Debbie--have you seen THE ROUGH-FACE GIRL?

A reader asked if I have done or know of a critical analysis of The Rough-Face Girl by Rafe Martin. Illustrated by David Shannon, the book came out in 1992. I have not done a critical analysis and wasn't able to find one to share with the reader. This post, then, is the start of my analysis. Here's the book description:

From Algonquin Indian folklore comes a powerful, haunting rendition of Cinderella. 

In a village by the shores of Lake Ontario lived an invisible being. All the young women wanted to marry him because he was rich, powerful, and supposedly very handsome. But to marry the invisible being the women had to prove to his sister that they had seen him. And none had been able to get past the sister's stern, all-knowing gaze.

Then came the Rough-Face girl, scarred from working by the fire. Could she succeed where her beautiful, cruel sisters had failed?

And, here's the author's note:

To see good rewarded and evil punished, or justice, is rare. Stories, however, pass on the realities not of the everyday world but of the human heart. One way in which the universal yearning for justice has been kept alive is by the many tales of Cinderella. Indeed, some 1,500 or so version of the basic Cinderella story-type have been recorded so far. In each, the cruel and thoughtless at last get their just reward, as do those who are kind and good. 

The Rough-Face Girl, an Algonquin Indian Cinderella is, in its original form, actually part of a longer and more complex traditional story. Brief as it is, however, The Rough-Face Girl remains one of the most magical, mysterious, and beautiful of all Cinderellas. Grown on native soil, its mystery is rooted in our own place. I am happy to pass it on to children and parents today.

In my analyses of books labeled as folktales, myths, or legends, one question I ask is about the source for the story being told. So, what is Rafe Martin's source? His note refers to an "original form" of the story, and it also refers to a "longer and more complex traditional story."  He doesn't name his source. 

Back in 1993, Betsy Hearne published an article called "Cite the Source" in School Library Journal. It it is her Source Note Countdown, which she created to help people review or analyze a book like Martin's. (Write to me if you want a copy.) It came out a year after his book did, so perhaps it is unfair to apply her countdown to his book. It could apply, however, to subsequent printings of it. On her countdown, we would say his note is #5, "The nonexistent source note." She wrote:

The worst case is easy to describe. The subtitle or jacket copy of a book makes a vague claim to be a "Korean folktale," for instance-which is faithfully picked up and authoritatively echoed in the Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication (CIP) statement, there to remain forever engrained as fact. The source of this tale is Korea. It's a little abstract, isn't it? But, it's the closest we'll ever get to context, thanks to sloppy thinking on the subject of persons who may have exerted the most meticulous effort on text, art, publication, and distribution."

Poking around online, I may have found the source Martin used. "The Invisible One (Micmac)" is in The Algonquin Legends of New England or Myths and Folk Lore of the Micmac, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot Tribes by Charles G. Leland, published in 1884 by Houghton, Mifflin and Company. In the preface, Leland writes that Reverend Silas T. Rand, of Hantsport, Nova Scotia, lent him a "collection of eighty-five Micmac tales". I found a copy of Rand's book, titled Legends of the Micmacs published in 1894 by Longmans, Green, and Co. 

I think Rafe Martin primarily used Leland. His version and Leland's end at the same place, but Rand's is much longer. I think Leland chose to ignore the second half of the story Rand gave him because it did not fit with his idea that this is a Cinderella variant. In the Rand version, half the story is similar to the one we see in Rafe Martin's book, but the other half is a different story entirely. It doesn't end with the happily ever after married couple. 

What I share in these next sentences is much-condensed. In Rand's version, the married couple have a son. He's a little boy who has a maul (hammer). When left unattended, he smashes a bunch of things, including a moose leg that is in the wigwam. The husband (invisible one) is out hunting, and when his sister (seems like she lives with them and has told the wife they must take care of the moose leg) sees what the little boy has done, the three (Rough Face girl, invisible one's sister, and the son) set off to find the husband. They find him sitting beside a load of moose meat. His leg is broken. He tells the rough face girl to take their child and go live with her father because he can no longer support her. She leaves. He tells his sister to go get an ax and kill him because he will never be the same again. She does. See how different the complete story is? There's more. You can read it yourself if you wish. My point is that the original story -- from Rand -- is much more than what ends up being given to young readers as a Cinderella story. I think it points to the problems in trying to center European stories and bend stories told by people who are not European into ones that look like, in this case, Cinderella stories. And of course, we can ask questions about Rand's source. At the very end of his, he writes that it was "Related by Susan Barss, and written down from her mouth in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, in the winter of 1848, and translated from the original, May, 1869, by S. T. Rand. Who was she?!

Below is a table of notes I am working on, doing my best to compare the three versions. The fourth column is for my comments. At some point I will do more with these notes. For now, I share them with anyone interested in Martin's story and I welcome your comments about the notes below or what I've said above. If something doesn't make sense, let me know! And as always, I appreciate your feedback on typos. 

MARTIN The Rough-Face Girl, published in 1992	LELAND “The Invisible One (Micmac)” in The Algonquin Legends of New England or Myths and Folk Lore of the Micmac, Passamaquody and Penobscot Tribes, published in 1884, available here.	RAND “The Invisible Boy” in Legends of the Micmacs, published in 1894, available here.	Debbie’s notes and comments
Once, long ago, there was a village by the shores of Lake Ontario.	There was once a large Indian village situated on the border of a lake.	Nameskeet’ oodun Kaspemku (a large Indian village, was once situated on the borders of a lake).
Off from the other wigwams of this village stood one great huge wigwam.	At the end of the place was a lodge…	At the extreme end of the village…
Painted on its sides were pictures of the sun, moon, stars, plants, trees, and animals.			The paintings on the wigwam are not in Leland or Rand.
And inside this wigwam there was said to live a very great, rich, powerful, and supposedly handsome Invisible Being.	… in which dwelt a being who was always invisible.	… lived a youth whose teomul was a moose. This youth had the power of assuming the form of a moose, and in addition to this, he could render himself invisible.
However, no one could see him, except his sister, who lived there too.
Many women wanted to marry this Invisible Being, but his sister said, “Only the one who can see him can marry him.”	He had a sister who attended to his wants, and it was known that any girl who could see him might marry him.	He offered to marry the first girl that could see him.
Now, in this village there lived a poor man who had three daughters.	There dwelt in the village an old man, a widower, with three daughters.	Now it happened that in the village there resided an old man, a widower, who had three daughters, the youngest of whom was puny and often sick.
The two older daughters were cruel and hard-hearted, and they made their youngest sister sit by the fire and feed the flames.	The youngest of these was very small, weak, and often ill, which did not prevent her sisters, especially the eldest, treating her with great cruelty. The second daughter was kinder, and sometimes took the part of the poor abused little girl, but the other would burn her hands and face with hot coals;	The others considered her a great source of trouble, and ill-treated her; the oldest girl on whom devolved the charge of the house after her mother’s death, was especially unkind to her. The second daughter was less unfriendly, and sometimes ventured to take the poor little girl’s part; but the oldest kicked and cuffed her about, and often burned her hands and face intentionally.
When the burning branches popped, the sparks fell on her.	Yes, her whole body was scarred with the marks made by torture,
In time, her hands became burnt and scarred.
Her arms too became rough and scarred.
Even her face was marked by the fire, and her beautiful long black hair hung ragged and charred.
And those two older sisters laughed at her saying, “Ha! You’re ugly, you Rough-Face Girl!”	So that people called her Oochige-askw (the rough-faced girl).	The marks, scars, and scabs that covered her gave her the name of Oochigeaskw (the girl that is covered with scabs).	Leland and Rand write that the sisters – especially the older one – mistreated her but they do not mention the sisters  verbally shaming the youngest one. Both Leland and Rand have passages with dialog later on.
And they made her life very lonely and miserable, indeed.
One day these two older sisters went to their father and said, “Father, give us some necklaces. Give us some new buckskin dresses. Give us some pretty beaded moccasins. We’re going to marry the Invisible Being.”	Now it came to pass that it entered the heads of the two elder sisters of this poor girl that they would go and try their fortune at seeing the Invisible One.	One day the older girls arrayed themselves in their finest clothes,
So their father gave them these things.
Dressed in their finest, the two girls marched through the village.	So they clad themselves in their finest and strove to look their fairest…	and went down to
All the people pointed and stared. “Look at those beautiful girls,” they said. “Surely they shall marry the Invisible Being!”			Leland and Rand do not have passages wherein the villagers stare or comment about the sisters appearance, or that ‘surely’ they will marry the Invisible Being.
And if those two girls were proud and hard-hearted before, they were even prouder now.

They walked haughtily through the village.
At last they came to the wigwam of the Invisible Being.	… and finding his sister at home went with her to take the wonted walk down to the water.	…the wigwam of the Invisible Boy, whose name was Team’ (the Moose).
And there was his sister, waiting.
Why have you come?” she asked.		They spent the afternoon with his sister, and at the proper time she invited them to walk with her down to the borders of the lake, and watch for the coming of her brother.
“We want to marry the Invisible Being,” they answered. That’s why we’re here.”			Neither source says the sisters said this directly to the Invisible ones sister.The reason for their visit is implied in the way they write about the invisible man and that women want to marry him.
“If you want to marry my brother,” she replied, “you have to have seen him. Tell me, have you seen the Invisible Being?”	Then when He came, being asked if they saw him, they said, “Certainly,” …	They went; and when she saw him, she put the usual question, “Do you see my brother?”
“Of course we’ve seen him” they insisted. “Can’t you see how pretty we are? Can’t you see the beautiful clothes we wear?		The eldest one said, “I do.” The next one said “I do not.”	Neither source includes content that indicates the sisters assert their prettyness and beautiful clothes as involved in being able to see him.
Oh yes, anyone can tell that we’ve truly seen the Invisible Being.”
“All right,” she said quietly, “if you think you’ve seen him, then tell me, “WHAT’S HIS BOW MADE OF?” And suddenly her voice was swift as lightning and strong as thunder!	… and also replied to the question of the shoulder strap or sled cord,	“Then tell me what his shoulder-strap is made of,” said the sister to the older girl	Martin uses capital letters in his book for the sister’s words throughout this section of his book,, and he says her voice was suddenly swift as lightning and strong as thunder. It is a heightened drama that does not appear in Leland or Rand.
“H-his b-b-bow?” they stammered in surprise. “His, uh, bow? We know! We know!” But turning turning desperately to one another, they whispered, “What shall we say? Let’s say its the oak tree.” So they said, “It’s the great oak tree.”	“A piece of rawhide.”	“Of a strip of raw-hide,” she replied.
“No!” said the sister of the Invisible Being. “NO!” Oh, she saw at once how they lied.	In saying which, they lied, like the rest,...
“Tell me,’ she continued, “if you think you’ve seen my brother the Invisible Being, then WHAT’S THE RUNNER OF HIS SLED MADE OF?”
“Uh, we know, we know!” cried those two sisters. But whispering feverishly again they wondered, “What shall we say? What shall we say? Let’s say it’s the green willow branch.”
“NO!” said the sister when she heard. “NO! You have not seen my brother. Now go home!”	… for they had seen nothing, and got nothing for their pains.	They went home to the wigwam, and the hunter came. They saw the load of moose-meat which he brought, and the clothing of his feet, after it was removed, but him they saw not. They remained all night, and returned the next morning to their father’s house.
“Just test us fairly!” they exclaimed. “We’ve seen him. Just don’t ask us all these silly questions!”			This “test us fairly” and framing the questions as "silly" does not appear in either source.
The next day the Rough-Face Girl went to her father and said, “Father, may I please have some beads? May I please have a new buckskin dress and some pretty moccasins? I am going to marry the Invisible Being, for, wherever I look, I see his face.”	When their father returned home the next evening he brought with him many of the pretty little shells from which weidpeskool (M.), or wampum, was made, and they were soon engaged napawejik (in stringing them).	That evening, when the old man arrived, he brought a quantity of small, beautiful, variegated shells, out of which in former times wampum was manufactured, and for which, in these later times, glass beads are substituted, and called by the name weidpeskool. He gave the to the girls, and the next day they engaged in napawejik (stringing them up).	Neither source says that the Rough Face Girl went to her father to request these items. The items were in their home.
But her father sighed. “Daughter,” he said, “I’m sorry. I have no beads left for you, only some little broken shells. I have no buckskin dress, and as for moccasins, all I have left are my own old, worn, cracked, and stretched-out pair from last year. And they’re much too big.”	That day poor little Oochigeaskw’, the burnt-faced girl, who had always run barefoot, got a pair of her father’s old moccasins,...	That day little Oochigeaskw gets an old pair of her father’s moccasins, soaks them, and asks her sisters to give her some of the pretty shells, a few of each kind. The older sister refuses, and tried to prevent the other from giving her any. She calls her a “lying little pest,” and tells her sister not to mind her. “Oh!” she answers, “the poor little thing! Let us give her some, a few of each kind.” This is done.
But she said, “Whatever you can spare, I can use.”
So he gave her these things.
Then she found dried reeds and, taking the little broken shells, she strung a necklace.

She stripped birch bark from the dead trees and made a cap, a dress, and leggings.	And having no clothes beyond a few paltry rags, the poor creature went forth and got herself from the woods a few sheets of birch bark, of which she made a dress… So she made a petticoat and a loose gown, a cap, legging, and handkerchief, and, having put on her father’s great old moccasins, – which came nearly up to her knees, – she went forth to try her luck. For even this little thing would see the Invisible One in the great wigwam at the end of the village.	Then she goes out and gets some sheets of birch bark, out of which she manages to construct a dress, making some figures on the bark, and fashioning out of it garments similar to those worn in ancient times by the Indian women, but which are now, to the great chagrin of some of the elder ones, rapidly degenerating into the fashion of their pale-faced sisters. She constructs a petticoat and loose gown, a cap, legging, and a handkerchief, and on her tiny feet she puts her father’s huge moccasins, which come up nearly to her knees, and thus arrayed she goes forth to try her luck in the celebrated wigwam at the remote end of the village.
Then with a sharp piece of bone, she carved in the bark pictures of the sun, moon, stars, plants, trees, and animals.	…putting some figures on the bark.
She went down to the lakeshore and soaked the moccasins in the water until they grew soft.	…and put them [moccasins] into water that they might become flexible to wear.	(No mention of doing anything to her father’s moccasins)
Then she molded them to her feet.
But they were still too big and they flap, flap, flapped like ducks’ feet as she walked.
Then all of the people came out of their wigwams. They pointed and stared.	Truly her luck had a most inauspicious beginning, for there was one long storm of…	She has to undergo a continuous storm of…
“Look at that ugly girl!” they laughed. “Look at her strange clothes! Hey! Hey! Hey! Go home you ugly girl! You’ll never marry the Invisible Being.”	… ridicule and hisses, yells and hoots, from her own door to that which she went to seek. Her sisters tried to shame her, and bade her stay at home, but she would not obey; and all the idlers, seeing this strange little creature in her odd array, cried “Shame!”	ridicule throughout the entire journey. Her sisters make sport of her, and order her not to go. They men and boys shout after her as she goes on in her funny dress, and cry, “Shame! Shame”!
But the Rough-Face Girl had faith in herself and she had courage. She didn’t turn back. She just kept walking right through the village.	But she went on, for she was greatly resolved; it may be that some spirit had inspired her.	But she hears them not, nor regards them, but resolutely pushes on. She succeeds in her enterprise of course.
At last she came to the lakeshore just as the sun was sinking behind the hills and the many stars came glittering out like a fiery veil in the darkening sky overhead.	Now this poor small wretch in her mad attire, with her hair singed off and her little face as full of burns and scars as there are holes in a sieve, was, for all this,	The little girl in her harlequin dress, her face covered with sores, and her hair singed off,
And there, standing by the water’s edge, was the sister of the Invisible Being, waiting.	Most kindly received by the sister of the Invisible One; …	is kindly received by the sister of Team’.
Now, the sister of the Invisible Being was a wise woman. When she looked at you she didn’t see just your face or your hair or clothes. No. When she looked at you she would look you right in the eyes and she could see all the way down to your heart. And she could tell if you had a good, kind heart or a cold, hard, and cruel one.	… for this noble girl knew more than the mere outside of things as the world knows them.	Not found in Rand.	Martin takes the few words Leland has about the Invisible ones sister and makes them explicit, presumably for young readers.
And when she looked at the Rough-Face Girl she saw at one that, though her skin was scarred, her hair burnt, her clothes strange, she had a beautiful, kind heart. And so she welcomed her dearly saying, “Ah, my sister, why have you come?”
And the Rough-Face Girl replied, “I have come to marry the Invisible Being.”			Neither source is explicit regarding what the girl said to the sister. All of that is implied.
“Ah,” said the sister very gently now. “If you want to marry him, you have to have seen him. Tell me, have you seen my brother the Invisible Being?”	And as the brown of the evening sky became black, she took her down to the lake. And erelong the girls knew that He had come. Then the sister said, “Do you see him?”	When nightfall comes on, she is invited to take a walk down to the borders of the lake to watch the young man’s return. Presently the sister sees him coming and asks her companion if she can see him.
And the Rough-Face Girl said, “Yes.”	And the other replied with awe, “yes I do, – and He is wonderful.”	She says she can.
“All right then,” said the sister, “if you have seen him, tell me WHAT’S HIS BOW MADE OF?”	“But my sister,” said the other, “what is his bow-string?”	“Tell me, if you see him, what his shoulder-strap is made of.”
And the Rough-Face Girl said “His bow? Why, it is the great curve of the Rainbow.”	“His bow-string is Ketaksoowowcht” (the Spirits’ Road, the Milky Way).	“A rainbow,” she exclaims.
“AHHHH!” exclaimed the sister in excitement. “Tell me, she asked, “if you have seen my brother the Invisible Being - WHAT’S THE RUNNER OF HIS SLED MADE OF?”	“And what is his sled-string?”		Rand only has one question; Leland adds a second one, and Martin follows Leland.
And the Rough-Face Girl, looking up into the night sky, said “The runner of his sled? Why, it is the Spirit Road, the Milky Way of stars that spreads across the sky!”	“It is,” she replied, “the Rainbow.”		Martin changes what Leland said. Leland says “bow string” and it is a rainbow; Martin says “bow” and that it is a rainbow. On second question, Leland says “sled string” and that it is a rainbow; Martin says “runner of his sled” and that it is the “Spirit Road, the Milky Way”
AHHHH” cried the sister in wonder and delight. “You have seen him! Come with me!”	“Thou hast seen him,” said the sister. And taking the girl home,	“Ah! You can see him,” says the girl. “Now let us hasten home, and get ready for him.”

And taking the Rough-Face Girl by the hand, she led her back to the great wigwam and sat her in the seat next to the entrance, the wife’s seat.		So home they hie, and the sister first strips her guest of the uncouth and uncomfortable robes, and administers a thorough ablution. All her scabs and scars come off, and her skin is beautiful and fair. She next opens her box and brings out a wedding garment, in which she directs her to array herself; then she comes her hair, braids it, and ties it up. The poor child things within herself, “I wonder what she is going to comb, for I have no hair on my head.” But under the magic tough of her friend’s hand, beautiful, flowing hair adorns her head. After she is thus prepared and arrayed, she is directed to go and occupy the side of the wigwam where the brother will sit, and to take the wife’s seat, next to the door.
Then they heard footsteps coming along the path, closer and closer. The entrance flap of the wigwam lifted up, and in stepped the Invisible Being.		Immediately after this, the young man arrives,
And when he saw her sitting there he said, “At last we have been found out,” Then, smiling kindly, he added, “And oh, my sister, but she is beautiful.” And his sister said, “Yes.”		comes in laughing, and says Wajoolkoes (“So we are found, are we?)? Alajull aa (“Yes”), she answers.
The sister of the Invisible Being then gave the Rough-Face Girl the finest of buckskin robes and a necklace of perfect shells. “Now bathe in the lake,” she said, “and dress in these.	… she bathed her, and as she washed her…
So the Rough-Face Girl bathed in the waters of the lake.
Suddenly all the scars vanished from her body.	… all the scars disappeared from face and body.
Her skin grew smooth again and her beautiful black hair grew in long and glossy as a raven’s wing.	Her hair grew again; it was very long, and like a blackbird’s wing.  Her eyes were like stars.
Now anyone could see that she was, indeed, beautiful.	In all the world was no such beauty. Then from her treasures she gave her a wedding garment, and adorned her. Under the comb, as she combed her, her hair grew. It was a great marvel to behold.
But the Invisible Being and his sister had seen that from the start.
Then at last the Rough Face Girl and the Invisible Being were married.	Then, having done this, she bade her take the wife’s seat in the wigwam – that by which her brother sat, the seat next the door. And when he entered, terrible and beautiful, he smiled and said “Wajoolkoos!”  “So we are found out!” “Alajulaa.” “Yes,” was her reply. So she became his wife.	So he takes her for his wife.
They lived together in great gladness and were never parted.		Rand’s version continues. In total the story appears on pages 101-109. From page 101 to 104, the story is much like what Leland tells. On subsequent five pages, the story of the couple is happy for a short while but then it takes tragic turns.

It's here! THE BIRCHBARK HOUSE in audiobook -- read by Louise Erdrich!

What a treat for December! The Birchbark House -- read aloud by Louise Erdrich -- is out! I've been waiting for it, with tremendous joy and anticipation. Why? Because the story Erdrich gave us in 1999 blew me away. 

In children's literature we talk about voice. We seek books written by Native people. We believe that their identity can give readers stories with more depth when the characters are of that writer's tribal nation. Erdrich does that exceptionally well with the words I read in her books, and when I listen to her reading one of her books, those spoken words take everything to a dimension that I can't adequately describe. I highly recommend it!

Order and download your copy from Birchbark Books, today! As you're out and about, give it a listen.  

AICL'S YEAR IN REVIEW: 2024

 AICL'S YEAR IN REVIEW: 2024

As the last days of 2024 draw near, we are happy to share our annual list of books we read and recommended this year. Here's some photos: 

Photo by Jean

Sample of covers of electronic copies we read

Photo by Debbie

In the opening paragraphs of our annual lists, we usually point to significant moments of the year. If you want to jump to the list, please scroll down.

One topic that we started monitoring a few years ago is challenges to Native-authored books. We maintain a blog post (Banning of Native Voices/Books) of titles and reasons given for a book being challenged or banned. We invite you to take a look at our list and if you know of one that ought to be on our list, let us know. Debbie was invited to write about banned books for School Library Journal in 2023, and to speak about it with NPR's Code Switch in July of 2024. In November, PEN American interviewed her for its Banned Books series: Native American Heritage Now: An Interview with Debbie Reese. 

In October, Debbie, Jonna Paden (Acoma Pueblo, and President of the American Indian Library Association) and Cindy Hohl (Santee Sioux Nation, and President of the American Library Association) were leading voices in the media when a public library in Texas moved the nonfiction book, Colonization and the Wampanoag Story by Linda Coombs (Aquinnah Wampanoag) to the fiction shelves. That move drew national and international attention. In the end, the library reversed their decision. Her book was on our best books list, last year.

In November, Debbie and Jean were in Boston at the National Council for the Social Studies annual conference. We were joined by Dr. Natalie Martinez (Laguna Pueblo) and Dr. Dina Gilio-Whitaker (Colville Confederated Tribes) for a pre-conference clinic at Beacon Press. (Beacon published both An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz (not Native) and our adaptation for young people.)* On the first day of the conference, Debbie and Jean went to the exhibit hall to see if we'd find books by Native writers on display. This was our first time going to an NCSS gathering. The exhibit floor was not as large as we've seen at other educator and librarian conferences but we were definitely encouraged by what we saw. The Penguin Random House booth had at least 13 books by Native writers! We were also delighted to see the painting of Maulian Bryant (Penobscot) at the booth for the organization, Americans Who Tell The Truth. She is well known for her activism about mascots. 

More good news! Back in March, Debbie was thrilled to see the announcement in Publisher's Weekly that Trish Moquino's (Cochiti, Ohkay Owingeh, and Kewa) first book, The Land We Live On, will come out in 2028 from Candlewick (we apologize for incorrectly naming Charlesbridge as the publisher). She is from the Tribal Nations of Cochiti Pueblo, Kewa and Ohkay Owingeh. Her book will be a family story about Pueblo people and our relationship to the land. Many (most?) people think that all Native peoples were forced off their homelands and put on reservations. That is true for some tribal nations but not for us. Pueblo peoples are on the lands we've always been on. Gonna be hard to wait three years for her book!

Now, we turn to information about how our list is created. 

Our emphasis is books by Native writers and illustrators whose Nations are on the continent we know as North America. Most are ones that came out in 2024. In some way, they've touched our hearts as parents of Native children or as former school teachers who want children to have accurate and honest books about Native peoples. As the number of books by Native writers grows, we are not able to read every one. If you are wondering about one that you don't see below, let us know. We may have not had a chance to read it. In the US there is a growing awareness of pretendianism (also known as "wannabe"). In short, it refers to a person who -- believing they have an ancestor that is Native -- acts on that belief by speaking and writing as if they are Native. Most people in the US and Canada take that person's word when they claim to be Native but with growing awareness, we are seeing more challenges to such claims. Case in point: In the adult romance genre, Colby Wilkins's claim to being of Choctaw and Cherokee descent was challenged. She subsequently issued a statement saying "until I can prove my ties beyond a shadow of a doubt and in alignment with the Cherokee Nation's statement on Sovereignty and Identity, I will no longer be writing Native stories." At AICL we did not read or write about her books. We encourage you to read two books in our "Crossover" category below that are works of fiction written by Native writers who address the issue of pretendianism.

Pretendianism is about a specific individual who makes a claim to an actual tribal nation, but there is also growing attention to entire groups of people claiming to be a tribal nation. The case most prominent in the news is four groups in Vermont that claim to be Abenaki. In mid-April, the Abenaki of Odanak and of W8linak went to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues to speak about the Vermont groups. Later that month, the University of Vermont hosted an event about the issue. There, a personal letter of support from Maulian Bryant (Penobscot; currently serving as Executive Director of the Wabanaki Alliance) was read aloud. We encourage you to read her letter because it provides context that can help you understand why this issue is so important.

We also encourage you to read a letter written by representatives of the Abenaki People of the Odanak First Nation and Wolinak First Nation. Their letter was to educators in Vermont, asking them not to platform or elevate specific individuals who are in the Vermont groups. They named Joseph Bruchac and his son Jesse, both of whom are known within children's literature. As Debbie's post in 2023 stated, we no longer recommend his books. Anthologies that include stories by him (and others who we no longer recommend) are a problem. In 2022, Ancestor Approved came out. It has a story in it by Bruchac. By then we were being cautious about several specific writers, and didn't feel comfortable recommending the book. There are, however, stories in it by writers that we do want you to know about. Look for a post about that in 2025. For now, you'll see "Indian Price" by Eric Gansworth in our list below.

For each book we recommend, we list the Tribal Nation of the author/illustrator and we encourage you to use that information when reading the book. For example, in the picture book category you'll see Stitches of Tradition (Gashkigwaaso Tradition). We encourage you to introduce the book by saying something like:

"Stitches of Tradition is written by Marcie Rendon, an enrolled member of the White Earth Nation. The illustrations are by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley, who is a member of Wasauksing First Nation." 

Share that information in whatever way works for you. The main point is that we want you to be tribally specific. That means you specify the author's and illustrator's Tribal Nation(s). If possible, show students the websites of the author/illustrator and of their Tribal Nations. We encourage you to learn how to say personal and tribal names that are new to you. Teaching Books has a huge audio archive of writers telling you how to say their names, as is the case with Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley. Sometimes they tell you how that name came to be, as you'll see with Eric Gansworth (enrolled member of the Onondaga Nation).

And do take care to use present tense verbs when talking about Native people!

In our list you will find an author’s Tribal Nation in parenthesis after their name. We use an author’s identity as they name it (and the spellings/capitalizations of their personal names) on their own website (sometimes we write to them to ask for clarification). If they do not have a website, we use what their publisher uses.  We are happy to make edits as needed! Let us know.

Though our list is organized by age/grade levels (plus a multi-age section for comics/graphic novels), we encourage you to use picture books with readers of any age, and we want every teacher and librarian to read all the books. They are far better than the books about Indigenous people most people read in their childhood. We welcome your questions and comments about these introductory paragraphs, or the books we list, below. Our list is incomplete. We're reading as much as we can. Our list is not a comprehensive. It is to tell you what we read. One example? Debbie is currently reading Richard Van Camp's (Tłı̨chǫ Dene) new young adult novel, Beast, and is waiting for some beautiful board books to arrive. Jean is also waiting for a shipment. These books will likely be on our 2025 list.

____________

*At AICL we strive to include a person’s identity, relative to being Indigenous, whenever we name a person. For example, we say Debbie Reese (Nambe Owingeh) and Jean Mendoza (not Native). When we note that we have failed to do so, we edit the post to reflect the person’s identity.

We also feel it important to address questions regarding Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz’s identity. When her book, An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States came out, Debbie saw that leading scholars and Native writers had endorsed it. Sometime later, she accepted an invitation to adapt the book for young readers. 

In her book Dunbar-Ortiz said her mother was “part Indian, most likely Cherokee.” During the adaptation work, we began to see concerns about Dunbar-Ortiz’s identity and subsequently asked her about it. Dunbar-Ortiz decided to remove that information from the biographical note for the adaptation. We hoped she would make a public statement but to our knowledge, she has not. 

****

Comics and Graphic Novels

Ballantyne, Sonya (Swampy Cree) and Michael Redhead-Champagne (Shamattawa First Nation). Little By Little You Can Change the World, illustrated by Rhael McGregor (Metis heritage) and Toben Racicot (not Native). Highwater Press (2024). Canada.

Crazyboy, Gitz (Siksikaitsitapi (Blackfoot)). The Rez Doctor, illustrated by Veronika Barinova (not Native), Azby Whitecalf (Plains Cree), and Toben Racicot (not Native). Highwater Press (2024). Canada.

McLeod, Albert (Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation/Metis), Elaine Mordoch (not Native), and Sonya Ballantyne (Swampy Cree). Between the Pipes, illustrated by Alice RL (Ojibwe heritage). Highwater Press (2024). Canada.

Magoon, Kekla (not Native) and Cynthia Leitich Smith (citizen, Muscogee Creek Nation). Blue Stars: Mission One: The Vice-Principal Problem, illustrated by Molly Murakami. Candlewick Press (2024). US.

Spillett, Tasha (Inninewak (Cree and Trinidadian). Surviving the City: Volume 3. We Are the Medicine, illustrated by Natasha Donovan (Metis). Highwater Press (2024). Canada.

Starr, Arigon (enrolled member, Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma). Super Indian, Volume Three, illustrated by the author. Wacky Productions (2024). US.

Storm, Jen (Ojibwe). Little Moons, illustrated by Ryan Howe (not Native), Alice RL (Ojibwe), Nicholej Villiger (not Native). Highwater Press (2024). Canada. [Our apologies for the error we made in Jen Storm's tribal affiliation. It is correct now.]

Van Camp, Richard (Tłı̨chǫ Dene). Roth: Wheetago War, illustrated by Christopher Shy. Renegade Arts Entertainment (2024). Canada.

Board Books

Sorell, Traci (citizen, Cherokee Nation). On Powwow Day, illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight (Chickasaw). Charlesbridge (2024). 

Sorell, Traci (citizen, Cherokee Nation). We Are Grateful: Seasons: Fall - Uligohvsdi; Winter - Gola; Spring - Gogeyi; Summer - Gogi, illustrated by Frané Lessac (not Native).  Charlesbridge (2024). [Note: this is a boxed set of four board books.] 

Picture Books 

Fairbanks, Ashley (White Earth Anishinabee). This Land: The History of the Land We're On, illustrated by Bridge George (Anishinaabe from Kettle and Stony Point First Nation). Crown Books for Young Readers/ imprint of Penguin Random House (2024). US.

Flett, Julie (Cree-Metis). Let's Go! haw ekwa!, illustrated by the author. Greystone Kids (2024). Canada.

Goodluck, Laurel (Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara). Too Much: My Great Big Native Family, illustrated by Bridget George (Anishinaabe, from Kettle and Stony Point First Nation). Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (2024). US.

Honyouti, Mavasta (Hopi). Coming Home: A Hopi Resistance Story, illustrated by the author. Levine Querido (2024).

Mills, Billy (Oglala Lakota) and Donna Janell Bowman (not Native). Wings of an Eagle: The Gold Medal Dreams of Billy Mills. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (2024). US.

Pawis-Steckley, Mangeshig (member of Wasauksing First Nation). Boozhoo! Hello! illustrated by the author, translation by Mary Ann Corbiere (Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory). Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press. Canada.

Rendon, Marcie (enrolled member of the White Earth Nation). Stitches of Tradition (Gashkigwaaso Tradition), illustrated by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley (Anishinaabe; member of Wasauksing First Nation). Heartdrum/Imprint of HarperCollins (2024). US. 

Rogers, Andrea L. (citizen of the Cherokee Nation). Chooch Helped, illustrated by Rebecca Lee Knuz (citizen of the Cherokee Nation). Levine Querido (2024). US.

Rogers, Andrea L. (citizen of the Cherokee Nation). When We Gather/Ostadahlisiha: A Cherokee Tribal Feast, illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight (Citizen of the Cherokee Nation). Heartdrum/Imprint of HarperCollins (2024). US.

Rogers, Kim. (Wichita) I Am Osage: How Clarence Tinker Became the First Native American Major General, illustrated by Bobby Von Martin (Choctaw). Heartdrum/Imprint of HarperCollins (2024). US. 

Sorell, Traci (Cherokee Nation). Being Home, illustrated by Michaela Goade (Enrolled member of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, and of the Kiks.adi Clan). 

Thomas, Rebecca (Mi'kmaw). I'm Finding My Talk, illustrated by Pauline Young (not Native). Nimbus Publishing (2019). Canada.

Vandever, Daniel W. (Diné). We Weave, illustrated by Deonoveigh Mithcelle (Diné). South of Sunrise Creations (2024). US.

Early Chapter Books

Burbank, Danielle C. (Diné). Navajo Code Talkers. Dorling Kindersley (2024). US.

Quigley, Dawn (citizen, Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe). Jo Jo Makoons: Rule School, illustrated by Tara Audibert. Heartdrum/Imprint of HarperCollins (2024). US. 

Vandever, Daniel W. (Diné). Behind Every Rug, illustrated by Lynne Hardy (Diné). Scholastic (2024). 

Wells, Stacy (member of the Choctaw Nation). Tana Cooks With Care, illustrated by Maria Gabriela Gama Dos Santos (not Native). Picture Window Books (2024). [Note: we will likely add the other books in the series: Tana Cooks to Say Thanks, Tana Cooks a Valentine Surprise, Tana Cooks for a Special Veterans Day.]

For Middle Grades 

Bruegl, Heather (citizen of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and first-line descendant of Stockbridge Munsee). Boarding Schools: Racial Justice in America, Indigenous Peoples series. Publisher (2024). US. [Note: We will likely recommend additional books by Bruegl in this series, including 

Duncan, Violet (Plains Cree and Taino from Kehewin Cree Nation). Buffalo Dreamer. Nancy Paulsen Books (2024).

Gansworth, Eric (enrolled member of the Onondaga Nation). "Indian Price" in Ancestor Approved. Heartdrum/HarperCollins. [Note: we do not recommend the book in its entirety. Some of the stories in it are by people whose claims to being Native have been challenged.]

Hetxw'ms Gyetxw/Brett D. Huson (Gitxsan), The Bee Mother, illustrated by Natasha Donovan (Metis). Highwater Press (2024), Canada. 

Hutchinson, Michael (citizen of the Misipawistik Cree Nation). The Case of Rigged Race. Second Story Press (2022). Canada.

Hutchinson, Michael (citizen of the Misipawistik Cree Nation). The Case of the Pilfered Pin. Second Story Press (2024). Canada.

Robertson, David (Norway House Cree),  The Kodiaks: Home Ice Advantage. Highwater Press (2024). Canada.

Smith, Cynthia Leitich (citizen, Muscogee Creek Nation). On a Wing and a Tear. Heartdrum/Imprint of Harper Collins (2024). US.

For High School 

Cobell, K. A. (enrolled member of the Blackfeet Nation). Looking for Smoke. Heartdrum/HarperCollins. US.

Rogers, Andrea L. (citizen of the Cherokee Nation). The Art Thieves. Levine Querido (2024). US.

Treuer, Anton (Ojibwe). Where Wolves Don't Die. Cover and interiors drawn by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley (member of Wasauksing First Nation). Levine Querido (2024). US.

Crossover Books (written for adults; appeal to teens/young adults)

Peters, Amanda (Mi'kmaq). The Berry Pickers. Penguin Random House (2023). US.

Rogers, January (Mohawk/Tuscarora from Six Nations of the Grand River.). Blood Sport. Turtle Back Publishing (2023).

vermette, katherena (tribe). real ones. Hamish Hamilton (2024).

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: The Kodiaks: Home Ice Advantage

The Kodiaks: Home Ice Advantage 

Written by David A. Robertson (Norway House Cree)

Published by Highwater Press (Portage & Main)

Publication Year: 2024

Reviewer: Jean Mendoza

Review Status: Highly Recommended

It's good to see the publication of more stories for young people about Indigenous athletes, both fictional and real. Byron Graves' Rez Ball is a case in point; as Debbie pointed out in her review, basketball is a Thing in many Native communities. In what's currently called Canada, so I'm told, hockey is that Thing. The Kodiaks: Home Ice Advantage is a middle-grade novel about a young Cree hockey player who moves from the reserve to Winnipeg.

Here's what the publisher says:

Everything is changing for 11-year-old Alex Robinson. After his father accepts a new job, Alex and his family move from their community to the city. For the first time in his life, he doesn’t fit in. His fellow students don’t understand Indigenous culture. Even a simple show of respect to his teacher gets him in trouble. Things begin to look up after Alex tries out for a local hockey team. Playing for the Kodiaks, Alex proves himself as one of the best, but he becomes a target because he’s Indigenous. Can Alex trust his teammates and stand up to the jerks on other teams? Can he find a way to fit in and still be who he’s meant to be?

Reason #1: A caring, perceptive Indigenous family. Alex is a likable character who brings kindness and humor to his family and peer relationships. They reciprocate, which gives Alex the strength to adjust to the move, a new school, and a new hockey team. When he experiences a tremendous hurt, compounded by an injustice, his parents and friends stage what he thinks of as an intervention, to persuade him that in fact he should continue with hockey.

Reason #2: Realistically portrayed racist micro-aggressions and full-on aggressions. For better or for worse, trash-talking seems to be part of sports. Anti-Indigenous insults and general ignorance or malice spoken aloud can make competitions a minefield for young Native athletes. Alex experiences several such incidents and must come to terms with how to handle them. He finds the courage to speak up when he needs to -- as when a teammate nicknames him Chief or an otherwise well-meaning coach uses terms like "low man on the totem pole." Still, the time comes when anti-Indigenous hatred directed at him by opposing players and adult fans is too much. Robertson shows how devastating such an experience can be for a child, and how important wise support from adults and peers can be at such times.

Reason #3: Exciting game play descriptions. I don't know much about hockey but Robertson put me right there on the ice with Alex.

Reason #4: First of a series, which the publisher is calling The Breakout Chronicles. Good news for young people, Native or not, who love a high-quality series! We hope teachers and librarians will buy copies of this one for their shelves, and keep their eyes open for the next Breakout Chronicles book.

Not recommended: KOKOPELLI'S FLUTE by Will Hobbs

Years ago, someone asked me about Kokopelli's Flute by Will Hobbs. It wasn't the first ask but it is on my mind lately. I can't get a digital copy. I am able to read the first chapters in Google books. Here's notes as I read: 

The cover illustration is, without doubt, a rendition of Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde. In addition to the title, the cover includes these words: "Tep didn't mean to unleash the ancient magic..."

Chapter 1 of Kokopelli's Flute begins with "The magic had always been there." Magic again? Immediate response from me? Umm... what is he talking about?! I continue reading that first paragraph. The "magic" is in "the light" and in "the rock" in "the miniature city the Ancient Ones left perched in the cliffs." For years, the main character, Tep, has been trying to get closer to "the magic." We read "This would be the night I not only got close, but crossed over." 

Again, what magic? And where or what does he want to cross over to in that "miniature city"? Pause to look up the book description:

THE MAGIC HAD ALWAYS BEEN THERE. Tep Jones has always felt the magic of Picture House, an Anasazi cliff dwelling near the seed farm where he lives with his parents. But he could never have imagined what would happen to him on the night of a lunar eclipse, when he finds a bone flute left behind by grave robbers. Tep falls under the spell of a powerful ancient magic that traps him at night in the body of an animal.

Only by unraveling the mysteries of Picture House can Tep save himself and his desperately ill mother. Does the enigmatic old Indian who calls himself Cricket hold the key to unlocking the secrets of the past? And can Tep find the answers in time?

Back to chapter one, second paragraph. There we learn that a total eclipse of the moon will take place that night and Tep wants to see it from what he calls "Picture House." He's been there a lot, "puzzling over the secrets of the ancient pueblo." He thinks that maybe during the eclipse, if he listens hard enough, he might hear the footsteps of the Ancient Ones. Maybe even their voices. Maybe even dancers coming out of their kivas. Me: sighing, frowning, shaking my head. But there's more of that sort of thing on page three:

Eight hundred years ago the people came through all those little doorways for the last time, walked away, and left only stillness, silence, and secrets.

That wistful (if that's the right word) writing about any people makes me cringe, but especially when its a white character thinking about ancestors of today's Pueblo Indians. 

On page four, as Tep and his dog wait for the eclipse, they hear voices. Turns out to be two men who are talking about how they're gonna make thousands of dollars digging at the site. Tep can't believe it. He sees the items they've dug up. One is a "seed jar" which struck me as odd. We call them seed pots. 

"Picture House" Tep tells us, has not ever been vandalized because it isn't marked on maps and its hard to get to. The two men are in a room that Tep has been in many times. There's a back wall in that room that Tep says is built with a special purpose in mind, like to bury someone. Tep is only supposed to be a kid, but his character is created by an adult. Clearly, Tep doesn't like what the two men are doing but I don't like him going all through "Palace House" either, looking for the magic. Sheesh. 

The two men have found "a burial" which is the body of what they call an albino because his skin is pink. There was a large pot with him that broke open. In that pot was a basket the two men call "a medicine man's bundle." So, the body is that of an albino medicine man. I really dislike this content. Hobbs (the author) seems to be telling us it is bad to do this, but in telling us the value of this activity, it doesn't jive. Especially when we read the next part. 

Tep scares them off and then goes to see where they had been digging. They took the pot and the basket and most of its contents. In their rush they left behind a small polished flute. Tep thinks he should return it immediately to the albino medicine man but he is afraid of him and doesn't want to go into the room. He thinks the flute must be powerful. "Something told me I shouldn't put it to my lips" but he does it anyway, startled by how clear it sounds. Then he sees a packrat.  

That's all I can see online. Reading the book's description, however, my guess is that "the magic" of the flute turns Tep into a packrat by night. Again, sigh. 

At this point, I'm saying "not recommended." If I'm able to get a copy and have the wherewithall to read the rest of it, I seriously doubt I'd change my mind. This book is rife with do-gooder whiteness. 

Why is it being assigned in schools? What educational purpose does it meet?! 

 

Highly Recommended: STITCHES OF TRADITION by Marcie Rendon; illustrated by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley

Stitches of Tradition (Gashkigwaaso Tradition)

Written by Marcie Rendon (enrolled member of the White Earth Nation)

Illustrated by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley (Anishinaabe; member of Wasauksing First Nation

Published in 2024

Publisher: Heartdrum (Imprint of HarperCollins)

Reviewer: Debbie Reese

Review Status: Highly Recommended

****

Regular readers of AICL know that I urge them to look at author's notes whenever they pick up a book by a Native writer. Doing that gives you (teacher, parent, librarian, professor, reviewer...) information that you probably did not get in school or college. That information supports the reading you'll do when you flip back to the front of the book and start reading the words and looking at the illustrations. 

Marcie Rendon's note for Stitches of Tradition is outstanding. Her note focuses on ribbon skirts. The second paragraph stands out to me:

Skirts are worn not only in traditional ceremonies but also as a political statement. There are many different teachings about the skirt, but the most important thing to remember is that the ribbon skirt says, We are here. We have survived genocide. We are resilient and beautiful.

Some words make me pump my fist and declare YES. Those words did precisely that. The dedication did, too. Rendon's is "For all the grandgirls." And the illustrator, Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley's is "To the women who raised me, and to all the matriarchs guiding us to a brighter future." Imagine more loud declarations from me. 

All right! So what is this story about? Here's the description:

An Ojibwe grandmother carefully measures and selects just the right colors of fabric, and her sewing machine hums whirr, whirr, whirr late into the night.

In the morning, her growing granddaughter has a beautiful new ribbon skirt to wear, a reminder of her nookomis and the cultural traditions that stitch together her family with love.

That basic scene repeats as that grandaughter gets older and her grandma makes another skirt. This part is especially dear because I can see it in my memory and imagine it in other Native homes across the country: 

Nookomis whips out a measuring tape. She measures how round I am from my belly button back around to my belly button. She measures how long I am from my waist to my ankle. She says, "You're growing so tall." 

Deep sigh--thinking about times when I was being measured or when I was doing the measuring for one of our traditional dresses--and for the time when I'll be measuring my granddaughter and reading this lovely book to that granddaughter! 

Now for the political part. At various times as the granddaughter gets older, she needs a new skirt. About halfway through the story we read that her auntie, who is a lawyer, is becoming a district judge. The granddaughter and grandma need new skirts to honor her at the upcoming swearing in. So Nookomis gets out that measuring tape and measures her granddaughter. And then, she says:

"Noozhishenh, now you must measure me." 
Sweet as can be! And oh so real! 

Here's the swearing-in page:

 

This book is full of goodness and reality of who Native people are, culturally and politically, and there's layers to it, too, with deep significance for Native people. For those who are Ojibwe there's things in the illustrations that will call to them. Obviously, I highly recommend Stitches of Tradition!  

At PEN America: "Native American Heritage Now: An Interview with Dr. Debbie Reese

 Today (November 13, 2024), PEN America published an interview Amulya Hiremath did for Native American Heritage Month: 

I appreciate Hiremath's opening paragraph and am grateful for the opportunity to speak to PEN about my work. The interview is in the Banned Books category. Here's that first paragraph:

At the tail end of another year that has threatened and targeted books by Native Americans–from book bans to incorrect reclassifications–the work of Dr. Debbie Reese becomes extremely important. Her website, American Indians in Children’s Literature (AICL), is a repository of information on Native American heritage that acts, at once, as both an archive and a record, especially of misrepresentation of culture in literature."

I am also glad to see that they set up a page at Bookshop that features books from my "Banning of Native Voices" page where I talk about Native writers that have been banned or challenged. 

Take a look at the interview, and click over to Bookshop and buy some books!