Sometimes reading the history of the New World gives the impression no one lived here before the Europeans came. This isn’t true. Lots of people lived here and I’ve been reading some Native American stories to find out more about them.
There are many titles to choose from. Many are written by white people from their point of view. I came across a list of Native American authors and decided to check out one of them.
Beginning With Picture Books
The nice thing about picture books is being able to see what is talked about in the text. These simpler approaches can be good introductions to topics as well.
So I requested several books by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve about different tribes. All of the ones I’ve read so far, “The Cherokees”, “The Cheyennes”, “The Hopis”, “The Navajos”, “The Nez Perce” and “The Apaches”, have a similar approach.
In the Beginning
The books begin with Native American stories of creation, where the people came from. All of these tales reflect a strong relationship with the natural world.
How these different tribes lived, their tools, the roles of men and women in the tribe, some customs and activities are described next. I was surprised at how many tribes let their women have a strong presence and influence in the tribe. This changed with the coming of the white man.
Sad Commentaries
Europeans considered the Native Americans a problem to be removed. Even tribes that tried to adopt white ways and beliefs were still just Native Americans. Although these books do not dwell on the many broken promises, treaties, massacres and forced relocations, they are mentioned as they are part of the Native American stories.
Looking to the Future
Although most tribes have reservations, many members are educated and work in a wide range of careers. This is also part of the Native American stories.
This First Americans series may be picture books, but they are beautifully illustrated by Ronald Himler. They are definitely a good introduction to the different tribes and lay a good foundation for reading other Native American authors.
