four directions,” and finally Zuni. The illustration takes up most of each page, and the text is a series of parallel noun phrases: “Otoe fathers teaching sons how to walk with care. Penobscot mothers singing little ones to sleep.”

Campbell, Maria. (French Canadian/Cree). People of the Buffalo: How the Plains Indians Lived. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 1976c. 47 pages ISBN: 0-88894-329-6
Juvenile History/Culture - All ages

Summary: Countering stereotypes of the romanticized Plains Indians, this book tells how Plains Indians lived, communicating the spiritual connection between all aspects of life, where “every part of life and all forms of life made up ‘the whole.’” People of the Buffalo describes the area and languages of the people, other means of communication, the traditional respect for tribal territories, Beliefs and Ceremonies, and the importance of sacred ritual, the Family, Shelter, Food, Storage and Utensils, Clothing, Transportation, and Warfare. “Today Indian people are . . . going back to their spiritual way of life. That is the most important weapon of all: to know who you are and where you come from.” (47)

Campbell, Maria. (French Canadian/Cree). Riel’s People: How the Metis Lived. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 1978c. 47 pages. ISBN: 0-88894-393-8

Juvenile History/Culture - All ages

Summary: “This book blends words and drawings to describe how the Metis lived and hunted. . . . The story culminates in the Metis rebellions of the late 1880s led by Louis Riel and Gabriel Dumont.”

Dakota Indians Coloring Book. St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 1979. ISBN: 0-87351-149-2 30 pages

History and Culture – Children

Summary: with text in both Dakota and English, “the drawings in this book show how one part of the Dakota or Sioux nation – the Eastern or Santee division – lived in the early 1800s on the prairies and in the wooded valleys of southern Minnesota. The Introduction explains the history and culture of these people and their neighbors, concluding with other resources for further research.

Dawavendewa, Gerald (Hopi-Cherokee). The Butterfly Dance. New York: Abbeville Press, 2001. 29 pp. ISBN: 0-7892–161-5

Summary: “A young Hopi girl names Sihumana, or Flower Maiden, is getting ready to perform her first Butterfly Dance. . . . Even though she has practiced very hard for weeks, Sihumana is feeling nervous as she puts on the beautiful headdress her partner has made for her.” The story concludes with an explanation of The Butterfly Dance, a Glossary, The Hopi.

Erdrich, Lise.(Turtle Mountain Chippewa). Bears Make Rock Soup and other stories. Paintings by Lisa Fifield (Ojibwe). San Francisco, CA: Children’s Book Press, 2002. 32 pages ISBN: 0-89239-172-3
Picture Book K - 3

Summary: This is a collection of stories created by the author and inspired by paintings that depict the special relationships between the plains and woodland Indians and such animals as bear, deer, moose, crows, and loons. No specific nation is ever named.

Erdrich, Lise. (Turtle Mountain Chippewa). Sacagawea. Artwork by Julie Buffalohead(Ponca). Minneapolis, MN: Carolrkoda Books, Inc., 2003. 38 pages ISBN: 0-87614-646-9
Juvenile Biography - Grades 3-8

Summary: This is a biography of the Shoshone girl Sacagawea from age eleven when she was kidnapped by the Hitdatsa to the end of her journey with Lewis and Clark, plus speculation about her later life in the “Afterword.” In the “Author’s Note,” Erdrich explains the spelling, meaning, and pronunciation of the name. The last two pages include a map of the Lewis and Clark journey, together with a time line indicating dates relevant to Sakagawea.

Erdrich, Louise (Turtle Mountain Chippewa/German). Grandmother’s Pigeon. Illustrated by Jim LaMarche. New York: Hyperion Paperbacks for Children, 1999. 31 pages. ISBN 0-7868-0165-4
Grades K and up

Summary: Winner of Smithsonian Notable Book for children, Parenting Magazine Reading Magic Award, and Missouri Show Me Readers Award, Grandmother’s Pigeon is the story of a family, left behind with memories and collections when their mysterious and mystical grandmother boards a porpoise for Greenland. First aiming west, then south, she calls out to the children, “I’ll go the scenic route!”

This is a magical story about loss and grief, about hope and recovery, and about the way memory and imagination can heal. Just as the family had let go of grandmother when she left on the porpoise, they let the pigeons go. The book addresses several significant issues: the value and necessity of grandparents in children’s lives, our need to protect the environment and endangered species, respect for all creatures’ rights to freedom, the value of concrete treasures to remind us of those who have left or died, and the truth that “what goes around comes around” in a positive way.

Erdrich, Louise(Turtle Mountain Chippewa/German). The Range Eternal. Illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 2002. ISBN: 0-78680220-0
Grades K and up

Summary: This beautifully illustrated picture book is based on the memories of the author’s grandparents’ home and an old stove in the Turtle Mountains of South Dakota, where the narrator’s remembered treasure, “The “Range Eternal,” “warm heart of the house,” represents much more than a practical way to cook and heat a home. Ercrich’s story can serve as the prompt for students to think about family treasures, to consider the various ways a physical object might touch individuals, keeping family stories and relationships alive.

Grace, Catherine O’Neill, and Margaret M. Bruchac (Abenaki). 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving. Photographs by Sisse Brimberg and Cotton Coulson. National Geographic Society, 2001. 48 pages. ISBN: 0-7922-7027-4

Juvenile Literature and History 4^th and up

Summary: “Taking a new look at Thanksgiving means putting aside the myth. It means taking a new look at history. It means questioning what we think we know. It means recovering lost voices–the voices of the Wampanoag people. True history includes the voices of all of its participants.”

Harjo, Joy. (Muskogee Creek) The Good Luck Cat. Illustrated by Paul Lee. New York Harcourt, Inc., 2000. ISBN: 0-15-232197-7
Children’s literature – Grades K-3

Summary: Few relationships are as sacred and close as children and their pets, whether it’s a horse or a snake, a dog or a hamster, a chicken or a sheep, a pig or a cat. Providing security and unqualified loyalty, children grieve whenever their pets are injured or lost, often suffering grief that equals the loss of another human being.

The Good Luck Cat is the story of a pet, who survives to live beyond the designated life-span of nine, for cats. The narrator herself nearly causes Woogie to lose her “eighth life” when she wants to take the cat to a powwow. Disobeying her parents, she packs the cat in the trunk of the car–in the summer. Finally, after disappearing for four nights, the narrator sings Woogie’s “favorite song” and asks “her to come home,” and the narrator sees her cat running towards her in a dream. The next morning Woogie, a little the worse for wear, is found sleeping by her empty feed dish, the meat loaf all gone. An accomplished poet and musician, this wonderful story is Harjo’s first children’s book. Told in a child’s voice, the pages sound alive in words, phrases and images.

Kreipe de Montano, Marty (Potawatomi). Coyote in Love with a Star. Illustrated by Tom Coffin(Potawatomi). New York: Abbeville Publishing, 1998. 30 pp. ISBN: 0-7892-0162-3

Summary: “Coyote gets lonely in the wide-open spaces of the Potawatomi Reservation in Kansas, so he moves to New York City in search of work and a special friend. There he quickly gets himself a job as Rodent Control Officer at the World Trade Center. . . .One night he spots a star more beautiful than all of the others.”

Ortiz, Simon J.(Acoma Pueblo). The People Shall Continue. Illustrated by Sharol Graves. San Francisco: Children’s Book Press, 1977. ISBN: 0-90230-125-1

Non-fiction/poetry – Grades 4 - 12

Summary: This is a story from the point of view of American Indian peoples, recounting the history of European contact on the American Continent from 1492 to the present. At the end of the story, the People saw: “Black People, Chicano People/ Asian People, many White People and others/who were kept poor by American wealth and power/ The People saw that these People/ who were not rich and powerful shared/ a common life with them/ The People realized they must share /their history with them.” (23) The result of this sharing is a communal yet very personal power to overcome any debilitating conflicts. The People Shall Continue is an excellent overview for all ages of the "American" story from the tribal perspective, however, they need a background in American History to understand it.

Smith, Cynthia Leitich Smith. (Muscogee Creek) Jingle Dancer. Illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu. New York: Morrow Junior Books, 2000. ISBN 0-688-16241-X
Children’s Book – Grades K-5

Summary: “Jenna, a member of the Muscogee Nation and also of Ojibway descent, is a child centered in the powwow tradition. She has watched her Grandma Wolfe jingle dance, and daily she dreams of dancing herself to the “brum, brum, brum brum of the powwow drum.”

This story demonstrates the circle of love that surrounds Jenna and the way the child completes the circle by dancing for “Great-aunt Sis, whose legs ached ...for Mrs. Scott, who sold fry bread,...for Elizabeth, who worked on her big case,...and for Grandma Wolfe, who warmed like Sun.”

The book concludes with an Author’s Note about the Creek nation, the importance of traditional story, and an explanation of the place of celebration, the jingle dress dance, and a description of the way dresses are usually made. And finally, a Glossary provides definitions for fry bread, Indian taco, powwow, and regalia (“not to be confused with costume”).

Tallchief, Maria with Rosemary Wells (Osage). Tallchief, America’s Prima Ballerina. Illustrated by Gary Kelley. New York: Puffin/Penguin Books, 1999. 28 pages. ISBN: 0-670-88756-0
Juvenile biography – 3 - 8

Summary: “Growing up on the Osage Indian reservation, to a full-blood father on oil-rich land, and a Scots-Irish mother, Maria proved to be a gifted pianist and dancer. Every day she practiced piano and ballet, getting better at each. When she was twelve, Maria’s father told her it was time to choose between her two loves. Maria chose ballet. It was a decision that would change not only the course of her life, but the face of classical ballet in American forever.”

Tapahonso, Luci (Navajo). Songs of Shiprock Fair. Illustrated by Anthony Chee Emerson Walnut, CA: Kiva Publishing, 1999. 30 pages. ISBN: 1-885772-11-4

Juvenile Poetry - Picture Book K-6

Summary: “The Shiprock Fair, held annually in Shiprock, New Mexico, celebrated its seventy-fifth anniversary in 1998. As the oldest fair in the Navajo nation, it embodies the spirit of the Navajo people – their love of fun and excitement, their heartfelt commitment to family, and their talent and creativity. Seen through the eyes of Nezbah, a young girl, the Shiprock Fair is a magical time with family and friends told through Tapahonso’s poetic voice, with contemporary and historical images of places, people and traditional story.

Van Camp, Richard. (Dogrib Nation from Canadian Northwest Territories) A Man Called Raven. Illustrated by George Littlechild (Plains Cree). San Francisco, A: Children’s Book Press, 1997. ISBN: 0-89239-144-8 29 pages.

Picture Book - Grade 3 - up

Summary: Two boys find a raven in their garage. Like many boys their age, they start to play with it, try to catch it and to beat it with hockey sticks. They don’t see anything wrong because ravens “get into [their] garbage and spread it all over the street.” But a mysterious man appears who chastises them and insists they take him to their home. Their mother realizes this man has something important to say to the boys, and so the whole family listens to “what the stranger” with “long black hair and huge eyes” has to say.

Mysterious and magical, this is a growing-up story. The boys realize why they must respect Raven and not abuse nature. And when the stranger is gone, he leaves behind this lesson and “the thunder of wings.”

Wheeler, Bernelda (Cree/Saulteaux). A Friend Called ‘Chum’. Illustrated by Andy Stout. Winnipeg, Manitoba: Pemmican Publications Inc., 1984. 29 pages.

ISBN: 0-919143-13-X
Juvenile Fiction K-4

Summary: A Friend Called ‘Chum’ is the story of a little girl who mistreats her dog and ignores her cats when she has a bad morning and nearly misses the school bus. Through a dream where her “small dog, chum,” saves her life, Marji May learns to appreciate him.

Wheeler, Jordan (Cree). Just a Walk. Illustrated by Bill Cohen (Okanagan). Penticton, BC: Theytus Books, 1993. 55 pages. ISBN: 0-919441-46-7

Children’s Book K-2

Summary: One day Chuck decides to take a walk and loses all track of time. His imagination takes him flying with a hawk, falling in a river, riding with a fish, floating on a cloud – and more. Eventually he returns home to a very worried mother because he’s been gone all day. He responds, “I’m okay, Mom. I just went for a walk.” The story is told twice in rhyming couplets, with the second time without color and a blank for the second rhyming word – just so children can tell and illustrate the story themselves.

Yolen, Jane. Encounter. Illustrated by David Shannon. San Diego, CA: Voyager Books, 1992. ISBN: 0-15-201389-X
Juvenile Fiction - Grades 3 and up

Summary: A Taino Indian boy on the island of San Salvador recounts the landing of Columbus and his men in 1492. An American Bookseller Pick of the Lists, and an IRA Teachers’ Choice. The book ends with an author’s note about the recorded history of Christopher Columbus the estimated numbers of 300,000 native islanders in that time. “Today there are no full-blooded Taino.” This story is a re-creation using historical records and the “storyteller’s imagination.”

#2 Traditional Story Picture Books and Published Collections

Ahenakew, Freda. How the Mouse Got Brown Teeth. (Cree) Illustrated by George Littlechild. ISBN 0-920079-40-7
Picture Book - K and up

Summary: From the Preface: “This is a student story which was written in an intermediate Cree course at Saskatoon during the summer of 1982. We are grateful to Ray Smith for permission to edit and publish his work. . . . Since this is a traditional story, which is collectively owned by the Cree Indian people, the royalties from the sale of this book go to the Saskatchewan Indian Languages Institute.”

Ahenakew, Freda. How the Birch Tree Got Its Stripes. (Cree) Illustrated by George Littlechild. ISBN 0-920079-38-5
Picture Book - K and up

Summary: This is the story of the Cree Trickster/Transformer, Wisahkecahk, who wants to test his endurance beyond common sense. After catching ducks, he prepares them for eating and then asks two birch trees to hold him away from the ducks to see how long he can go without eating. Among other lessons, the story communicates the dangers of too much pride.

Bahti, Mark. Pueblo Stories and Storytellers. Tucson, AZ: Treasure Chest Publications, Inc. 1988. 48 pp. ISBN: 0-918080-16-9

Summary: “Many of the pueblos of new Mexico have a long tradition of clay figurines and effigy vessels.” This is a collection of photographs of such figurines, together with an explanation of the potter’s work, description of the people who make the pottery and tell the stories, and traditional stories.

Beaver Steals Fire: A Salish Coyote Story. (Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes) Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 2005. 50 pages. ISBN: 0-8032-4323-5
Picture Book - K and up

Summary: This book is the center of the Fire History Project, a website, interactive DVD, and storybook program available to all. Beaver Steals Fire is a story for all ages, an illustrated creation story, about the origin and nature of things. Germaine White and David Rockwell, project creators, are trusting teachers who use this material to respect the tradition of the culture. Stories are told only in the winter when animals sleep.

Notes from a presentation about the project:

Fire was a gift to humans. Animals needed to make this earth fit for people. Fire and our use of fire is exhibited in a collision of cultures.

Europeans and fire - view it as destructive, so the connection is bad

Indians and fire - view it as rebirth and a means of land management. Fire was used as the center of the cultural experience - the ancient cultural landscape. When fire was excluded, plants necessary for survival couldn’t grow. Many place names refer to fire. Problems occurred when there was an early suppression of native burning.

The interactive DVD will show how native peoples used fire in the northern Rockies. The DVD asks the question “what is the relevance of story today?”

The website, still under construction: www.cskt.org/trlfire_firehistoryproject.htm

To order the DVD, contact dxn3365@blackfoot.net

Big Crow, Moses Nelson.(Lakota) Hoksila and the Red Buffalo. Chamberlain, South Dakota: Tipi Press, 1991. 50 pages ISBN: 1-877976-02-4

Summary: According to the storyteller, this is a story passed down from generation to generation and changing with each telling. The story begins when a Lakota grandmother takes her grandson to the place where he will wait for a vision because he is looking for guidance and wisdom to kill the red buffalo with the “big ugly black spots” and to rescue his wife and the other women who have been captured. This is a story of adventure, bravery, spiritual and physical growth, and personal responsibility for the community.

Big Crow, Moses Nelson.(Lakota) A Legend From Crazy Horse Clan. Chamberlain, South Dakota: Tipi Press, 1991. 50 pages ISBN 1-877976-03-2

Summary: Legendary Tashia Grupa (Meadowlark) and her baby raccoon are left behind after a buffalo stampede scatters their camp. Befriended by a buffalo calf, Tashia becomes a member of the Buffalo Nation. Years later, warriors find and take her with them. The story communicates the Lakota tradition of accepting strangers into a clan or community, the problems for individuals who must live between two cultures or ways, and it shows how even the youngest children are taught to respect and to express gratitute to Wakan-Tanka, the Great Mystery, who brings every new day.

Brass, Eleanor (Cree). Medicine Boy and other Cree Tales. Saskatoon, SK: Fifth House,1979c Illustrated by Henry Nanooch ISBN 0-919224-04-0

Grades - late primary and up

Summary: In this collection of twenty-six stories, Eleanor Brass explains the legendary culture hero figure, Wesuketchuk. The collection includes creation stories, stories which reflect the influence of the French language and culture, some more contemporary stories, and stories featuring Wesuketchuk. Although all the stories communicate traditional values, some close with the essential teaching of the story: to always listen to warnings, to remember to think of others, to never be greedy and neglect responsibilities, and to be grateful for all gifts on earth. Students from all grade levels can appreciate these stories.

Bruchac, Joseph. (Abenaki/Slavic). Between Earth and Sky: Legends of Native American Sacred Places. Illustrated by Thomas Locker. New York: Harcourt Brace and Company, 1996. ISBN: 0-15-200042-9
Picture Book - Grades 2 and up

Summary: “Western culture speaks of four directions. Native American cultures throughout the continent recognize seven. There are the cardinal directions of East, South, West, and North, directions that correspond to our life cycle of birth, youth, adulthood, and the time of being an elder, respectively. Then there are the directions of Earth and Sky. . . . The Seventh Direction . . . is the direction within us all, the place that helps us see right and wrong and maintain the balance by choosing to live in a good way. Each story ends with the name of the Native tribe from which the story originated: Wampanoag, Seneca, Navajo, Cherokee, Papago, Hopewell, Cheyenne, Hopi, Walapai, Abenaki. The book concludes with a map of America, particularly designating the tribes included in this book.

Bruchac, James and Joseph Bruchac.(Abenaki/Slavic). Native American Games and Stories. Golden, CO: Fulcrum, 2000. 84 pages ISBN: 1-55591-979-0

Summary: Native American Games is separated into types of games: Ball Games and Team Sports, Bowl Games and Other Games of Chance, Games of Skill, Hoop Games, and Awareness Games. The collection includes relevant traditional stories (with tribal origins) and illustrated directions for playing the games.

Bruchac, Joseph.(Abenaki/Slavic). Native American Stories Told by Joseph Bruchac. Golden, CO: Fulcrum, 1991. 145 pp. ISBN: 1-55591-094-7

Summary: This is the collection of stories from Keepers of the Earth, with a Foreword by N. Scott Momaday and illustrated by John Kahionhes Fadden.

Bruchac, Joseph. (Abenaki/Slavic). The Earth Under Sky Bear’s Feet. Illustrated by Thomas Locker. New York: Philomel Books, 1995. ISBN: 0-399-22713-X

Picture Book - K and up

Summary: In this companion to Thirteen Moons on Turtle’s Back, Joseph Bruchac has told twelve stories of the living earth seen from the sky. Each story ends with an acknowledgment of the story’s tribal source: Mohawk, Pima, Winnebago, Lenape, Chumash, Lakota, Navajo, Pawnee.

Bruchac, Joseph. (Abenaki/Slavic). The First Strawberries. New York: Penguin Books, 1993. ISBN 0-8037-1331-2
Picture Book - K and up

Summary: This is a Cherokee story, retold by Abenaki storyteller, Joseph Bruchac, with water color illustrations by Anna Vojtech. The story begins the way so many legends begin: “Long ago...” It is a story of a couple who married and lived happily for a long time until one day they quarreled because the husband’s words hurt his wife, and she left, saying “I will live with you no longer.” Her husband feels sorry and follows her, but he can’t catch up to her. She doesn’t stop to pick the first gifts of the Sun: raspberries, blueberries, blackberries. But when she sees the strawberries in the warmth of the Sun, she remembers her happiness with her husband and stops to pick the berries for him. Her husband approaches her and says, “Forgive me for my hard words,” and she shares the berries with him. “So it was that strawberries came into the world.” The story teaches about the importance of respect for others and about gifts of the earth.

Bruchac, Joseph and Gayle Ross. The Girl Who Married the Moon: Tales from Native North America. Troll Publications, 1993. ISBN 0-816703481-X 127 pages

Summary: From the Introduction by Gayle Ross: “Of all the misconceptions and misunderstandings perpetuated about native peoples, the role of women in traditional cultures is perhaps the most falsely portrayed. . . . Though the survival of the tribe often sharply defined the roles of both men and women, the balance that existed between the sexes was as important as the harmony between the people and the world in which they lived. . . . And so we offer these stories both to honor the generations of grandmothers who have gone before us and to reach the daughters and granddaughters who will come after.” Each of the four sections (Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, Northwest), with four stories in each, is prefaced with an explanation of the tribal backgrounds and focus of the stories.

Long Standing Bear Chief. (Blackfoot) Yellow Shirt & Black Necklace. Browning, MT: Spirit Talk Press, The Blackfoot Nation, 1996. ISBN: 0-9635148-9-X 13 pages

Summary: This is the story of an honor given to Meadow Lark. The story of the gift of the yellow shirt and black necklace “is to remind us that kindness is remembered for a long, long time. The gift of kindness is always rewarded.”

Caduto, Michael J., and Joseph Bruchac (Abenaki), eds. Keepers of the Earth: Native American Stories and Environmental Activities for Children. Golden, CO: Fulcrum, 1988, 208 pp. ISBN: 1-55591-027-0

Summary: Keepers of the Earth is the flagship book in a series. It provides illustrated stories from various tribal orientations, together with a Teacher’s Guide and a list of other resources. Many of the classroom activities inspire environmental awareness. Although the series aims at the primary through intermediate levels, any of the books works well in secondary classes because individuals of any age can identify with the characters in the stories.

Keepers of Life: Discovering Plants Through Native American Stories and Earth Activities for Children. Golden, CO: Fulcrum, 1994. 265 pp. ISBN: 1-55591-186-2

Keepers of the Animals: Native American Stories and Wildlife Activities for Children. Golden, CO: Fulcrum, 1991. 265 pp. ISBN: 1-55591-088-2

Keepers of the Night: Native American Stories and Nocturnal Activities for Children. Golden, CO: Fulcrum, 1994. 146 pp. ISBN: 1-55591-177-3

Native American Gardening: Stories, Projects and Recipes for Families. Golden, CO: Fulcrum, 1996. 157 pp. ISBN: 1-55591-148-X

Medicine Crow, Joe (Crow). Brave Wolf and the Thunderbird. Illustrated by Linda R. Martin (Navajo). New York: Abbeville Press Publishers. 30 pages. ISBN:0-7892-0160-7
Picture Book - K and up

Summary: “Every spring a great big monster climbs out of the lake and up the cliff to steal the mother Thunderbird’s young chicks. This year she is determined to save them, but she needs human help. So she snatches up Brave Wolf while he is out hunting and carries him to her nest, where he comes up with a plan. First, he says, ‘I want to build a fire.’ And then, ‘I’ll need some nice round rocks.’ When the water monster arrives to attack the nest this year, he is greeted by more than just chicks at the top of the cliff.”

“The thunderbird invited all the birds of the country to come have a big feast. They came and ate the monster – ate it all up!”

The end of the book includes an explanation of the thunderbird in the Crow culture, a Glossary of Crow Words, and some history and photographs of the Crow people.

For other “Tales of the People” series books: www.abbeville.com

Moore, Marijo (Cherokee). The Ice Man: A Traditional Native American Tale. (Cherokee). Barrington, IL: Rigby, 2000. 24 pages. ISBN: 0-7635-6699-3

Picture Book - K and up

Summary: In the Great Smoky Mountains, a fire starts and the people can’t put it out. Two men travel to the top of the world to find Ice Man to help them. Because they bring an offering of food, Ice Man agrees to help these “careless people put out the fire before it spreads into all the world.” This is the story of how the Ice Man put out the fire and the “crystal-clear lake” that remains in the place of the fire pit.

Moore, Marijo (Cherokee). The Cherokee Little People: a Native American Tale. (Cherokee). Barrington, IL: Rigby, 2000. 16 pages. ISBN: 0-7635-6663-2

Picture Book - K and up

Summary: When a Cherokee couple’s corn crop grows too big for them to harvest it themselves, Tooni, the husband, goes for help. While he is gone, the crows threaten to eat all the corn. Worried and waiting, Polly has dreams that the Cherokee Little People have helped them. The next morning they see the harvested corn. So Polly makes many small moccasins and cornbread for the Little People who helped them.

Moore, Marijo (Cherokee). First Fire. Barrington, IL: Rigby, 2000. 24 pages. ISBN: 0-7635-6694-2
Picture Book - K and up

Summary: This is the story of how the animals tried to bring fire from a “little green island” because the world was so very cold. Although several try, no one succeeds until Water Spider brings back one little burning coal which grew into a “glowing fire that seemed to light up the world.” In the end, the animals gather around the fire and share stories.

Otokahekagapi (First Beginnings) Sioux Creation Story. Transcribed and Illustrated by Thomas E. Simms. Chamberlain, SD: Tipi Press, Box 89, 1987.

Paul-Dene, Simon (Cree). I Am The Eagle Free (Sky Song). Penticton, B.C.: Theytus Books Ltd., 1992. 36 pages ISBN 0-919441-34-3

Summary: Color illustrated and told by North Saskatchewan artist, this story elicits children’s own stories about their experiences with nature. In his introduction, Simon Paul-Dene explains his purpose for sharing this story: “sooner or later, we’re all going to have to face the Truth: that we are here to protect the Earth for the children and their children. In I Am the Eagle Free, there is a contest to see who could fly the highest. A tiny bird hitches a ride on the tailfeathers of an Eagle. Ashamed of his trickery, the little bird hides in a tree where he still sings although no one can see him.

Ross, Gayle (Cherokee). How Rabbit Tricked Otter and Other Cherokee Trickster Stories. New York: Parabola Books, 1994. 79 pages. ISBN: 0-930407-60-1

Summary: Fifteen traditional stories by the leading storytellers that follow the adventures of Rabbit, the Cherokee trickster/transformer. “Traditional manners and morals, culture, and spirituality are lightly woven into the selections.” Gayle Ross is a direct descendant of John Ross, the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation during the infamous “Trail of Tears.”

Te Ata. (Chickasaw) Baby Rattlesnake. Adapted by Lynn Moroney and Illustrated by Mira Reisberg. San Francisco, CA: Children’s Press, 1989. ISBN:0-89239-111-1 Picture Book- K & up

Summary: Lynn Moroney, and Oklahoma storyteller, received permission to tell and publish this story from ninety-two-year old Chickasaw, Te Ata, who has been telling stories across the country and in Europe for sixty-five years.

Baby Rattlesnake is a story that teaches a lesson–the consequences of getting “something before you’re ready for it.” Wanting a rattle of his own, just like all the big snakes, Baby Rattlesnake keeps all the people awake with his crying. So they decide to give him a small one, knowing it will get him into trouble teach him a lesson. Baby Rattlesnake loses his rattle and sorrowfully returns to his loving family. This is like the story of the Prodical Son. Even after he has rejected the advice of his parents, he is welcomed home in the end. It is a story about the impulsiveness of youth, the wisdom of elders, the value of forgiveness, and the importance of learning lessons for ourselves.

Thunder Hawk, Cal. (Lakota) Lesson of the Feather: A Lakota Story. Illustrations by Bruce Preheim. Chamberlain, SD: Tipi Press, 1998. 17 pages ISBN: 1-877876-21-0
Picture Book - Grade 2 - up

Summary: If we’re lucky, the lessons we learn might result from less than serious consequences. The Lesson of the Feather is that kind of story. It features two boys and their grandfathers: Star, a ten-year-old Lakota boy, who lived in a small band led by his grandfather Stone; and Legs, the grandson of grandfather Lizard, of the animal people who live in the surrounding canyons’ “caves and crevices.” The Lesson of the Feather is a story that will make you laugh while it teaches, softly, that children should respect tradition and the wisdom of their elders. Again, this growing-up story demonstrates the tradition that children can learn how to behave from listening to stories; if not, they will learn from experiences natural consequences.

White, Ellen (Coastal Salish/Kwalsulwut). Kwulasulwut: Stories from the Coast Salish. Penticton, B.C.: Theytus Books Ltd., 1992 76 pp. ISBN: 0-010441-45-9

Summary: Written in memory of White’s grandmother, Mary Rice, “who never tired of telling us her stories,” this collection includes five stories. In each story demonstrate the ways the weak and small can help the strong, the ways individuals can overcome fears and learn from those who are different, the values of respect for all of nature and for the needs and feelings of others, negative consequences of selfishness and rewards of generosity.

#3 Montana Publications – Tribal and Other

Allen, Minerva (Assiniboine). Basal Bilingual Readers. Hays, MT: Hays/Lodge Pole Schools, 1988. Illustrated in black and white by Hank Chopwood, Frank Cuts the Rope, and Mike Brokie.

Summary: Allen welcomes both Native and non-Native teachers and students to use these little books. Most represent traditional stories told by elders, but some are based on historical events. Although they are Basal Readers for teaching the Assiniboine and Gros Ventre languages at the Primary level, even Secondary students can appreciate the themes, conflicts, and traditions which they portray. When a Native first-grade teacher on the Ft. Peck Reservation used these books, she read the story in Assiniboine and then explained to her Sioux students that this language represents the Nakota dialect of the language their people speak. The students enjoyed hearing and reading the stories themselves, and then they participated in discussion and drawing activities developed from the suggested themes.

-----. “Bandit the Racoon.” (Assiniboine)

This story may be used at all levels to teach about the problems individuals experience when they live in one culture and misunderstand the rules of the alien culture. The story also may be used to teach about the way individuals are judged by their appearance. Like all of Allen’s Bilingual Readers, the text is written in both Assiniboine and English. Children who don’t know the Assiniboine language can appreciate the importance of this language which the text affirms.

-----. “Chinook Winds.” (Assiniboine)

This is story about the origin of warm winter winds and the way the elements of earth respond to the needs of human beings, especially when humans respect and revere their power.

-----. “Inktomi Goes Visiting.” (Assiniboine)

Inktomi--Iktomi in the Nakota dialect--the Indians’ brother is also a brother to all the animals and birds. Because he is wise and cautious, he observes the behavior of his little brothers, the snakes, and does not eat the meat they have poisoned.

-----. “Pretty Flower.” (Assiniboine)

This is a story about the origin of the sunflower and the intimate and interdependent relationship between human beings and things of the earth.

----. “The Fat Pig.” (Gros Ventre)

This story teaches the consequences of selfishness.

-----. “School Days at Big Warm.” (Assiniboine)

“School Days” represents a positive experience in the acculturation of Indian children. It takes place in the mid 1900's when children traveled by horse, cars and wagons to a one-room day school with no electricity. The children bring their own lunches, play games and put on a play for Christmas. “It was a happy school.”

-----. “Selling Wood in Lodgepole.” (Assiniboine)

In a more contemporary story, a young boy, whose family sells wood for a living, demonstrates his responsibility to help his family without being told. Although the family lives in the country outside a town, they still participate in the local market economy.

-----. “The Little Rat & The Big Rat.” (Gros Ventre)

This story teaches the negative consequences of refusing to help a relative or friend in need.

-----. “The Rat and the Cat.” (Gros Ventre)

A little rat frightens the bigger rats when he plays a trick on them. But the little rat also learns what it feels like to be chased and frightened himself. He later learns, “I will not play that trick on the rats!

-----. “Vanishing Braves.” (Assiniboine)

Lost braves are found when a grandmother shows a brave how to use medicine to turn trees into missing braves. The story teaches the importance of spiritual power, and the wisdom of elders and their concern for their community.

Allen, Minerva (Assiniboine). Spirits Rest – Poetry. Produced by Graphic Arts Students

Allen, Minerva (Assiniboine). Winter Smoke – Poetry. Havre, MT: Florens Hill Country Printing, 1996.

Summary: “Minerva Allen’s poetry is an honest perception of Indian America. She uses her poetic power and her creative insight to allow us to look upon the lives and events of the Native American in a whole new light.” Ardy Clarke

A Brief History of the Flathead Tribes. St. Ignatius, MT: Flathead Culture Committee of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.

Bull Shows, Harry (Crow). Legends of Chief Bald Eagle. As told to Hap Gilliland. Billings, MT: Montana Council for Indian Education, 1977. 40 pages.

Summary: In the introduction, Harry Bull Shows tells Hap Gilliland that he has decided to tell these stories “so our children will have them.” Gilliland has made every effort to keep the language as Harry Bull Shows used it, a free translation from the beautiful Crow. Although the English may not sound appropriate, Gilliland believes it is most appropriate since it is closer to the Crow language.

Assiniboine Memories: Legends of the Nakota People. (Assiniboine) Fort Belknap, MT: Fort Belknap Community Council, 1983. 138 pages

Illustrated by Harvey King and George Shields Jr., and produced by the Curriculum Development Project of the Fort Belknap Education Department, these stories represent personal accounts of Assiniboine elders. In the Introduction, Preston L. Stiffarm tells that the Assiniboine call themselves Nakota, which means “The Generous Ones” in English, and he suggests these stories reflect the ways and beliefs “the Creator had given” this “proud and courageous people.” The collection of thirty-three stories is organized according to Sacred stories--”the nucleus of their way of life”, Legends--which “serve to explain unnatural phenomenon,” Historical stories--which “give them a sense of being,” and Humorous stories about Ik-Tomi--which give them “hope and laughter in a world filled with many trials and tribulations.”

Belle Highwalking - The Narrative of a Northern Cheyenne Woman. (Northern Cheyenne). Katherine M. Weist, ed. Billings, MT: Montana Council for Indian Education, 1982. 66 pages

Summary: At seventy-nine years, the half-sister of John Stands in Timber told Katherine Weist the remembered stories she had heard and lived in on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. Those reservation years brought dramatic change to the Cheyenne people, and this memoir blends Cheyenne cultural ways with historical events and government programs as they affected the people. With sadness she tells how times are different now, since people have moved to town: “they eat white-man’s food and their teeth fall out; the men are educated and forget how to work, and they forget their relatives and drink too much.” But she writes this memoir so her grandchildren will know what it was like for her and their people in the Old Days. Several stories feature the Trickster character, but wise women succeed in outsmarting him. Although her stories are frequently tragic, her sense of humor, her personal strength, and her love and commitment to her people and especially her grandchildren, survive in this memoir. Because of some of the sensitivity of some sexual issues, teachers should select the readings.

Comes at Night, George (Blackfeet/Flathead). Roaming Days: Warrior Stories. Browning, MT: Blackfeet Heritage Program, 1978. 67 pages.

Summary: The history and culture of the Blackfeet people are reflected in the ten short warrior stories which demonstrate the powerful influence of visionary and magical experiences the Blackfeet people have accepted as real. They are examples of the kind of stories told long ago that recount many brave deeds of Miah-wa, Mik-ka-pi, Eagle Head, First Rider, Iron Pipe, and White Quiver who were assisted by their “secret helpers.”

Feather Earring, TurnsBack, Old Coyote and Lela M. Puffer (Crow). Prairie Legends. Billings, MT: Montana Council for Indian Education, 1978. 32 pages.

Summary: In the first story, “How We Got the Great War Dance,” Red Wolf learns the dance from watching prairie chickens. In the second story, after years of separation, a “Lost Boy” returns to his camp because his parents followed the advice of a young man. In “Crow Courtship,” Sun Eagle wishes to marry beautiful Dawn Star. Although she gives him no encouragement, he persists and continues to bring her presents. One day Sioux warriors capture Dawn Star, but she risks her life to escape and return to Sun Eagle. These stories reflect the values of close observation, fortitude, commitment to a purpose, and interdependence between humans and animals.

The Gathering. Poplar, MT: Fort Peck Community College.

Summary: This literary magazine includes poetry, art, stories, essays.

Gingras, Louie (Kootenai)..Coyote and Kootenai. (Kootenai) As told to Jo Rainbolt. Billings, MT: Montana Council for Indian Education, 1977. 35 pages

Summary: During the winters when Louie was little, his grandmother would tell him these humorous stories about the oldtimers (animals) and “Coyote and his brave and silly deeds,” and about the ways “Coyote got in a lot of trouble, but Fox always got him out of it.” When Coyote misbehaves, he is often aided by his friend, Fox, who is quick to point out Coyote’s mistakes. These tales teach the value of following directions, being yourself, and showing respect for wildlife. There are also tales of how Coyote prepared the animal world for the coming of people and how he tricked and changed animals like the owl and the mosquito. The stories communicate the importance of being satisfied with who we are, what we have, and what we can do, but they also tell about the origins of animal characteristics, about natural landmarks, and about the Kootenais’ conflict with the Blackfeet.

Good Strike, The Boy, and Joe Assiniboin (Assiniboine). How Horses Came to the Ha’A’Ninin. Billings, MT: Montana Council for Indian Education, 1980. 35 pages

Summary: On July 27, 1937 at Hays, Montana, The Boy told three stories which Thomas Main translated into English: “How Horses Came to the Ha’A’Ninin,” “Red Bird’s Death,” and “Chief Mountain’s Medicine.”

Ground, Mary (Blackfeet). Grass Woman Stories. Janet Bailey, editor. Browning, MT: Blackfeet Heritage Program, 1978. 59 pages

Summary: During her lifetime, Mary Ground, whose Indian name was Grass Woman, experienced extreme changes in the life of Blackfeet Indians, from the travois and teepee days to the time when the reservation was a fenced compound patrolled by U.S. military. Mary Ground told these stories to her granddaughter, Cynthia Kipp, during the winter of 1977-78, and the Blackfeet Heritage Program Culture Committee reviewed them all. The fourteen stories in this volume are a blend of customs, folklore, and real-life events in the life of the Pikuni people. Many, including marriage customs and childbirth rituals, reflect the culture from a woman’s point of view. Some of the stories tell of magical events that result in a lesson being taught, while others tell the true-life stories of men, women, and children who suffer harsh and sometimes violent consequences when they neglect, betray, or show disrespect for their relatives and friends. The most accessible story for the Intermediate Level is “Calf Coat,” which communicates the interdependent relationship between human beings and animals.

How the Morning and Evening Stars Came to Be and Other Assiniboine Indian Stories. (Assiniboine). Helena, MT: Montana Historical Society Press in cooperation with the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes and Fort Belknap Tribes, 2003. 39 pp. ISBN:0-917298-96-9

Summary: Three traditional Assiniboine Indian stories–one the story of the creation of the morning and evening stars, the others stories about Inktomi the trickster–offer a reflection of a sustaining culture, many of whose members live in northwestern Montana on the Fort Peck and Fort Belknap reservations. The collection concludes with a map and a brief explanation of the history and culture of the Montana Assiniboine people.

How the Summer Season Came and Other Assiniboine Indian Stories. (Assiniboine). Helena, MT: Montana Historical Society Press in cooperation with the Fort Peck and Fort Belknap Tribes, 2003. 95 pp. ISBN:0-917298-94-2

Summary: “Recorded by Assiniboine storytellers and illustrated by Indian artists from the Fort Peck and Fort Belknap reservations in northern Montana, these stories were originally intended to help educate young tribal members about their history and culture.” The collection concludes with a map and a brief explanation of the history and culture of the Montana Assiniboine people.

Huberman, Robert G., assisted by Karen Pale Moon Huberman. Our Only Homeland: An Ecological Look at the Land of the Gros Ventre and Assiniboine. Hays, MT: Hays/Lodgepole Public Schools, 1980. 63 pp.

Indian Reading Series. www.nwrel.org/indianed/indianreading/ (Download free any title) Or www.nwrel.org/nwreport/2003-09/Indian.html (Available again)

Written by local Indian authors and illustrated by Indian artists from the Plains and Northwest, the series comprises 140 stories - levels K-6 for reading, but all ages can appreciate the stories. “Children have been asking questions for as long as there have been people. The Indian answered these questions in time-honored stories to show children how to live and to teach them of the world. The stories teach all children how to become real people: that they have to feel love, respect and trust, knowing the joy of caring and sharing, and be willing to help one another.” (From the flyer )

Illustrated Stories in the Series from Montana Tribes

Assiniboine

How the Big Dipper and North Star Came to Be Level V Book 14

How the Summer Season Came Level IV Book 6

Duckhead Necklace and Indian Love Story Level V Book 15

Ghost Stories Level V Book 7