need historical fiction from Native American viewpoint

[Ravin]

Preferably with a female protagonist, ideally by a Native writer, which will help challenged the obnoxiously uncritical American history lessons DD is getting at her school.

 

She's in 6th grade.

[Farrar]

Birchbark House! It has many sequels. Warning: baby death. Not for the very sensitive.

 

Also great is anything by Joseph Bruhac.

[Tanaqui]

Fatty Legs. Technically takes place in Canada, but residential schools existed in the US as well, run under much the same lines.

[deerforest]

Morning Girl by Michael Dorris.

[Targhee]

I Heard the Owl Call My Name

[kirstenhill]

I'll second the Birchbark House series.  I am so not sensitive to books, but the first book did make me cry. It is the only book I can remember reading aloud to my DD that really did that! The sequels were not sad in the same way.  Excellent series!

[shage]

Not fiction, but "Songs from this Earth on Turtle's Back" is a wonderful collection of Native American poetry. Check paperbackswap.

[Pen]

My Name is Not Easy    by Debby Dahl Edwardson 

 

possibly various books by Louise Erdich ?

 

 

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian  by Sherman Alexie (not exactly historical, and main character is male, but good)

 

 

N. Scott Momaday's The Way to Rainy Mountain (I read it in 9th and loved it)

 

there was a book written by a man who was taken as a boy to be raised and educated in white world by a senator during the Sitting Bull era, but I cannot recall title or author name at this time. It also might be too mature a level. But a movie was made based on it that was good--except that I cannot recall its title either.

 

Power or perhaps other books by Linda Hogan ?  It might be a bit too old for your dd? Or maybe not.

 

Maybe something by Leslie Marmon Silko?

[Farrar]

My Name is Not Easy    by Debby Dahl Edwardson 

 

possibly various books by Louise Erdich ?

 

 

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian  by Sherman Alexie (not exactly historical, and main character is male, but good)

 

 

N. Scott Momaday's The Way to Rainy Mountain (I read it in 9th and loved it)

 

there was a book written by a man who was taken as a boy to be raised and educated in white world by a senator during the Sitting Bull era, but I cannot recall title or author name at this time. It also might be too mature a level. But a movie was made based on it that was good--except that I cannot recall its title either.

 

Power or perhaps other books by Linda Hogan ?  It might be a bit too old for your dd? Or maybe not.

 

Maybe something by Leslie Marmon Silko?

 

I think most of these - the ones I know anyway - would be too old for a 6th grader. I wouldn't even suggest Absolutely True Diary quite yet. I adore Leslie Marmon Silko but she's also the only writer who I read in high school who actually disturbed me. N Scott Momaday is really dense reading.

 

I do think Louise Erdich is the way to go.

[Allearia]

A good non fiction book about Native American games is Grass Games and Moon Races. I need to get it out, I think it might be specific to California.

 

I have a Bachelor's degree in Narive American Studies, I will try to post a list later, I can't think of them off the top of my head.

[Ravin]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm going to start with Birchbark House.

[Pen]

Another possibility might be to see some films such as the one whose name I cannot recall, alas, if it helps, I think the senator was played by Aidan Quinn.  

 

And documentaries such as 500 Nations, are ones my ds saw at grade 6 age and appreciated, though they were a bit slow. This might be a way to challenge the uncritical American history she is getting with Native perspective, but not needing as much reading to be done.  

 

I misread her grade as 8th, so I agree with Farrar that my suggestions except the first two are all likely to be too mature both as to content and writing style.

[Pen]

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is the film whose title I could not recall. My son saw it at grade 6 age and liked it.

[Tanaqui]

Although I do love The Birchbark House and sequels, I do have one caveat. Religious experiences tend to be written as though they're literally happening, which can be awkward if you don't believe that. That wasn't a dealbreaker for me with those books, just slightly awkward, but I know some people might find it a bigger problem. (I'm trying to find a way to phrase this politely, but I think I failed.) Of course, when we read it the girls were younger than the OP's daughter, so it was all very "Well, some people believe, and I believe, and you know, there's a wide diversity of beliefs...."

[Acadie]

Seconding both the Birchbark House series and Morning Girl.

 

Amy

[kiana]

Not a female, but I really like Wolf Brother by Jim Kjelgaard (spelling?) for your intended purposes.

[Ravin]

Although I do love The Birchbark House and sequels, I do have one caveat. Religious experiences tend to be written as though they're literally happening, which can be awkward if you don't believe that. That wasn't a dealbreaker for me with those books, just slightly awkward, but I know some people might find it a bigger problem. (I'm trying to find a way to phrase this politely, but I think I failed.) Of course, when we read it the girls were younger than the OP's daughter, so it was all very "Well, some people believe, and I believe, and you know, there's a wide diversity of beliefs...."

Religious experiences as in native traditional religion, or Christian? Because I'd rather expose her to the former rather than the latter.

[Farrar]

Religious experiences as in native traditional religion, or Christian? Because I'd rather expose her to the former rather than the latter.

 

The are elements of both as I remember it because the grandmother practices a sort of native religion but there's also a priest and a time in town where they attend a school. The POV is a child and from her perspective the religion that her grandmother teaches her is basically real. Dh is an atheist, the kids are basically Unitarians, I'm something liberal something... anyway, I can't remember all the specifics, but it never would have occurred to me to be worried about it being something I was exposing my kids to or anything. The varieties of religious experience and all that.

[Tanaqui]

Definitely the former.

 

Farrar, there was only one scene that really bugged me, and darn it, the book's in the girls' room and they're asleep. It was something about them seeing literal little people in the woods. Literally, in a very... literal way. In the context of historical fiction, it really bugged me.

 

[Alessandra]

Not exactly what you asked, but the Dear America book, Standing in the Light, by Mary Pope Osborne, is the story of Catherine Carey, a Pennsylvania Quaker during the French and Imdian War. The book is about her capture by and living with the Lenape, whom she came to respect and love. It is based on the real life Catherine, who, in adulthood, became an advocate for Native Americans.

 

Reading level is kid, but I found it well written. My dc gained a lot of emotional understanding because they identified with Catherine.

 

Oh, and someone mentioned 500 Nations up thread. Not to be missed, IMO. Preview this, as it could be too much for some 6th graders.

 

What is your dd's school teaching?

 

ETA. Picture books I like, Encounter by Jane Yolen, and The Rough Face Girl, by Rafe Martin, both superbly illustrated by David Shannon. Shannon has some other NA books that I can't recall the titles of right now.

[Farrar]

Definitely the former.

 

Farrar, there was only one scene that really bugged me, and darn it, the book's in the girls' room and they're asleep. It was something about them seeing literal little people in the woods. Literally, in a very... literal way. In the context of historical fiction, it really bugged me.

I sort of remember that the spirits are real to her, yes? And that it's implied that she's on her way to becoming a sort of, for lack of a better term, wise woman. I guess it just didn't bother me for the reason you said - that it was her experience, from the eyes of a child.