2024 American Indian Youth Literature Award (AIYLA) -- Acceptance Speeches

On January 25, 2025, the American Indian Library Association (AILA) held its Youth Literature Award Ceremony in Phoenix during the American Library Association's LibLearn gathering. With their permission, AICL is pleased to share the remarks delivered by award recipients that were able to travel to Phoenix:

Christine Day (Upper Skagit). We Still Belong and She Persisted: Maria Tallchief

Laurel Goodluck (Mandan & Hidatsa and Tsimshian). Forever Cousins, Rock Your Mocs, and She Persisted: Deb Haaland

Byron Graves (Ojibwe). Rez Ball

Jonathan Nelson. Forever Cousins and A Letter for Bob

Kim Rogers (Wichita & Affiliated Tribes). A Letter for Bob

Traci Sorell (Cherokee Nation). Contenders: Two Native Baseball Players, One World Series and Mascot, and She Persisted: Wilma Mankiller

Arigon Starr (Kickapoo Tribe). Contenders: Two Native Baseball Players, One World Series

A complete list of the award winners is at the AILA website. Click on the year (2024) to see books chosen to receive the AIYLA awards. You can download a pdf of the winners. You can also read the association's Winter 2025 newsletter. Page 3 is an article by Joy Bridwell, who served as the committee chair.