First Voices | Mid-Columbia Libraries

Everything you wanted to know about Indians but were afraid to ask : young readers edition

Treuer, Anton, author.

From the Publisher

一个“本地没有的问题和答案n-Native young readers alike. Ranging from 'Why is there such a fuss about nonnative people wearing Indian costumes for Halloween?' to 'Why is it called a traditional Indian fry bread taco?' to 'What's it like for Natives who don't look Native?' to 'Why are Indians so often imagined rather than understood?' and beyond, [this book] does exactly what its title says for young readers"--Publisher marketing.

My Thoughts

Truer shares and documents facts clearly and calmly. He clarifies that his opinions do not reflect the opinions of all Indigenous people, and points out that not only do not all Indigenous people have the same opinions, but many individuals from the same tribes do not have the same opinions.

Trudell

From the Publisher

遵循美国本土诗人的生活工作/活动vist John Trudell, chronicling his travels, spoken word and politics in a poetic and naturally stylized manner. The film combines archival, concert and interview footage with abstract imagery mirroring the coyote nature of Trudell himself.

My Thoughts

This documentary focuses on an important figure in recent U.S. history who many of us have not heard of, John Trudell. This award-winning film features interviews with Trudell, a few iconic European American performers, Robert Redford, Kris Kristofferson, and Bonnie Raitt, to name a few, and fellow Indigenous activists who knew Trudell as well as beautiful scenery and the occasional factual tidbit on screen.

Rumble the Indians who rocked the world

From the Publisher

This revelatory documentary brings to light the profound and overlooked influence of Indigenous people on popular music in North America. Focusing on music icons like Link Wray, Jimi Hendrix, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Taboo (The Black Eyed Peas), Charley Patton, Mildred Bailey, Jesse Ed Davis, Robbie Robertson, and Randy Castillo, RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked the World shows how these pioneering Native American musicians helped shape the soundtracks of our lives. The idea for RUMBLE came about when...

My Thoughts

This award-winning DVD offers a revelation in every segment about the vital role Indigenous people have had in the creation of and innovations within rock-n-roll. I often exclaimed, "What?! How come I never heard of that?" Learn how Indigenous Americans influenced rock-n-roll here and in Great Britain.

Walking the clouds : an anthology of indigenous science fiction

From the Publisher

In this first-ever anthology of Indigenous science fiction Grace Dillon collects some of the finest examples of the craft with contributions by Native American, First Nations, Aboriginal Australian, and New Zealand Maori authors. The collection includes seminal authors such as Gerald Vizenor, contributions often categorized as "magical realism" by authors like Leslie Marmon Silko and Sherman Alexie, and authors more recognizable to science fiction fans like William Sanders and Stephen Graham...

My Thoughts

Fascinating cover to cover, this book left me wanting to read many of the featured artists more, including the editor, Grace Dillon, who teaches at Portland State University. The preface and introductions to each featured segment educate not only about Indigenous characters in science fiction, but also about sci-fi and science itself. In fact, one preface documents that a few physicists, such as David Peat, have consulted with Blackfoot in particular because their conceptions mesh with quantum physics.

Our history is the future : Standing Rock versus the Dakota Access Pipeline, and the long tradition of Indigenous resistance

Estes, Nick, author.

From the Publisher

"In 2016, a small protest encampment at the Standing Rock reservation in North Dakota, initially established to block construction of the Dakota Access oil pipeline, grew to be the largest Indigenous protest movement in the twenty-first century, attracting tens of thousands of Indigenous and non-Native allies from around the world. Its slogan "Mni Wiconi"--Water is Life--was about more than just a pipeline. Water Protectors knew this battle for Native sovereignty had already been fought many...

My Thoughts

This well-documented book uses the Dakota Access Pipeline events as a way to understand how historical events informed the occurrence and coverage of the protests. It also explains why many white ranchers and veterans joined Indigenous folks in the protest.

The marrow thieves

Dimaline, Cherie, 1975- author.

From the Publisher

"In a future world ravaged by global warming, people have lost the ability to dream, and the dreamlessness has led to widespread madness. The only people still able to dream are North America's indigenous population - and it is their marrow that holds the cure for the rest of the world. But getting the marrow - and dreams - means death for the unwilling donors. Driven to flight, a 15-year-old and his companions struggle for survival, attempt to reunite with loved ones, and take refuge from the...

My Thoughts

I read this book over a year ago, and its images stick in my mind still. In addition to potent writing, the exploration of language and dreams deepens this story.

Trail of lightning

Roanhorse, Rebecca, author.

From the Publisher

"While most of the world has drowned beneath the sudden rising waters of a climate apocalypse, Dinétah (formerly the Navajo reservation) has been reborn. The gods and heroes of legend walk the land, but so do monsters. Maggie Hoskie is a Dinétah monster hunter, a supernaturally gifted killer. When a small town needs help finding a missing girl, Maggie is their last best hope. But what Maggie uncovers about the monster is much more terrifying than anything she could imagine"-- Provided by...

My Thoughts

Roanhorse has gained enough of a following to publish many books. Her command of pacing and introduction of interesting ideas and images explains the popularity, and I found the focus on the Dine educative.

Braiding sweetgrass

Kimmerer, Robin Wall, author.

From the Publisher

"As a leading researcher in the field of biology, Robin Wall Kimmerer understands the delicate state of our world. But as an active member of the Potawatomi nation, she senses and relates to the world through a way of knowing far older than any science. In Braiding Sweetgrass, she intertwines these two modes of awareness--the analytic and the emotional, the scientific and the cultural--to ultimately reveal a path toward healing the rift that grows between people and nature. The woven essays...

My Thoughts

Wall Kimmerer writes clearly and shows how Indigenous scientific methods reveal a good deal that Western academic science has missed. She clearly shows how careful and patient observation reveals not only the small wonders of the world but also how these wonders support each other.

There there

Orange, Tommy, 1982- author.

From the Publisher

"Not since Sherman Alexie's The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven and Louise Erdrich's Love Medicine has such a powerful and urgent Native American voice exploded onto the landscape of contemporary fiction. Tommy Orange's There There introduces a brilliant new author at the start of a major career. "We all came to the powwow for different reasons. The messy, dangling threads of our lives got pulled into a braid--tied to the back of everything we'd been doing all along to get us here....

My Thoughts

While many may find the humor too dark, I found the story and the humor illuminating. The book shows how creatively Indigenous people keep their cultures alive while in urban settings and apart from the majority of their families around them.

Boy

From the Publisher

The year is 1984, and on the rural east coast of New Zealand Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' is changing kids' lives. 'Boy' is a dreamer who lives with his brother Rocky and his Nan. When Boy's father, Alamein, returns home after seven years away, Boy is forced to confront the man he thought he remembered find his own potential, and learn to get along without the hero he had been looking for.

My Thoughts

Director Waititi, of current Marvel fame, directed this film that unsentimentally explores fractured Indigenous families in a way that illuminates behaviors and forgives. It is profound without being too heavy and loving without being schmaltzy.

Skraelings

Qitsualik-Tinsley, Rachel, 1953- author.

From the Publisher

"In this adventurous novel--set in the ancient Arctic, but told by an inquisitive and entertaining contemporary narrator--a wandering Inuit hunter named Kannujaq happens upon a camp in grave peril. The inhabitants of the camp are Tuniit, a race of ancient Inuit ancestors known for their shyness and strength. The tranquility of this Tuniit camp has been shaken by a group of murderous, pale, bearded strangers who have arrived on a huge boat shaped like a loon. Unbeknownst to Kannujaq, he has...

My Thoughts

This YA book provides a fictionalized exploration of the first contact between Vikings and Indigenous communities in the far north of the Americas. The novel demonizes neither side and offers potential insight into motivations for both groups to reach out and to be wary of each other.

Surviving the city

Spillett-Sumner, Tasha, 1988- author.

From the Publisher

“塔莎Spillet漫画小说处女作,幸存的the City, is a story about womanhood, friendship, resilience, and the anguish of a missing loved one. Miikwan and Dez are best friends. Miikwan's Anishinaabe; Dez is Inninew. Together, the teens navigate the challenges of growing up in an urban landscape - they're so close, they even completed their Berry Fast together. However, when Dez's grandmother becomes too sick, Dez is told she can't stay with her anymore. With the threat of a group home...

My Thoughts

This series of graphic novels follows young Indigenous women in urban Canada. The characters grow throughout the series, providing insights into challenges that Indigenous urban persons of all ages face. Both author and illustrator have won awards.

Ceremony

Silko, Leslie Marmon。

From the Publisher

The great Native American Novel of a battered veteran returning home to heal his mind and spirit More than thirty-five years since its original publication, Ceremony remains one of the most profound and moving works of Native American literature, a novel that is itself a ceremony of healing. Tayo, a World War II veteran of mixed ancestry, returns to the Laguna Pueblo Reservation. He is deeply scarred by his experience as a prisoner of the Japanese and further wounded by the rejection he...

My Thoughts

Marmon Silko's novel makes for a very interesting read in content and form. I recommend it for persons who are interested in different structures and stories.

The dark horse

From the Publisher

An inspiring true story based on the life of charismatic and brilliant chess champion Genesis Potini. His emotionally charged story is about finding the courage to lead, despite his own struggles, and finding purpose and hope in passing on his gift to the children of his community.

My Thoughts

This movie unflinchingly yet compassionately presents genius, addiction, abuse, and the power of reinvigorating cultural practices.

Turtle Island : the story of North America's first people

Yellowhorn, Eldon, 1956- author.

From the Publisher

Presents the story of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas from the end of the Ice Age to the arrival of the Europeans.

My Thoughts

This nonfiction juvenile book presents the history of Indigenous people in North America from prehistoric through contemporary times in a visually engaging way. It is concise and well-organized that provides readers different modalities through which to approach the material.

The end of the myth : from the frontier to the border wall in the mind of America

Grandin, Greg, 1962- author.

From the Publisher

"A[n] ... interpretation of the meaning of the frontier, from early westward expansion to Trump's border wall ... historian Greg Grandin explores the meaning of the frontier throughout the full sweep of U.S. history--from the American Revolution to the War of 1898, the New Deal to the election of 2016"-- Provided by publisher.

My Thoughts

While not written by an Indigenous author, this award-winning book presents a well-documented history of the United States' government's founding and impact on Indigenous Americans.

From the ashes : my story of being indigenous, homeless, and finding my way

Thistle, Jesse, author.

From the Publisher

"From the Ashes is a remarkable memoir about hope and resilience, and a revelatory look into the life of a Métis-Cree man who refused to give up. Abandoned by his parents as a toddler, Jesse Thistle briefly found himself in the foster-care system with his two brothers, cut off from all they had known. Eventually the children landed in the home of their paternal grandparents, whose tough-love attitudes quickly resulted in conflicts. Throughout it all, the ghost of Jesse's drug-addicted father...

My Thoughts

Thistle's journey illustrates the challenges of being an Indigenous person in Canada, falling into addiction and homelessness, and ultimately moving to health through insight and pursuit of education.

Heart berries : a memoir

Mailhot, Terese Marie, author.

From the Publisher

"Having survived a profoundly dysfunctional upbringing only to find herself hospitalized and facing a dual diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder and bipolar II disorder, Terese Marie Mailhot is given a notebook and begins to write her way out of trauma. The ... result is [this book], a memorial for Mailhot's mother, a social worker and activist who had a thing for prisoners; a story of reconciliation with her father--an abusive drunk and a brilliant artist--who was murdered under...

My Thoughts

This memoir gives insight into some of the challenges the author had to overcome to survive in academia.

The night watchman : a novel

Erdrich, Louise, author.

From the Publisher

A novel based on the life of "Erdrich's grandfather, who worked as a night watchman and carried the fight against Native dispossession from rural North Dakota all the way to Washington, D.C."--Dust jacket flap.

My Thoughts

I find Erdrich to write better than anyone in the U.S., and this book surpasses earlier efforts. All Erdrich's characters have believable voices, and while touching upon true historical events, Erdrich tightly and artistically weaves all through language that leads from one line, one paragraph, one chapter to the next. The artistry is unparalleled.

Future home of the living God

Erdrich, Louise.

From the Publisher

A tale set in a world of reversing evolution and a growing police state follows pregnant thirty-two-year-old Cedar Hawk Songmaker, who investigates her biological family while awaiting the birth of a child who may emerge as a member of a primitive human species.

My Thoughts

Erdrich edges into speculative fiction in this work. I read this book because Erdrich is my favorite author, and she delivers in her usual flawless language and engaging story structure. But, it is not for the faint of heart.

The round house : a novel

Erdrich, Louise.

From the Publisher

Louise Erdrich transports readers to the Ojibwe reservation in North Dakota. It is an exquisitely told story of a boy on the cusp of manhood who seeks justice and understanding in the wake of a terrible crime that upends and forever transforms his family.

My Thoughts

Erdrich departs from her more interesting structuring and delivers a novel that is easy to follow with an ending that many will find satisfying.

我唯一的好ndians : a novel

Jones, Stephen Graham, 1972- author.

From the Publisher

"Peter Straub's Ghost Story meets Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies in this American Indian horror story of revenge on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Four American Indian men from the Blackfeet Nation, who were childhood friends, find themselves in a desperate struggle for their lives, against an entity that wants to exact revenge upon them for what they did during an elk hunt ten years earlier by killing them, their families, and friends"-- Provided by publisher.

My Thoughts

While in the horror genre, this book provides narrative examinations of sociological, cultural, personal psychological, and even ecological disruptions and their interconnection. Despite the sadness, the story resolves itself on many levels and offers a powerful ending.

The pencil

Avingaq, Susan, author.

From the Publisher

"Susan and her sister, Rebecca, love watching their mother write letters to people in other camps. Their mother has one precious pencil, and she keeps it safe in her box for special things. One afternoon, Anaana leaves the iglu to help a neighbour, and Susan, Rebecca, and their brother Peter are left with their father. They play all their regular games but are soon out of things to do-until Ataata brings out the pencil! As Susan draws and draws, the pencil grows shorter and shorter. What will...

My Thoughts

This picture book gives an interesting look into Inuit life and the importance of taking care of one's things.