Need suggestions for Native American literature

[A home for their hearts]

We will be studying American History this year. We are first going to cover the various Native American tribes that occuppied North America. I need suggestions for literature for grades k-8.

 

Thanks!

[Farrar]

Someone on another forum I'm on just posted this great looking resource:

http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/lit_resources/diversity/native_am/nat_lit/nat_lit_front.html

 

For read alouds, I think you can't go wrong with The Birchbark House and anything by Joseph Bruhac.

[kirstenhill]

I second the recommendation for Birchbark House (and don't miss the subsequent books in the series, too).   Here's an article I found very interesting from the Minnesota Historical Society on the subject of selecting literature on this topic.

 

 

[trulycrabby]

Not literature, but if you are looking for native history and culture resources:

 

This is just one tribe (mine!), but Cherokee Nation has quite a wealth of information about Cherokee culture, traditions, history, language, biographies, a cookbook, etc...on their website. The reading will be web-based and written from the Cherokee perspective, but very interesting:

 

Cherokee Culture:

http://www.cherokee.org/AboutTheNation/Culture.aspx

 

Cherokee History:

http://www.cherokee.org/AboutTheNation/History.aspx

 

 

At the site, click on each individual title to get detailed information rather than a brief summary of the topic.

 

 

[A home for their hearts]

Thanks everyone! Looks like I've got a lot of researching to do. Does anyone know of a list of books that would correlate with American History? My initial plan was just that, to study Native American History alongside our American History studies. I want to include what life was like before European discovery, then as we move through history how the lives of Native Americans were affected.

 

I also like the idea of including study on modern day tribes, I just don't know how to fit it all in! My ds13 surpised me by saying she wanted to study Native Americans,I never knew this was an interest of hers. I think it'll be a good year to teach her some researching skills!

 

Thanks trulycrabby for the links! Those will be fun to explore!

[Alicia64]

We really enjoyed The Sign of the Beaver. It's about a white boy, 12, who is left in the woods while his dad goes back to retrieve his mom. An Indian grandfather takes the white boy under his wing. Great book.

 

Alley

[Farrar]

We really enjoyed The Sign of the Beaver. It's about a white boy, 12, who is left in the woods while his dad goes back to retrieve his mom. An Indian grandfather takes the white boy under his wing. Great book.

 

Alley

 

An essay on some of the problems in Sign of the Beaver.  Just food for thought.  I think sometimes it can be worthwhile to read a book despite issues like these (though perhaps not this particular book, IMO), but it's important to be aware of them, to discuss them appropriately, and sometimes to pair a book with another that gives a different depiction.

[Farrar]

Btw, OP, I don't know of a chronological list, but you might start with myths and legends and then do Joseph Bruhac's Children of the Longhouse, which is set, IIRC, pre-European contact.

[umsami]

There's a whole series that we used last year when we did a self-designed Waldorf thing on Native Americans (not history, but still really interesting.)  Our library had the entire series save one.  DS then made a model of his favorite one.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Mounds-earth-shell-Native-Dwellings/dp/0887763529/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1375153765&sr=8-4&keywords=native+american+homes+shells

 

http://www.amazon.com/Houses-snow-bones-Native-Dwellings/dp/0887763057/ref=pd_sim_b_2

 

etc.

 

 

 

We have this book of Native American folk tales that we like:

http://www.amazon.com/American-Legends-Pantheon-Folklore-Library/dp/0394740181/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375153864&sr=1-3&keywords=native+american+tales

 

 

 

 

There's "Children of the Longhouse"  http://www.amazon.com/Children-Longhouse-Joseph-Bruchac/dp/0140385045/ref=pd_sim_b_17

 

We're supposed to read this, this year (but haven't yet) 

http://www.amazon.com/Om-Kas-Toe-Blackfeet-Captures-Amazing-Children/dp/1880114054/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375153962&sr=8-1&keywords=om-kas-toe

 

My Dad has Lenape (Delaware) Indian in him, so we also picked up this. http://www.amazon.com/Grandfathers-Speak-Native-American-International/dp/1566561280/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375153988&sr=1-8&keywords=lenape+legends

 

 

[HS Mom in NC]

When my older two were beginning colonial history we introduced the idea of first source materials by using The True Story of Pocahontas: The Other Side of The Story by Dr. Linwood "Little Bear" Custalow & Angela L. Daniel "Silver Star.  It's the oral tradition passed down by the direct descendants of her tribe.  Along side that we covered European accounts of Pocahontas. 

 

It makes for a very interesting discussion about what history is and what we do or don't really know. I used them to show a preference for firsthand accounts as compared to secondary accounts on both sides. I emphasized caution when reading any historical account removed from eye witnesses and how different cultures can view the same event very differently. I also pointed out that anyone far removed should be careful when making definitive statements about the mindset and motives of people long since gone on both sides of an issue.

It's also very interesting insight into a Native American culture by Native Americans.

[Lori D.]

This past thread had lots of ideas: What are your must reads for Native American history?