Katrina M Phillips

With simple, lyrical text and vibrant panoramic illustrations, this picture book explores the beauty and resources of thirteen ancestral Indigenous lands and how we all use those lands each day. Simple poetry and portrayals of children and families enjoying rivers, bike paths, beaches, and parks show how everyday activities can include honoring Indigenous nations and cultures.

Author Katrina Phillips (Ojibwe citizen) and illustrator Sam Zimmerman (Ojibwe direct descendant) together have crafted a loving tribute that gently demonstrates recognition and acknowledgement of the nations of people who first called these lands home.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 3 to 9.

Additional Information
32 pages | 10.00" x 8.00" | Hardcover 

Indigenous Peoples' Day is about celebrating! The second Monday in October is a day to honor Native American people, their histories, and cultures. People mark the day with food, dancing, and songs. Readers will discover how a shared holiday can have multiple traditions and be celebrated in all sorts of ways.

Awards

• 2022 American Indian Library Association winner

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 5 to 8.

This book is about Indigenous Peoples' Day in the United States.

Additional Information
32 pages | 7.00" x 9.00" | Paperback

Powwows are about dancing! Indigenous people in America come together at powwows to celebrate their culture and traditions with drumming, singing, and dancing. Together they remember their history and honor their ancestors. Dancers show off their best moves and fancy regalia in dances that tell stories or remember important moments in history. Lively photos and easy-to-read text help readers learn about contemporary powwow dances and traditions and their roots in the past. Readers will discover how Indigenous traditions honor the past and celebrate the present.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 5 to 8.

Additional Information
32 pages | 7.00" x 9.00" | Paperback 

Meet the Super SHEroes of History, the women who have shaped history and society since ancient times.

Indigenous women were prominent members of their communities long before Europeans reached North America. When the newcomers arrived, they played a key role in holding their communities together in the face of social turmoil. Some joined male warriors to fight European settlement, while others such as Nanyehi/Nancy Ward argued that the two peoples could coexist peacefully. Indigenous women led political and legal fights to preserve their traditional rights throughout the 20th century and still do so today. Some became active campaigners in numerous causes, especially in the struggle to protect sacred lands from construction. This book tells their stories and describes their vital contributions.

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 8 to 12.

Additional Information
48 pages | 7.12" x 8.37" | Paperback

In 1921, Inupait seamstress Ada Blackjack joined a a group of four white men who wanted to establish a trading post on Wrangel Island in the freezing Arctic Ocean. The explorers were stranded on the island when their return ship was forced to turn back due to ice. Facing harsh conditions and dwindling food supplies, the men died one by one, but Ada remained. Find out how she alone managed to survive the disastrous expedition.

Reviews
"The lesser-known 1921 Wrangel Island Expedition is chronicled in this graphic novel.... The book begins by introducing its two key players: Ada Blackjack (a young Inuit single mother from Nome, Alaska) and Vilhjalmur Steffansson (an aging white explorer of Icelandic heritage). Steffansson was determined to establish a European colony on Wrangel Island, off the coast of Siberia. He assembled a five-man team of explorers, and Blackjack, desperate for money, joined them. While the writing is a bit stilted, the artwork makes the tale quite lively, especially once the expedition reaches the uninhabited island. Readers will become engrossed in the team’s efforts to survive and be impressed with how Blackjack proves herself the most capable person there; indeed, she’s the sole survivor. A map and additional information conclude."— Julia Smith, Booklist

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 8 to 11.

Additional Information
32 pages | 7.00" x 9.00" | Paperback