@/DawnEQuigley
Apple Starkington turned her back on her Native American heritage the
moment she was called a racial slur. Not that she really even knew HOW
to be an Indian in the first place. Too bad the white world doesn't
accept her either. So began her quirky habits to gain acceptance.
Apple's name, chosen by her Indian mother on her deathbed, has a double
meaning: treasured apple of my eye, but also the negative connotation: a
person who is red, or Indian, on the outside, but white on the inside.
After her wealthy [white] father gives her the boot one summer, Apple
reluctantly agrees to visit her Native American relatives on the Turtle
Mountain Indian Reservation in northern North Dakota for the first time,
which should be easy," but it's not. "Apple shatters Indian stereotypes
and learns what it means to find her place in a world divided by
color.” This Young Adult novel—perfect for adults, too—is a work of complexity and compelling drama, mixed with humor.
"Jimmy McClean is a Lakota boy—though you wouldn’t guess it by his
name: his father is part white and part Lakota, and his mother is
Lakota. When he embarks on a journey with his grandfather...he learns more and more about his Lakota heritage—in particular,
the story of Crazy Horse, one of the most important figures in Lakota
and American history. Drawing references and inspiration from the oral
stories of the Lakota tradition,...and the contemporary story of Jimmy with an insider’s perspective
on the life of Tasunke Witko, better known as Crazy Horse (c.
1840–1877). The book follows the heroic deeds of the Lakota leader who
took up arms against the US federal government to fight against
encroachments on the territories and way of life of the Lakota people,
including leading a war party to victory at the Battle of the Little
Bighorn. Along with Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse was the last of the Lakota
to surrender his people to the US army. Through his grandfather’s tales
about the famous warrior, Jimmy learns more about his Lakota heritage
and, ultimately, himself."
"A wide-ranging and emotionally potent collection of poems, photography,
interviews, and artwork featuring dozens of [contemporary] indigenous artists and
writers from across North America. The graphics-intensive format gives
the project the feel of a magazine or yearbook as the contributors
tackle stereotypes (three girls offer perspectives growing up with
Disney’s Pocahontas); discuss their careers in the arts, activism, and
other areas; and reflect on their place in the culture at large, despite
ongoing discrimination and other challenges."
