Benjamin loves the rain. He loves splashing through puddles in his bright yellow rain boots and watching the colors of a rainbow in the water as they ripple around his feet. But most of all, Benjamin loves thunder. To him, thunder, piyêsiwak and sounds like his grandfather’s drum. It calls to him, like the songs his grandfather plays while his father and other powwow dancers spin and step in time to the drumbeat. As Benjamin hears the thunder rumble overhead, he imagines himself as a powwow dancer. He spins, he taps his feet and he lifts his knees. Faster and faster he twirls, delighted by and filled with the rhythm of piyêsiwak.
United States
Materials from United States of America
The Worry Balloon
On the first day of school, Isla’s mind plays the what if game. Scary thoughts come, the world goes dark, and everything feels stormy. With Mami at her side, Isla takes a deep breath and blows her worries away in a big balloon. But as school gets closer, Isla’s worries come back like a tornado. Mami encourages her to imagine something happy, and Isla remembers there’s nothing she can’t handle. The storm might come again, but for now, her mind is quiet.
Farolitos For Abuelo
When Luz’s beloved grandfather dies, she places luminaria around his grave on Christmas Eve as a way of remembering him.
When Bear Stole The Chinook
Because the long, hard winter caused scarcity of firewood and food, a poor Indian boy and his animal friends journey to the lodge of the Great Bear to release the chinook.
Mascot
Six eighth graders outside Washington, DC, navigate through conflict and division focused on their school district’s Native American mascot.
The White Deer And Other Stories Told By The Lenape
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.
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.
Who Wants To Be A Prairie Dog? (Navajo Fairy Tales)
A young Navajo boy must participate in his family’s annual sheep dip. As he follows the sheep to the dipping site, he is led on an adventure and must choose what is more important: his needs or the needs of others.
Three Stalks Of Corn
When Angelica’s grandmother explains the legends and uses of corn, the three tall stalks in the garden take on new significance.