United States

Materials from United States of America

Blessing’s Bead

Nutaaq and her older sister, Aaluk, are on a great journey, sailing from a small island off the coast of Alaska to the annual trade fair. There, a handsome young Siberian wearing a string of cobalt blue beads watches Aaluk “the way a wolf watches a caribou, never resting.” Soon his actions—and other events more horrible than Nutaaq could ever imagine—threaten to shatter her I~nupiaq world. Seventy years later, Nutaaq’s greatgranddaughter, Blessing, is on her own journey, running from the wreckage of her life in Anchorage to live in a remote Arctic village with a grandmother she barely remembers. In her new home, unfriendly girls whisper in a language she can’t understand, and Blessing feels like an outsider among her own people. Until she finds a cobalt blue bead—Nutaaq’s bead—in her grandmother’s sewing tin. The events this discovery triggers reveal the power of family and heritage to heal, despite seemingly insurmountable odds. Two distinct teenage voices pull readers into the native world of northern Alaska in this beautifully crafted and compelling debut novel.

Berry Woman’s Children

berryAccording to Eskimo myth, Berry Woman was asked by Raven to look after the animals and birds. Superb woodcuts illustrate the Eskimo legends that Grandmother tells to her rapt audience, four children clinging to her “on the bedplace.”

Skeleton Woman

A fisherman accidentally hooks the skeleton of Annuk, a young Aleutian girl who had drowned, on his line, and the fisherman’s compassion for the girl brings her magically back to life, in an Aleutian folktale about the power of love and compassion.

Native Cultures in Alaska (Alaska Geographic)

Alaska Geographic presents the people, places, and wonders of Alaska to the world. Over the past 30 years, Alaska Geographic has earned its reputation as the publication for those who love Alaska.

The War Canoe

Mickey, a young Tlingit Indian who is a troublemaker in his small Alaska town, discovers his proud heritage with the help of several interested adults and builds a traditional war canoe to honor his discovery.

Neeluk: An Eskimo Boy in the Days of the Whaling Ships

Weaving history, art and literature, these stories follow a young Inupiat Eskimo boy through a year of his life at the turn of the last century.

Children Of The Midnight Sun

For Native children, growing up in Alaska today means dwelling in a place where traditional practices sometimes mix oddly with modern conveniences. “Children of the Midnight Sun” explores the lives of eight Alaskan Native children, each representing a unique and ancient culture. This extraordinary book also looks at the critical role elders play in teaching the young Native traditions. 40 color photos.

How Glooskap Outwits The Ice Giants: And Other Tales Of The Maritime Indians

Six tales featuring the mythical giant who roamed the coast to New England and Canada, created the Indian peoples to keep him company, and fought battles to protect them ever after.