Dazzling inventions from the far north.Today’s Arctic communities have all the comforts of modern living. Yet the Inuit survived in this harsh landscape for hundreds of years with nothing but the land and their own ingenuity. Join authors Alootook Ipellie and David MacDonald as they explore the amazing innovations of traditional Inuit and how their ideas continue to echo around the world.Some inventions are still familiar to us: the one-person watercraft known as a kayak retains its Inuit name. Other innovations have been replaced by modern technology: slitted snow goggles protected Inuit eyes long before sunglasses arrived on the scene. And other ideas were surprisingly inspired: using human-shaped stone stacks (lnunnguat) to trick and trap caribou.Many more Inuit innovations are explored here, including: Dog sleds Kids’ stuff Shelter Food preservation Clothing Medicine.In all, more than 40 Inuit items and ideas are showcased through dramatic photos and captivating language. From how these objects were made, to their impact on contemporary culture, The Inuit Thought of It is a remarkable catalog of Inuit invention.
Indigenous
A Native American Thought Of It: Amazing Inventions And Innovations (We Thought Of It)
Inventiveness and ingenuity from North America’s First Nations.Everyone knows that moccasins, canoes and toboggans were invented by the Aboriginal people of North America, but did you know that they also developed their own sign language, as well as syringe needles and a secret ingredient in soda pop?Depending on where they lived, Aboriginal communities relied on their ingenuity to harness the resources available to them. Some groups, such as the Iroquois, were particularly skilled at growing and harvesting food. From them, we get corn and wild rice, as well as maple syrup.Other groups, including the Sioux and Comanche of the plains, were exceptional hunters. Camouflage, fish hooks and decoys were all developed to make the task of catching animals easier. And even games-lacrosse, hockey and volleyball — have Native American roots.Other clever inventions and innovations include: Diapers Asphalt Megaphones Hair conditioner Surgical knives Sunscreen.With descriptive photos and information-packed text, this book explores eight different categories in which the creativity of First Nations peoples from across the continent led to remarkable inventions and innovations, many of which are still in use today.
The Ainu: A Story of Japan’s Original People
The Ainu examines the culture of the Ainu people of Hokkaido.
Ho-Limlim/Rabbit
After one last foray far from his home, an aging rabbit decides he prefers to rest in his own garden and let his children and grandchildren bring him good things to eat.
Fatty Legs
The moving memoir of an Inuit girl who emerges from a residential school with her spirit intact.Eight-year-old Margaret Pokiak has set her sights on learning to read, even though it means leaving her village in the high Arctic. Faced with unceasing pressure, her father finally agrees to let her make the five-day journey to attend school, but he warns Margaret of the terrors of residential schools.At school Margaret soon encounters the Raven, a black-cloaked nun with a hooked nose and bony fingers that resemble claws. She immediately dislikes the strong-willed young Margaret. Intending to humiliate her, the heartless Raven gives gray stockings to all the girls — all except Margaret, who gets red ones. In an instant Margaret is the laughing stock of the entire school.In the face of such cruelty, Margaret refuses to be intimidated and bravely gets rid of the stockings. Although a sympathetic nun stands up for Margaret, in the end it is this brave young girl who gives the Raven a lesson in the power of human dignity.Complemented by archival photos from Margaret Pokiak-Fenton’s collection and striking artwork from Liz Amini-Holmes, this inspiring first-person account of a plucky girl’s determination to confront her tormentor will linger with young readers.
See the review at WOW Review, Volume 4, Issue 2
Tribal Alphabet
In bold and vibrant colors, artist Claudia Pearson has created a dazzling group portrait of the world of indigenous peoples. Aimed at a young reader audience (ages three to eight), the page text is simple, direct, and informative, while the glossary in the back of the book provides valuable in-depth information for parents and older readers. A percentage of the profits of this book will be given to the not-for-profit foundation Cultural Survival, to aid in its efforts to defend the rights of indigenous people around the world. Claudia Pearson is a Brooklyn-based graphic designer, typographer, and painter. This is her first book.
The Story Of Colors / La Historia De Los Colores: A Bilingual Folktale From The Jungles Of Chiapas
When the NEA -rescinded funding for The Story of Colors, the news hit the cover of the New York Times and made the book an instant bestseller. But far from being subversive, this beautifully illustrated folktale teaches us all about the value of diversity. Old man Antonio tells how a long time ago the world was just black and white and gray. This bored the gods, so they went looking for bright colors and they found them in the most peculiar places!
No one exactly knows who -Subcomandante Marcos is, but since New Year’s Day 1994, when the Zapatistas declared war on the Mexican government, he has become a post-modern revolutionary hero.
La Sirena Y El Pescador
La sirena y el pescador is a traditional folktale of the Rio Balsas region of Mexico, written in the Nahuatl language of San Agustín Oapan, Guerrero and accompanied by a Spanish translation. It tells the story of a young boy who must escape from his family after “Aalamatsin”, the mermaid and mother of all fish, wants the boy as a sacrifice in exchange for the release and pardon of his father, who betrayed his own wife and exploited the inhabitants of the river by overfishing it.
Na ‘Olelo Noeau No Na Keiki: Words of Wisdom for Children
This book is about the words of wisdom from Hawaiian culture.
Grandma’s Chocolate / El chocolate de abuelita
Abuela’s visits from Mexico are always full of excitement for young Sabrina. She can’t wait to see what’s in her grandmother’s yellow suitcase covered in stickers from all the places she has visited. Opening it is like opening a treasure chest, and this year is no different. With her grandmother’s help, Sabrina learns all about the cacao tree, which was first cultivated by Mexico’s Indigenous tribes. Today, seeds from the cacao tree give us chocolate, but years ago the seeds were so valuable they were used as money. This charming bilingual picture book that depicts a loving relationship between grandmother and granddaughter and shares the history and customs of the native peoples, Mayan and Aztec, of Mexico.