Children of Native America Today

by Yvonne Wakim Dennis, Global Fund for Children, Arlene B. Hirschfelder, et al.

Book Overview

Come along on a photographic journey through America's native nations as seen through the eyes of children. CHILDREN OF NATIVE AMERICA TODAY invites readers to explore Native nations, focusing on the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1570914990
• ISBN13: 9781570914997
• Release Date: February 2003
• Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing
• Length: 64 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 8.9" x 11.3"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Buy this Book

As a teacher, and one who is sensitive and well aware of Native American lives and cultures, all I can say is BUY THIS BOOK!

A must for every elementary library

A good survey of native kids' lives, activities that emphasizes their ongoing cultural contributions to life in the multicultural climate of today's America. Great color photos, text at about third grade level, this ought to shatter stereotypes right and left. Glossary, resource guide included.

Excellent photos break stereotypes, teach about diversity

As the authors explain in their preface, the goal of this book is to break stereotypes about Native Americans -- and it does this very well. All too often we think of Native Americans only in terms of powwows and costumes, and then only the "war bonnets" or beaded buckskin dresses of the Plains tribes. Some of the children in this book are wearing native dress (in many different styles) for traditional occasions, but they also wear modern clothes for everyday activities like sports, hiking, fun on the playground, etc. In the Forward by folksinger Buffy St. Marie (whose music first raised my awareness of Native issues back in the 1970s), she correctly points out that every child belongs to at least one culture, but that children are not ONLY their cultures. "Even kids from the most traditional Native backgrounds have much in common with other children," she writes. "They have families, they grow and change every day, they love and work and play." There are over 500 Native tribes in the United States, each of which has its own language and customs. This book covers 25 tribes representative of the various geographical areas, from Maine to Hawaii, with a map showing their locations. There's also a section on urban communities. (Which city has the largest Native population? New York!) The authors describe their photo essay as "a book of few words and many pictures." The bright, colorful photos are indeed fabulous, and the "few words" are well-chosen. Each tribe gets a two-page spread, with child-friendly facts about history and daily activities that range from sports (Lacrosse is originally a Native game) to harvesting clams, making maple syrup, riding horses or carving totem poles. Sidebars give the total population of each group, its geogrphical location(s), and names of some famous people. Throught the bookj, the focus is always on things that children do, with lessons about about diversity, respect, tolerance, ecology, and other issues gently woven in and not at all preachy. I myself learned a lot myself from reading this book, and the photo on page 11 finally cleared up the mystery about an odd old tool I found on my hobby farm -- it's a "comb" for harvesting cranberries! There is also a teacher's activity and resource guide (sold separately) that goes with this book. The Guide has biographies of contemporary members of various Native groups, with suggested investigative activities focusing on that person's accomplishments and/or expertise. For example, the page on Lori Aviso Alvord, the first Navajo woman surgeon, has a discussion of traditional forms of holistic healing, and suggestions for investigating different healing approaches used in the world today. Taken together, the activities in the Guide cover the whole gamut of contributions that Native Americans have made in all areas of society and life. The authors are currently working on another diversity book about children's ceremonies around the world. (In fact,

One of the best multicultural educational book I've seen!!

As a teacher I have always been interested in exploring the diverse history of Native Americans with my students but have been unable to locate a book that is both educational and fun...until now. Children of Native America today is a book that engages young people while showing them how Native American children are as diverse and heterogeneous as any other group. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in teaching young students about Native Americans.

Careful attention to what life is really like

The collaborative effort of Yvonne Wakim Dennis and Arlene Hirschfelder, Children Of Native America Today introduces young readers to the lives and cultures of Native Americans all across the nation. Ranging from the Ojibway and Cherokee peoples, to the Pueblo and native Hawaiians, Children Of Native America Today is enhanced with color photographs illustrating an outstanding survey which broadly touches upon a variety of different Native American tribes and cultures -- rather than going for an in-depth on any particular one. Careful attention to what life is really like, and emphasizing the importance of not allowing stereotypes to cloud one's judgement, make Children Of Native America Today a highly recommended addition to school and community library Native American Studies collections for young readers.