Resource Category: Literature Guides

Mashkiki Road: The Seven Grandfather Teachings was written by Elizabeth S. Barrett, (Red Lake Ojibwe), a Dartmouth graduate and educator, and was illustrated by award- winning digital artist Jonathan Thunder. Mashkiki Road tells the story of three Ojibwe cousins (Lily, Ogimaa, and Ellie) who walk into the forest to gather sage and cedar for their Grandma Mindy. Along the way, they meet seven animals, who each of whom shares one of the Grandfather Teachings—courage, honesty, respect, humility, wisdom, truth, and love. These values are part of the Ojibwe world view passed on to future generations as guidance for living well and in balance with others and the natural world. The Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) are one of the largest Indigenous groups in North America, with communities across the Great Lakes region, Canada, and the northern United States. Through the children’s encounters with animal knowledge keepers, the story connects young readers to this heritage, showing how Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) teachings continue to guide daily life, relationships, and care for the earth.

My Powerful Hair by Carole Lindstrom, with beautiful illustrations by Steph Littlebird, is a heartfelt children’s book that delves into the cultural significance of hair for Indigenous people around the world. The story centers around a young girl who discovers the profound meaning behind growing her hair long. Through her journey, she learns that hair is not just a physical attribute but a powerful manifestation of the spirit, holding memories, lessons, dreams, joys, and losses. 

The story reveals the painful legacy of Indian Boarding Schools, where Indigenous children were forced to cut their hair, severing ties to their people, traditions, and culture. Despite this history of loss, the young girl chooses to let her hair grow long. In doing so, she transforms an act once used to erase identity into a living symbol of resilience, honoring her ancestors and carrying forward their enduring spirit.

Jenna, a member of the Creek Nation in Oklahoma, dreams of joining the women of her Tribe in the traditional jingle dress dance at the next powwow. Her excitement grows when her grandmother gives her the go-ahead to dance with the other girls. There is only one thing that could stand in her way: there’s not enough time to order the dress materials for the four rows of tin jingles she needs for her dress. Jenna’s determination shines through as she creatively borrows jingles from her grandmother, aunt, cousin, and a neighbor, ensuring her dress comes together in time, and then sings with the joyful sound among all the other dancers at the powwow. “Jingle Dancer” beautifully illustrates how Jenna and her community preserve their rich traditions and highlights the vital role of extended family and interconnectedness.

When We Were Alone by David A. Robertson, with illustrations by Julie Flett, tells the story of a young girl who is curious about the life experiences of her Nókom, or grandmother. As the girl helps her grandmother in the garden, she observes special things about her Nókom, like her long-braided hair, colorful traditional clothing, and her use of the Cree language. These observations make the girl eager to learn more about her grandmother’s past. 

When asked, the young girl’s Nókom shares her experiences of being forced to go to a residential school. Her Nókom explains that during her time in the residential school, there were many intentional attempts to strip all the Indigenous students of their cultural and community identity, like languages, hairstyles, and practicing important traditions. 

Despite these hardships, her Nókom shares that children found strength and resistance when they were out of sight from the residential school staff and could be “alone,” braiding leaves into their hair, or rolling in the leaves to be colorful again. The story emphasizes the remarkable strength and determination that those forced to attend residential schools shared and used as a tool to survive and remember.

Powwow Day is a children’s book by Traci Sorell, an award-winning author and enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation known for her books celebrating Native American culture. The book is beautifully illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight, a Chickasaw artist and Rhode Island School of Design graduate who brings a vivid sense of Indigenous heritage to her artwork. In Powwow Day, Traci Sorell highlights a specific form of powwow dance and regalia, the jingle dress dance, recognized and known for its healing properties. River, a young girl recovering from illness, longs to participate in the healing jingle dress dance at the powwow celebration but must sit out as she recovers her strength. Watching and listening to her sister, cousins, and friends dance jingle—feather fans waving and metal cones clinking—fills River’s heart with hope. The jingle dance brings health and balance to participants and observers, and specifically to River in her own story of healing. This sacred dance, originating from Ojibwe traditions during the 1918 flu pandemic, combines song, movement, and the spiritual energy of the dress’s jingles to help heal.

Mascot by Charles Waters and Traci Sorell is a compelling novel in verse for middle schoolers and upper elementary students that takes on the debate over whether a school’s team name and mascot, The Braves, is a proud tradition or a harmful stereotype.

The book approaches the controversy around Indigenous school mascots from a broad range of perspectives, while making clear that they perpetuate harm and must be changed. Set in Rye, Virginia, the story follows six eighth-graders, each with different backgrounds and beliefs, as they navigate clashing opinions, changing relationships, and the challenge of speaking up in a divided community. As the students grapple with the issue, their rich and complex identities reveal how personal history, culture, class, and experience shape how they see justice, tradition, and change.

Waters, a children’s poet and coauthor of African Town and Can I Touch Your Hair?, and Sorell, an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation and award-winning author of We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga and Powwow Day, bring depth, authenticity, and multiple perspectives to this timely story. Widely acclaimed, Mascot has earned honors including the 2024 American Indian Youth Literature Award (Middle Grade Honor), the Oklahoma Book Award for Young Adult, the Charlotte Huck Honor Award, and the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award (Chapter Book Honor).

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.

Being Home by Traci Sorell, a two-time Sibert Medal and Orbis Pictus honoree for her nonfiction work, was illustrated by Michaela Goade, aCaldecott Medalist and #1 New York Times Bestselling illustrator of Kirkus Prize Finalist We Are Water Protectors,. Being Home is the story of a young Cherokee girl’s experience leaving behind bustling city life. Told through the girl’s perspective, the narrative follows her as she says goodbye to a different life in the busy city and begins the drive to her family’s ancestral homeland, looking forward to life in new surroundings—family gatherings, cultural traditions, and the slower rhythms of Cherokee life. By the journey’s end, the girl embraces her new home, filled with opportunities to reconnect with the land, relatives, and the deep sense of belonging that comes from knowing where you come from.

Adapted for young adults by Monique Gray Smith, Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults retains the wisdom and beauty of Robin Wall Kimmerer’s original work, Braiding Sweetgrass, published November 1, 2022. The book introduces readers to Indigenous ways of knowing, illustrating how plants, animals, and ecosystems serve as important teachers and guides. By sharing personal stories, scientific insights, and Indigenous worldviews, Kimmerer and Smith invite young readers to reflect on their relationship with the natural world and consider how gratitude, reciprocity, and stewardship can foster deeper connections with all living things.

Meet Jo Jo Makoons, a fun and imaginative seven-year-old girl from the Ojibwe tribe, in Dawn Quigley’s engaging book series. Jo Jo’s lively adventures take place on a fictional reservation, Pembina Ojibwe, where she sees the world in her own special way. She often surprises her family and teacher with her unique perspective and creative ideas.

Jo Jo loves her best friend, Mimi, who is a cat, but she worries about her friendship with Fern, a friend from school. She’s not sure if Fern still wants to be friends because she thinks Fern is making fun of her and therefore doesn’t like her. So Jo Jo wonders if she should try to make more friends. Even with these concerns, Jo Jo’s journey is full of laughter and warmth as she learns some early lessons about the complexity of friendships while also learning more about herself.

This book highlights the voices and stories of Native people, offering young readers a chance to step into Jo Jo’s vibrant world and see the strength and maturation of Indigenous youth who use their talents and intellect to find a path forward. It also emphasizes the importance and richness of Indigenous cultures today.