This rich compendium combines Lenape (Delaware) history, an introduction to several storytellers, and storytelling beliefs with a diverse collection of tales. The tales presented here are twentieth-century renderings from many locations, demonstrating the durability of the storytelling traditions.
Age
Catalog sorted by age group
The Same Sun Was In The Sky
A boy and his grandfather go hiking in the Arizona desert, where they observe the many rock carvings and imagine the lives of the Hohokam people who lived there in ancient times.
The Day Sun Was Stolen
After the creation of the world, only Bear is bothered by the sun’s heat, but his plan to kidnap the sun is thwarted by a young boy named Ts’ina dabju.
Lasting Echoes
Discusses the history of Native Americans, with a sampling of excerpts from their own accounts of their experiences.
Circle Of Wonder
A mute Indian child has an extraordinary experience one Christmas when, following a figure who seems to be his beloved grandfather who has died, he becomes part of a circle in which he, animals, nature, and all the world join in a moment of peace and good will.
Lewis Tewanima
As a young boy, Lewis Tewanima was forced from his Hopi village into a government boarding school, where he was prohibited from practicing his native language and traditions. He found that running was a way to bridge the gap between his Indian heritage and American culture, and his talent led him to the 1912 Olympics and a silver medal.
César Chávez
A simple biography of the man who worked to win fairer treatment of the migrant farm workers in California in the 1960s and to establish the United Farm Workers union.
Kokopelli
Kokopelli the Cicada leads the Ant People from the Dark World up to various other worlds and finally to the Green World, helping teach them along the way what they will need to know to survive and thrive there as the First People.
Clatter Bash!: A Day Of The Dead Celebration
Rhyming text presents traditions used to celebrate the Day of the Dead.
Quail Song
A retelling of a traditional Pueblo Indian tale in which Quail outwits a persistent Coyote.