A few days ago on social media, I saw Daniel Heath Justice's post about The Cherokee: People, Culture, and History by Twila M. Barnes. Daniel is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and a scholar and professor who has written several terrific books. If you don't have Why Indigenous Literatures Matter, order it today. You can definitely use it to become more adept at evaluating information about Native peoples. And if you work in a library, you can draw from it to update your collection development policy. In his post about The Cherokee: People, Culture, and History he said it is "Authentic, well-sourced, and accurate" and that he couldn't be more excited to see it is finally out. Daniel and Twila are citizens of the Cherokee Nation.
Twila's book is non-fiction, meant for young readers. Here's the cover:
The Cherokee: People, Culture, and History
Written by Twila M. Barnes, citizen of the Cherokee Nation
Published in 2024
Publisher: Capstone
Reviewer: Debbie Reese
Review Status: Highly Recommended
Regular readers of AICL will know why that cover is important: it features a Native--in this case Cherokee--child of the present day. Think back to most books you've seen (or do a Google search) that feature Native people. The covers usually show Native adults in a past tense setting, or in tribal regalia (clothing). Rarely do we see present-day Native children on book covers, wearing something they wear every day. Of course, I love the cover!
I've been reading Twila's blog, Thoughts from Polly's Granddaughter: A Little Cherokee History and Genealogy Mixed in with a Whole Lot of Truth, for years. I've learned a lot from her careful studies there and am delighted that Capstone asked her to write this book. I was also happy to see the interview of her in the Cherokee Nation's newspaper, Cherokee Phoenix.
Regular readers of AICL will also know that I recommend books by Native writers because they bring their lived experience to their writing. They have knowledge that they gained first-hand rather than from resources by outsiders that are too-often flawed, biased, incomplete, or just plain wrong!
So, what will you find once you open her book? I see present tense verbs in sentences like "What is a sovereign tribal government?" and "Where are the Cherokee tribal governments located?" They're a textual echo of the cover. Using present tense verbs tells readers that we are still here. And I see the word "nation" several times, in vibrant bold text!
What else do I see.... hey -- earlier in this post I mentioned the Cherokee Phoenix and right there on page 10 is a photo of the very first issue, which came out in 1828! There's a timeline that has key moments including familiar events like the Trail of Tears, and lesser known ones whose presence invites teachers to look for more information than could be included in a picture book for young readers. I like the page about Cherokee language, and that Barnes did not shy away from saying that the US government and its boarding schools played a large part in loss of language.
So, what will you find once you open her book? I see present tense verbs in sentences like "What is a sovereign tribal government?" and "Where are the Cherokee tribal governments located?" They're a textual echo of the cover. Using present tense verbs tells readers that we are still here. And I see the word "nation" several times, in vibrant bold text!
What else do I see.... hey -- earlier in this post I mentioned the Cherokee Phoenix and right there on page 10 is a photo of the very first issue, which came out in 1828! There's a timeline that has key moments including familiar events like the Trail of Tears, and lesser known ones whose presence invites teachers to look for more information than could be included in a picture book for young readers. I like the page about Cherokee language, and that Barnes did not shy away from saying that the US government and its boarding schools played a large part in loss of language.
I'll stop there and ask you to get a copy for your classroom, or school or public library if you work in one, and if you're a parent, get a copy for your home. Next time you're at the library, ask them to get it, too.
In short, The Cherokee: People, Culture, and History by Twila M. Barnes is highly recommended.
