Dive into these beautiful picture books by indigenous authors!
Bowwow powwow = Bagosenjige-niimi’idim
by Brenda J. Child
When Uncle and Windy Girl attend a powwow, Windy watches the dancers and listens to the singers. She eats tasty food and joins family and friends around the campfire. Later, Windy falls asleep under the stars. Uncle’s stories inspire visions in her head: a bowwow powwow, where all the dancers are dogs.
The Canoe Maker: David Moses Bridges, Passamaquoddy Birch Bark Artisan
by Jean Flahive
Young Tobias is on a quest with his father, David Moses Bridges, the tribe’s master canoe maker. Together they go deep into the Maine woods to find the perfect birch and to gather spruce roots, cedar, and spruce gum to build a canoe in the “old ways.”
Kunu’s Basket: A Story of Indian Island
by Francis Lee DeCora
Kunu wants to make a pack basket, just like the other men on Indian Island. But making the basket is difficult, and Kunu gets frustrated. He is ready to give up when his grandfather intervenes. This is not only a story about a family tradition, but also a story about learning to be patient and gentle with yourself.
Let’s go! = Haw êkwa!
by Julie Flett
This story celebrates skateboarding, family, and community. Every day, a little boy watches kids pass by on skateboards, and dreams of joining them. One day, his mother brings a surprise: her old skateboard, just for him! haw êkwa! Let’s go!
The First Blade of Sweetgrass
by Suzanne Greenlaw
Musquon must overcome her impatience while learning to distinguish sweetgrass from other salt marsh grasses, but slowly the spirit and peace of her surroundings speak to her, and she gathers sweetgrass as her ancestors have done for centuries, leaving the first blade she sees to grow for future generations.
Mnoomin maan’gowing = The Gift of Mnoomin
by Brittany Luby
An Anishinaabe child explores the story of a precious mnoomin seed and the circle of life mnoomin sustains. Written in Anishinaabemowin and English, the story opens at harvest time.
Forever Our Home = kâkikê kîkinaw
by Tonya Simpson
This gentle lullaby, in both Plains Cree and English, is a celebration of the plants and animals of the Prairies and a meditation on the sacred, ancestral connections between Indigenous children and their Traditional Territories.
We are grateful : Otsaliheliga
by Traci Sorell
Otsaliheliga is a Cherokee word that is used to express gratitude. Journey through the year with a Cherokee family and their tribal nation as they express thanks for celebrations big and small.
