John’s mother is geting married and he has to leave the reservation. John’s grandfather tells him he has the special unbreakable code to take with him. This story portrays the quiet pride of a Navajo code talker as he explains to his grandson how the Navajo language, faith and ingenuity helped win World War II.
Collection of twenty poems accompanied by full color paintings of mountains, plateaus, deserts, and wildlife from the American Southwest and of the Native people who live there. Book begins with spiritual elements, moves on to told stories, Begay’s memories, members of the community, and rituals, and ends with hope for an early spring. Throughout there is a sense of striving to balance the old ways and beliefs with the intrusive outer world and to protect the Earth, which is regarded as sacred.
Chronicles the childhood of EdNah New Rider Weber as she is moved from her Pawnee home to live with her father on a Navajo reservation and then is again uprooted and placed in the Phoenix Indian School.
A lazy, conniving coyote takes advantage of his animal cousins until a horned toad teaches him a lesson he never forgets. A Navajo folktale.
Celinda McKelvey, a Navajo girl, participates in the Kinaalda, the traditional coming-of-age ceremony of her people.
This book is featured in the October 2018 My Take/Your Take.
Dzanibaa’ is alone when U.S. troops swoop down on her family’s hogan. Before she can run to safety, a soldier grabs her and puts her on his horse. She is taken to Fort Canby, and from there is forced to walk to Bosque Redondo. For four long years, Dzanibaa’ and her family endure incredible hardship and sacrifice. Crops wither. Food is scarce or so tainted that it poisons. Illness strikes. At times there seems no hope of a better future. Nevertheless, this time of trial gives Dzanibaa’ a profound sense of herself as a Navajo and of the importance of her culture. As never before, Dzanibaa’ realizes the significance of the clan system, of the prayers and songs of her people, and of exerting herself to help her family. Hear Dzanibaa”s story, and discover why she is the Little Woman Warrior Who Came Home.
After being taught in a boarding school run by whites that Navajo is a useless language, Ned Begay and other Navajo men are recruited by the Marines to become Code Talkers, sending messages during World War II in their native tongue.
A Rainbow at Night is a lively collection of art by Navajo children. Through these imaginative paintings and drawings, readers will learn about some of the special traditions of Navajo life while discovering the universality shared by children of all backgrounds. The images are accompanied by photographic portraits of the artists and personal descriptions of their work.
Tony saves all his summer job money to buy the beautiful saddle at the trading post, but when his grandmother becomes ill after pawning her valuable bracelet to help Tony’s uncle, Tony is faced with a difficult decision.
Being Navajo wasn’t something twelve-year-old Brandon Rogers liked to advertise. His father had left his Indian heritage behind when he went to college and Brandon had grown up in suburbia-just a regular kid. But then Brandon’s Navajo grandfather moved off the reservation and into the lower bunk in Brandon’s room! It wasn’t easy having a roommate who chanted himself to sleep and got you out of bed before sunrise to race the sun. But now Brandon’s learning lessons he’ll never forget. Like how to take on the old ways without giving up the new. And how to grow up proud and strong … with a heritage as real as an old man’s love.