About This Resource
Bowwow Powwow by Brenda Child, professor of American Studies at the University of Minnesota, who received The American Indian Book Award in 2014, and illustrated by award-winning painter and digital media artist Gordon Jourdain, follows Windy Girl and her spirited dog, Itchy Boy, as they attend a summer powwow with an uncle who shares stories about tradition. At the gathering, Windy Girl enjoys delicious traditional foods, listens to the singers, and watches the colorful dancers move to the steady beat of the drum. Later that night, beneath the northern lights, Windy falls asleep to the rhythm of the drums and dreams of a magical powwow. In her dream, the elders, singers, and dancers appear as dogs, honoring the Ojibwe ways of remembering—teaching her to dance for those who cannot, to give thanks, and to honor veterans. Through both the real powwow and her dream, Windy comes to understand how it is possible to weave together the past and the present through cultural celebrations with her community.
The book is presented in both English and Ojibwe, with a companion retelling in Ojibwe by Gordon Jourdain, a teacher at the Misaabekong Ojibwe Language Immersion Program in Duluth. This dual-language format emphasizes the deep connection between language and culture, giving readers the opportunity to experience and learn from both.
