The first people of the continent go by many names. Grouped together, white people have called them various names and lumped the various tribes and nations under some ugly titles. But as a whole, Native Americans are quite diverse. Some are settled farmers, some are wanderers, some are bellicose and some are peaceful, just like the rest of humanity. As a group the first people have always fascinated me. Maybe in part because my paternal grandmother told me we had Cherokee blood flowing in our veins. Looking at her, you could well believe that, since she was a raven-haired beauty with a mischievous sparkle in her eye. My fair-skinned, red-haired visage doesn’t really conjure up a connection. However, people do comment that I have high cheekbones, indicating a possibility. I’d like to think so, especially since I’ve always felt a connection to the rest of nature.
I selected a series entitled “First Peoples” to review. The series is diverse, not just concentrating on some of the Plains group, but also talking about Eastern groups. Perhaps the Western tribes and the Canadian and Central/South American tribes will be talked about in future books, along with the rest of the Plains and Eastern Groups.
I like that the series is called “First People,” since that’s how most think of themselves. Like the rest of humanity, the tribes have creations myths just as complex as more modern religions and most have similar elements in them. The Cheyenne are a Plains group, or at least when white people descended upon them. They may have migrated from somewhere else.
First Peoples: Cheyenne
Valerie Bodden
American Indians or Native Americans or First Peoples, no matter how someone describes them, these peoples were the first known human dwellers of North and South America, so it’s nice to have books describing them to the new generations now living in this hemisphere. Never a singular group of people going by different names, the groups had different cultures and systems of government. Some of the groups carried on wars, or at least skirmishes with other tribes. The focus of this book is about the Cheyenne, who are Plains Indians, from the middle of what is now the United States of America. Their name, Shawnee, is from a Sioux word meaning “people of a different speech.” But the Cheyenne call themselves Tsitsistas, which means simply “the people.” Originally, they were farmers before they moved to the plains. They lived in bands and had four chiefs. They had tepees, which they packed up and moved from place to place. The book has many such facts and doesn’t shy away from the damage white settlers did to them and their way of life. Again, the photographs are spectacular. Teachers will find many ways to incorporate the simple text into their lessons. Be sure to pick up the whole series, “Peoples of the Land.”
BIBLIO: 2020, Creative Education/Creative Company, Ages 6 +, $20.95.
REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan
FORMAT: Nonfiction Picture Book
ISBN: 978-1-64026-223-2
Judging from the translation of their tribal name, the Comanche have a reputation for being belligerent, though they think of themselves simply as “our people.” But even though they were wanderers, they had concise rules and government.
First Peoples: Comanche
Valerie Bodden
American Indians or Native Americans or First Peoples, no matter how someone describes them, these peoples were the first known human dwellers of North and South America, so it’s nice to have books describing them to the new generations now living in this hemisphere. Never a singular group of people going by different names, the groups had different cultures and systems of government. Some of the groups carried on wars, or at least skirmishes with other tribes. The focus of this book is the Comanche, who are Plains Indians, from the middle of what is now the United States of America. Their name, Comanche, is from a Ute word meaning “anyone who wants to fight me all the time..” But the Comanche call themselves Nermernuh, which means simply “our people.” They lived in small bands run by a head chief and a council. Like the Cheyenne, they had tepees, which they packed up and moved from place to place. They had many horses and moved frequently to give the animals good pasture. They hunted on horseback. The book has many such facts and doesn’t shy away from the damage white settlers did to them and their way of life. Again, the photographs are spectacular. Teachers will find many ways to incorporate the simple text into their lessons. Be sure to pick up the whole series, “Peoples of the Land.”
BIBLIO: 2020, Creative Education/Creative Company, Ages 6 +, $20.95.
REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan
FORMAT: Nonfiction Picture Book
ISBN: 978-1-64026-224-9
The third book in the series describes a more sedentary group from the southwest who lived in pueblos and are, to this day, farmers and herders.
First Peoples: Hopi
Valerie Bodden
American Indians or Native Americans or First Peoples, no matter how someone describes them, these peoples were the first known human dwellers of North and South America, so it’s nice to have books describing them to the new generations now living in this hemisphere. This was never a singular group of people going by different names. The groups had different cultures and systems of government. This book in this series is about the Hopi who live in the North American southwest. Their name means “peaceful people,” and they are considered by other tribes to be “the oldest of the people.” They are farmers and artisans who have lived at the edge of the Painted Desert for more than 1,000 years. The photos of the people and the area they live in a breathtaking. The photos of their weavings, pottery and textiles are quite appealing. The harm that Spanish priest did to these cultures and then the harm the other white cultures did is horrifying and it’s nice to see it mentioned in these books. Teachers will find many ways to incorporate the simple text into their lessons. Be sure to pick up the whole series, “Peoples of the Land.”
BIBLIO: 2020, Creative Education/Creative Company, Ages 6 +, $20.95.
REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan
FORMAT: Nonfiction Picture Book
ISBN: 978-1-64026-225-6
And the final book in the series that I’ve reviewed is about an Eastern group. They, like so many of the East Coast groups, were farmers and hunters. Any kid who was a girl scout or boy scout probably went to a summer camp where the cabins were named after various tribes. I’d like to think that my cabin was called the Shawnee, but I sure don’t remember.
First Peoples: Shawnee
Valerie Bodden
American Indians or Native Americans or First Peoples, no matter how someone describes them, these peoples were the first known human dwellers of North and South America, so it’s nice to have books describing them to the new generations now living in this hemisphere. Never a singular group of people going by different names, the groups had different cultures and systems of government. Some of the groups carried on wars, or at least skirmishes with other tribes. The focus of this book is about the Shawnee, who were originally from the eastern part of what is now the United States. Their name, Shawnee, is from a word meaning “southerners.” They lived south of other tribes speaking similar languages. Their homes were amongst forests and close to rivers or other inland water sources. They lived in villages protected by two chiefs and a religious leader called a shaman. Each family lived in a wigwam, some of which were made of logs and animal hides. But they also had traveling wigwams that the families could take on hunting expeditions. These consisted of massive pieces of tree bark, some of which were warped to curve toward the top, and held together by a system of limbs curved to stabilize the structure. The Shawnee soldiers painted their bodies in elaborate designs before they went into battle. The women farmed during the growing season and they gathered wild fruits and nuts. Their clothing was usually decorated with beadwork or feathers. Teachers will find many ways to incorporate the simple text into their lessons. Be sure to pick up the whole series, “Peoples of the Land.”
BIBLIO: 2020, Creative Education/Creative Company, Ages 6 +, $20.95.
REVIEWER: Sarah Maury Swan
FORMAT: Nonfiction Picture Book
ISBN: 978-1-64026-228-7
As a couple of final notes, I try to put in photos as was suggested, but sometimes I can’t do it. This is one of those times, sorry. Also, I’m trying very hard to get my new website up and running, but don’t know how much success I’ve had. Please let me know if you can get on it and what you think. Thanks, Sarah
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