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Saturday, January 20, 2024
News! JUST LIKE GRANDMA written by Kim Rogers ...
Tuesday, January 02, 2024
New in 2024: Books by Native writers and illustrators
Saturday, December 16, 2023
About Native Women
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.
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.
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
AICL's Year In Review for 2023
American Indians in Children's Literature is pleased to share our annual year-end list of books we want you to know about. We'd like multiple copies of them to be in every classroom, school, and public library. (Download AICL's 2023 Year In Review pdf if you wish.)
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 2023. 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.
For each book, 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 A Letter for Bob by Kim Rogers. We encourage you to introduce the book by saying something like:
"This is A Letter for Bob. It is written by Kim Rogers, an enrolled member of the Wichita Affiliated Tribes. The illustrations are by Jonathan Nelson. He's Diné."
You'll modify that according to the way you're using the book. The main point is that we want you to be tribally specific. That means you specify the author and illustrator's Tribal Nation. If possible, show students the websites of the author/illustrator and of their Tribal Nations.
Now, it is important to say a few things about claims to Native identity. In October of 2023, Native people in the US and Canada were shocked to learn that an iconic singer, Buffy Sainte-Marie, is not Native. People who follow Native news media know that–in the past few years–there have been several expose’s of individuals who assert a Native identity and use that identity in their professional or academic work. It touches children’s literature, too. In 2023, we withdrew our recommendations of books by Buffy Sainte-Marie, Joseph Bruchac, Marge Bruchac, James Bruchac, and Art Coulson (click on their names for details). One way that investigations of such claims begin is by someone noticing that the ways a person asserts that identity shifts over time in problematic ways. The shift may be in the tribal nation(s) being claimed, or by shifts in language used to make the claim.
Sometimes, however, a change marks an effort to be more accurate. Using Debbie as an example, she used to say “Nambé Pueblo” but now says “Nambé Owingeh” because “Pueblo” is an externally imposed word, while Nambé and Owingeh are Tewa words (Tewa is the language spoken at Nambé). She also says she is “tribally enrolled” because she meets the requirements at Nambe to be included on the tribal census. Her father and grandmother are enrolled at Nambé. Her mother is from Ohkay Owingeh; her mother’s father is from Hopi. Debbie does not list either one in her email signature line because she grew up at, and is enrolled at, Nambé. In a biographical statement, she might include both because they are part of her life and experiences as a Native woman. She would have a lot more to say about Ohkay Owingeh because she spent a lot of time there as a kid and very little time at Hopi.
In some cases, the membership or citizenship requirements of a person’s Nation mean that a person’s child cannot be included on a tribal census but they are considered part of the community. We encourage you to read Christine Day’s note in We Still Belong. Her main character cannot be enrolled in the Nation her mother is enrolled in.
There are hundreds of Tribal Nations, which means there are hundreds of ways in which a person’s nation decides who its citizens are. We are not suggesting that there is a single ‘best’ way of stating a Native identity. Indeed, we learn more about Native identity each year. This year, we learned that some Tribal Nations issue ‘descent’ cards to children of family members who–like the character in Christine Day’s book–can’t be enrolled in their mother’s Nation. Many Nations have moved away from “blood quantum” requirements to lineage. We encourage you to read an interview that NPR did with Elizabeth Rule (she is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation and her book, Indigenous DC, is on our list this year in the Crossover section).
You will also see “not Native” because there are non-Native writers (like John Coy and Debby Dahl Edwardson who are on last year’s list, or Charles Waters on this year’s) whose writing includes Native content or characters in respectful ways. Several books on this year’s list also are illustrated by non-Native artists.
Before moving on to our list, we want to note that claims – like the one made by Buffy Sainte-Marie – have a harmful impact on Native people who were disconnected or removed from their Native families and communities. Across North America, there are Native people trying to find their way home. It is not an easy process. For many it is full of obstacles put there by agencies that sought to destroy Native Nations. When false claims are called out, people who are trying to find their families and those who are trying to build relationships with their families may feel vulnerable and fearful of being challenged about their search. That vulnerability is an unseen harm done by false claims.
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, 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 most people read in their childhood. These will help you understand who Native people really are. We welcome your questions and comments about these introductory paragraphs, or the books we list, below.
And join us in celebrating the growing number of books we list each year!* Many win awards, and the range of what we’re all able to read is outstanding! Across genre, format, and author/illustrator’s Tribal Nations, Native literature is something to pay attention to!
*AICL differs from review journals like Horn Book or School Library Journal. Publishers send them books. At AICL, some publishers send us books, but for the most part, Debbie and Jean buy books themselves, or check them out from a library. It is just the two of us, talking with each other about books. There are some we haven’t yet read and they will–no doubt–be on next year’s list.
Tuesday, November 14, 2023
My Thoughts on Claims to Cherokee Identity -- and Art Coulson
- In 2008 at a joint council meeting of the Cherokee Nation and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, a resolution was adopted that opposed non-citizen self-identified Cherokee individuals.
- In bold, they write "Only individuals recognized as citizens of the Cherokee Nation, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and the United Keetowah Band of Cherokee Indians should claim a Cherokee identity as part of their professional or personal identity."
- They encourage individuals who believe they are Cherokee to contact the appropriate Cherokee government to inquire about citizenship. If that government determines they do not have a right to Cherokee citizenship, they should immediately cease identifying as Cherokee.
Any person who publicly identifies as Cherokee has initiated a public discussion about their identity. It is appropriate to ask such persons to explain the verifiable basis upon which they are claiming a Cherokee identity.
With the Cherokee Scholars statement and the 2008 resolution in mind, it is important to respect their request and withdraw my recommendations of Art Coulson's books. If you're a person who asserts that you are Cherokee, I think it is important that you respect the Cherokee Nation, too. If you think you are a citizen of Cherokee Nation, get that figured out before you start using that information in your professional work. If you think your ancestry is from one of the other two Cherokee Nations, check with them.
Saturday, November 11, 2023
About Buffy Sainte-Marie
An advocacy group devoted to amplifying the voices of Indigenous women says Buffy Sainte-Marie, a musician known for decades of Indigenous activism, appears to have engaged in a great deception regarding her origins as an Indigenous Sixties Scoop Survivor.
As much as anyone, I want the allegations of her deception and dishonourable conduct to be untrue. I want her to stay firmly on the pedestal I and many others have put her on. But the evidence against her, as hard as it is to say, does not look good. And now I'm reeling, as are all Buffy fans, especially Indigenous ones like me.
Whether we like it or not, at least part of the truth has been revealed. It is up to Indigenous people to make sense of it, to reconcile our pain and disbelief, and to figure out how to move forward with care and respect for one another's responses to these revelations. That's our burden, one that the CBC, or any major news outlet, does not have to carry. They can move on to the next story.
Tim Johnson, an Ohsweken resident and the artistic producer for Celebration of Nations held annually at the Performing Arts Centre in St. Catharines, said Sainte-Marie's deception about her Indigenous identity has caused incalculable reputational and financial damage to authentic Indigenous musicians.
"When you are a Juno Award-winning artist, opportunities open for you both in terms of notoriety, income and prestige," said Johnson, a Mohawk, Wolf Clan, from Six Nations of the Grand River.
Sunday, October 15, 2023
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: If You Lived During the Plimoth Thanksgiving, by Chris Newell and Winona Nelson
...the ship arrived in Wampanoag territory at the village of Meeshawm, in what is now known as Provincetown, Massachusetts.
The English commonly used the labels "Indians" or "savages" to describe the multiple nations of peoples and cultures they encountered in America. "Savages" was incredibly demeaning. Even though the terms were inaccurate and dehumanizing, they became familiar in English terminology. Today the language has changed and generalized terms like "American Indian," "Native American," "First Nation," "Indigenous," or 'Native" are all in use. However, Native peoples prefer to be called by their tribe or nation whenever possible.
Wednesday, October 04, 2023
Debbie--have you seen ALONE by Megan E. Freeman?
Monday, October 02, 2023
House and Senate Resolutions Regarding Book Banning and Threats to Freedom of Expression in the US
Expressing concern about the spreading problem of book banning and the proliferation of threats to freedom of expression in the United States.
Mr. Schatz (for himself, Mr. Reed, Mrs. Feinstein, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Booker, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Markey, and Mr. Blumenthal) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
Expressing concern about the spreading problem of book banning and the proliferation of threats to freedom of expression in the United States.
Whereas the overwhelming majority of voters in the United States oppose book bans;
Whereas an overwhelming majority of voters in the United States support educators teaching about the civil rights movement, the history and experiences of Native Americans, enslaved Africans, immigrants facing discrimination, and the ongoing effects of racism;
Whereas, in 1969, the Supreme Court of the United States held in Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, 393 U.S. 503 (1969), that students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate”;
Whereas, in 1982, a plurality of the Supreme Court of the United States wrote in Board of Education, Island Trees Union Free School District No. 26 v. Pico, 457 U.S. 853 (1982), that schools may not remove library books based on “narrowly partisan or political grounds”, as this kind of censorship will result in “official suppression of ideas”;
Whereas the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States protects freedom of speech and the freedom to read and write;
Whereas Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers”;
Whereas PEN America has identified nearly 3,400 instances of individual books banned, affecting 1,557 unique titles from July 2022 through June 2023 alone, representing a 33-percent increase in bans compared to the prior year of July 2021 through June 2022;
Whereas of the 2,532 bans in the 2021–2022 school year, 96 percent of them were enacted without following the best practice guidelines for book challenges outlined by the American Library Association, the National Coalition Against Censorship, and the National Council of Teachers of English;
Whereas the unimpeded sharing of ideas and the freedom to read are essential to a strong democracy;
Whereas books do not require readers to agree with topics, themes, or viewpoints but instead allow readers to explore and engage with differing perspectives to form and inform their own views;
Whereas suppressing the freedom to read and denying access to literature, history, and knowledge are repressive and antidemocratic tactics used by authoritarian regimes against their people;
Whereas book bans violate the rights of students, families, residents, and citizens based on the political, ideological, and cultural preferences of the specific individuals imposing the bans;
Whereas book bans have multifaceted, harmful consequences on—
(1) students, who have a right to access a diverse range of stories and perspectives, especially students from historically marginalized backgrounds whose communities are often targeted by thought control measures;
(2) educators and librarians, who are operating in some States in an increasingly punitive and surveillance-oriented environment and experience a chilling effect in their work;
(3) authors whose works are targeted and suppressed;
(4) parents who want their children to attend public schools that remain open to curiosity, discovery, and the freedom to read; and
(5) community members who want free access to a range of uncensored information and knowledge from their public libraries;
Whereas classic and award-winning literature and books that have been part of school curricula for decades have been challenged, removed from libraries pending review, or outright banned from schools, including—
(1) “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley;
(2) “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood;
(3) “Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation” adapted by Ari Folman;
(4) “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neal Hurston; and
(5) “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee;
Whereas books, particularly those written by and about outsiders, newcomers, and individuals from marginalized backgrounds, are facing a heightened risk of being banned;
Whereas, according to PEN America, 36 percent of instances of books banned or otherwise restricted in the United States from July 2021 to June 2023 have LGBTQ+ characters or themes that recognize the equal humanity and dignity of all individuals despite differences, including—
(1) “And Tango Makes Three” by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell; and
(2) “This Book Is Gay” by Juno Dawson;
Whereas 37 percent of instances of books, both fiction and nonfiction, that have been banned or otherwise restricted in the United States from July 2021 to June 2023 are books about race, racism, or feature characters of color, including—
(1) “The Story of Ruby Bridges” by Robert Coles and illustrated by George Ford;
(2) “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King, Jr.;
(3) “Thank You, Jackie Robinson” by Barbara Cohen;
(4) “Malala: A Hero For All” by Shana Corey;
(5) “Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story” by Kevin Noble Maillard;
(6) “Hair Love” by Matthew A. Cherry;
(7) “Good Trouble: Lessons From the Civil Rights Playbook” by Christopher Noxon; and
(8) “We Are All Born Free: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Pictures”;
Whereas the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has reported a dramatic surge in challenges at libraries and schools to the inclusion of graphic novels that depict the diversity of civic life in the United States and the painful and complex history of the human experience, including—
(1) “New Kid” by Jerry Craft;
(2) “Drama” by Raina Telgemeier;
(3) “American Born Chinese” by Gene Luen Yang; and
(4) “Maus” by Art Spiegelman;
Whereas books addressing death, grief, mental illness, and suicide are targeted alongside nonfiction books that discuss feelings and emotions written for teenage and young adult audiences that frequently confront these topics;
Whereas, during congressional hearings on April 7, 2022, May 19, 2022, and September 12, 2023, students, parents, teachers, librarians, and school administrators testified to the chilling and fear-spreading effects that book bans have on education and the school environment; and
Whereas, according to PEN America, from July 2022 to June 2023, States across the country limited access to certain books for limited or indefinite periods of time, including—
(1) Florida, where at least 1,406 books in total have been banned or restricted in 33 school districts;
(2) Texas, where at least 625 books in total have been banned or restricted in 12 school districts;
(3) Missouri, where at least 333 books in total have been banned or restricted in 14 school districts;
(4) Utah, where at least 281 books in total have been banned or restricted in 10 school districts;
(5) Pennsylvania, where at least with 186 books in total have been banned or restricted in 7 school districts;
(6) South Carolina, where at least with 127 books in total have been banned or restricted in 6 school districts;
(7) Virginia, where at least 75 books in total have been banned or restricted in 6 school districts;
(8) North Carolina, where at least with 58 books in total have been banned or restricted in 6 school districts;
(9) Wisconsin, where at least with 43 books in total have been banned or restricted in 5 school districts;
(10) Michigan, where at least with 39 books in total have been banned or restricted in 12 school districts;
(11) North Dakota, where at least with 27 books in total have been banned or restricted in 1 school district;
(12) Tennessee, where at least 11 books in total have been banned or restricted in 5 school districts; and
(13) New York, where at least 6 books in total have been banned or restricted in 3 school districts: Now, therefore, be it
(1) expresses concern about the spreading problem of book banning and the proliferating threats to freedom of expression in the United States;
(2) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to supporting the freedom of expression of writers that is protected under the First Amendment to the Constitution and the freedom of all individuals in the United States to read books without government censorship;
(3) calls on local governments and school districts to follow best practice guidelines when addressing challenges to books; and
(4) calls on local governments and school districts to protect the rights of students to learn and the ability of educators and librarians to teach, including by providing students with the opportunity to read a wide array of books reflecting the full breadth and diversity of viewpoints and perspectives.