About Native Women

Earlier this week I was at a holiday gathering in Washington DC. Across the room, I saw the Native woman who wrote one of my all-time favorite children's books: Sharice Davids. Her book, Sharice's Big Voice came out in 2021. Here's the cover:

Some context: 

Back in 2016, Native people were excited when Sharice Davids was running to represent Kansas in the U.S. House. She's Ho-Chunk. During that same time, Deb Haaland was running to represent New Mexico. She is Laguna. There was a lot of joy when they won!

And when they were sworn in, Native people shared the footage from CBS of Davids and Haaland embracing. From then on, they were Representative Davids, and Representative Haaland.  Here's a screen capture from the CBS video:

I remember being so excited! And of course, I thought that we need some children's books about them. Now--in 2023--there are several books. What made meeting Sharice Davids even better was when I was saw she had Laurel Goodluck's biography of Deb Haaland with her. 

The event was hosted by Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland. In 2021, President Biden selected her to serve in his Cabinet. On the other side of the wall where that photo of me and Representative Davids was taken, Secretary Haaland was about to speak to all of us who were there for the holiday gathering. 

Why was I there? Well, my daughter--Elizabeth Hidalgo Reese--invited me to go with her. In April of 2023, she began working as the Senior Policy Advisor for Native Affairs in President Biden's Domestic Policy Council. When Secretary Haaland delivered her remarks that night, she said a few things about Liz and her work on the 2023 Tribal Nations Summit! Of course, I was beaming. I am so proud of her! 

As I reflect back on that night, I feel a tremendous sense of community. The community of Native women who devote time and energy to make change in the lives of Native people. I'm in that community, too, like my mom is, and like my grandmother was. As 2024 approaches, the memory of that gathering warms my entire being. I'll close by saying Kú'daawó'háa to Liz and everyone who works for the well-being of Native children, in whatever way you do. It matters. 

Again, Kú'daawó'háa. 

__________

Ask for the books at your local library!

Sharice's Big Voice by Sharice Davids

She Persisted: Deb Haaland by Laurel Goodluck

Deb Haaland: First Native American Cabinet Secretary by Matthew Martinez and Jill Doerfloer

What Your Ribbon Skirt Means to Me: Deb Haaland's Historic Inauguration by Alexis Bunten

Native Women Changing Their Worlds by Patricia J. Cutright

  

Highly Recommended! SHARICE'S BIG VOICE: A NATIVE KID BECOMES A CONGRESSWOMAN

 

Sharice's Big Voice: A Native Kid Becomes a Congresswoman

Written by Sharice Davids (Ho-Chunk) with Nancy K. Mays

Illustrated by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley (member of Wasauksing, First Nation)

Published in 2021

Publisher: Harper Collins

Reviewer: Debbie Reese

Review Status: Highly Recommended

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In some books, I find one thing after another that I absolutely adore. Sharice's Big Voice is one of those books. First example? The back cover. It is a page from inside. It looks like this:

On that page, Sharice is studying. A stack of books is there. The text on that page tells us that she started law school so that she could work to make US laws more just and fair. Those words are cool, but look at the pages behind her! 

My guess is that most readers will recognize "The Constitution of the United States" but why is our attention being drawn to Article 6? Do you know what Article 6 is about? Hint: it has to do with the other pages you see behind Sharice! 

Sharice's Big Voice is a picture book whose contents make the case for why picture books should be read by everyone. If you're teaching social studies, teach this book and do a study of this page. Start by reading Article 6. Then, ask students to do research on the Treaty With the Winnebago, and the other items on that page. Put them into chronological order, after having read Article 6. 

As I reflect on that page, I'm reminded of the article by Sarah B. Shear, Leilani Sabzalian, and Lisa Brown Buchanan.  It is titled "Affirming Indigenous Sovereignty: A Civics Inquiry" and came out in 2018 in an educator's journal called Social Studies and the Young Learner. Here's the first sentence in the article:

Indigenous sovereignty is an essential component of civics education.

Here's the first sentence in the next paragraph:

Elementary social studies curriculum is notoriously silent about Indigenous sovereignty.

My guess is that most teachers want to give their students a solid education and might know a bit about Native sovereignty--but not enough to feel confident in what they do. And so, they are silent about Indigenous sovereignty. The article has key words and definitions, realistic steps for you to take with your students as you begin to fill that silent space, and links to resources to help you.  

Affirming Indigenous Sovereignty (the article) and Sharice's Big Voice can be your starting place to make a difference in what your students learn about Native peoples. Get the picture book, and if your librarian isn't able to get the article for you, let me know. 

There's a lot more to say about Sharice's Big Voice but I gotta get outside and finish the paint job on our fence. I'll be thinking about this book and may be back to say more. It is one of my favorite books of the year. It affirms Native identity, and being physically, educationally, and politically active. This page is so important! It says (in part): "Growing up, I never would have guessed my path would lead to Congress. I didn't know that I would be one of the first Native American women in Congress and the first lesbian representative from Kansas." 

And if you're wondering if it is tribally specific? The answer is yes! There's a page about kids in school asking Sharice "What are you." She tells her mom about it, and her mom tells her "We're members of the Ho-Chunk Nation." When I talk about the book online I'll use #Ho-ChunkVoice--and you should, too.  

Page after page, the words resonate and educate, and Pawis-Steckley's gorgeous Ojibwe art does, too! Get a copy for your classroom library, your home library, and ask your librarian to get copies. Then, talk about it with others. Share the knowledge that Sharice Davids and Nancy K. Mays provide in Sharice's Big Voice. 

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Back to say that good nonfiction for young people is very hard to find, especially biography or autobiography about Native people of the present day. If this book had been available when Betsy McEntarffer and I wrote "Indigenous Nations in Nonfiction" for Crisp, Knezek, and Gardner's Reading and Teaching with Diverse Nonfiction Children's Books, we'd have written about it, with tremendous joy.