50 Indigenous Leaders, Dreamers, and Changemakers from Past and Present
October 15, 2021
This is a well-composed, highly readable introduction to significant Native people. Noting that telling the stories of Native American, Kanaka Maoli (Hawai'ian), and Alaska Native peoples is important decolonial work, this volume distributes its 50 entries across these 3 groups, including a balance of gender identities, ages, locations, tribal affiliations, and work. Entries are two pages long, beginning with a full-page, color portrait of the subject. Covering people from Sequoyah (1770-1843), who created the Cherokee Syllabary, to Bobbi Jean Three Legs (born 1992), Standing Rock Lakota and Cheyenne Lakota activist, the entries serve to inform readers, while broadening their knowledge of and appreciation for the myriad ways in which Native populations work to ensure rights for their people, protect the environment, and preserve their heritage. Other essays run from two to four pages, and cover issues like settler colonialism, how tribal citizenship is determined, and current issues in Indian Country. The approachable writing style and pictorial elements make this suitable for inclusion in middle- and high-school libraries, as well as public and community college collections.
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December 1, 2021
Keene (Cherokee; American studies and ethnic studies, Brown Univ.) celebrates 50 noteworthy Native American, Alaska Native, and Kanaka Maoli people, urging readers to look beyond persistent stereotypical messages about Indigenous cultures and explore the harmful consequences of settler colonialism. Keene profiles mostly living individuals, of varying ages, gender identities, and tribal affiliations, including environmental justice organizer and artist Jihan Gearon (Din� and Black); athlete Nick Hanson (Inupiaq); cultural educator Earl Kawa'a (Kanaka Maoli); seed keeper Rowen White (Akwesasne Mohawk); and teacher and culture keeper Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu (Kanaka Maoli). Portraits of the subjects, illustrated by Sana (Chamoru), are enlivened by rich colors and bold graphics. VERDICT Bright and appealing yet never simplistic, this is a strong addition for every library.
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