School Library Journal Review
| Gr 7 Up--The authors (Sky Wolf's Call; Turtle Island) partner again to lift Indigenous stories and celebrate the many accomplishments of First Nations people across time. The book is divided into five parts, focusing on several areas of contributions, including language, the arts, anthropology, and activism. Fourteen exemplary figures and an organization are highlighted, such as Gaspar Antonio Chi, a Mayan scribe; anthropologist Ella Cara Deloria; and contemporary author Tommy Orange. The I-Collective is a group of Indigenous cooks, seed keepers, and educators who collaborated on A Gathering Basket, a book that reveals traditional Indigenous knowledge about old-style foodways using modern technology. Subjects come from Canada to Mexico and represent Indigenous peoples from varied ways of life, from cities to reservations. Each biography is told in five to seven pages, just enough to intrigue readers to do more research. More importantly, they are shared without a focus on the white lens. The layout features a mix of color and black-and-white images, such as photos, illustrations, reproductions, and diagrams. The art sometimes crowds the page but is never overwhelming. The afterword explores how Yellowhorn researched and organized the collection as well as how his story fits within the larger telling. VERDICT This luminous work is more than a collective biography. It's a reclamation of Indigenous stories, often manipulated, destroyed, and untold. A first purchase.--Shelley M. Diaz |
Horn Book Review
| This absorbing and accessible collection highlights Indigenous voices across history and contemporary times. Through profiles of poets, novelists, artists, and historians, the authors present a nuanced narrative of Indigenous resilience and creativity. Stunning photos, archival images, and sidebars enrich the reading experience, while difficult histories are addressed with honesty. Though somewhat loosely structured, the book's powerful storytelling and diverse perspectives make it a valuable and enlightening read. Back matter includes an afterword, sources, resources, image credits, and an index. (c) Copyright 2025. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. |
Kirkus Review
| A concise yet comprehensive book that balances the historical and contemporary stories of Indigenous people. "The stories people tell about us matter," Yellowhorn (Piikani Nation) and Lowinger write in their introduction. They follow broad and inclusive definitions ofstories and ofstorytellers, including, in addition to authors of various types, an anthropologist, a diarist, a comic book creator, fabric and bead artists, and those who bore witness in courtrooms. Within each section, the profiles cover diverse figures, such as popular Mohawk poet Pauline Johnson (1861-1913), who performed her poetry on stage and challenged racist and sexist limitations, and acclaimed contemporary writer Tommy Orange (Cheyenne and Arapaho), whose writing makes "urban Indigenous people visible." The authors showcase Indigenous people as part of the present day, and their focus extends across the Americas, with people representing the Maya, Sioux, Métis, and Inupiaq, among others. In the process, they tell a more complete story of Indigenous existence than readers typically encounter. Throughout the book, images showing art, letters, portraits, and historical artifacts add to the visual appeal. Sidebars add context on topics such as "Urban Indigeneity" and "Mapping Our Story," as well as offering mini biographical sketches. While celebrating individuals and communities, the authors don't sugarcoat difficult information, like the trauma of boarding schools and poverty. The straightforward writing style makes this work accessible and welcoming. An appealing introduction to voices and stories that need to be heard. (note about language and terms, sources and resources, image credits, index)(Nonfiction. 12-16) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission. |
