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Monday, January 28, 2013

Growing Up Native American: An Anthology -edited by Patricia Riley 333 pages

"Stories of oppression and survival, of heritage denied and reclaimed — twenty-two American writers recall childhood in their native land.  These pieces (most previously published) about coming of age as an Indian in North America by such well-known writers as Leslie Silko, N. Scott Momaday, Louise Erdrich and Ignatia Broker. The material is diverse, ranging from a 19th-century account of a boy's first buffalo hunt to modern-day memoirs of childhoods scarred by poverty, racism and abuse. The collection contains fiction and nonfiction from the U.S. and Canada, reflecting the invisibility of these national borders to indigenous Americans."

B&N.com

MN Native chapters include:

-excerpt from Waterlilly by Ella Cara Deloria (Dakota/Sioux)
-excerpt from Night Flying Woman  by Ignatia Broker (Ojibwe)
-excerpt from Black Elk Speaks  (Oglala Lakota/Sioux)  and more!

Mni Sota Makoce: The Land of the Dakota -Gwen Westerman and Bruce White 273 pages

“Minnesota” is derived from the Dakota phrase Mni Sota Makoce, Land Where the Waters Reflect the Clouds—and the people’s roots here remain strong. Authors Gwen Westerman and Bruce White examine narratives of the people’s origins, their associations with the land, and the seasonal round though key players and place names. They consider Dakota interactions with Europeans and offer an in-depth “reading between the lines” of historical documents—some of them virtually unknown—and treaties made with the United States, uncovering misunderstandings and outright deceptions that helped lead to war in 1862.  Dakota history did not begin with the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862—nor did it end there... But the true depth of the devastation of removal cannot be understood without a closer examination of the history of the Dakota people and their deep cultural connection to the land that is Minnesota. Drawing on oral history interviews, archival work, and painstaking comparisons of Dakota, French, and English sources, Mni Sota Makoce tells the detailed history of the Dakota people in their traditional homelands for at least hundreds of years prior to exile."

B&N.com

Along w/ Lang Arts standards, this text would be a good resource for the Soc Studies ones as well.

Before Columbus: The Americas of 1491 - Charles C. Mann 110 pages

"As with any difficult subject matter (in this case due to the time period and in debunking some of the established record), readers are invited to join in the discussion with curiosity, intensity, and a genuine desire to put more of the pieces together. There are three parts to the book that endeavor to answer probing questions. First, how old was the "New World?" Next, why did Europe succeed? Lastly, were the Americas really a wilderness? Each section has several chapters that contain artifacts, photographs, artistic renderings, maps, and accompanying text boxes with additional features."

B&N.com

*Some mature historical content.  This would be an excellent resource for both the Lang Arts and Soc Standards regarding pre-Columbus history (thriving governments, trade systems, art, land use, agricultural practices, etc) of Native people.  I suggest using this at 4th grade and above.  Great pictures accompanying the text.