Eldon Yellowhorn

Sky Wolf's Call: The Gift of Indigenous Knowledge tells of how different Indigenous People work with nature and preserve the knowledge of water, fire, food, healing and sky. This knowledge braids together the ideas that "Everything is connected. The world is a gift. The sacred is a vital part of knowing. We are always learning." Through the chapters these traditional ideas are explored and combined with contemporary scientific knowledge to apply these ideas of sustainability to a modern world. Designed for middle grade readers, but a wonderful book for anyone wondering how to reconnect with nature. I absolutely loved the idea of Etuapmumk or "two-eyed seeing," using the strengths of Indigenous ways of knowing combined with the scientific worldview. Each section includes stories from the author's Piikani heritage, history and knowledge of how several different Indigenous people use and protect the resource as well as profiles of contemporary keepers of knowledge for that resource. I loved the examples and pictures of how Indigenous people have worked with nature throughout history and today as well as how to keep the knowledge going.… (mere)

***This book was reviewed for Annick Press via Netgalley

Turtle Island is a well-written middle-grade condensed history of the First Peoples of America. There were indigenous populations of people in the Americas long before Columbus, or even Leif Eriksson. Previously thought to have crossed from Siberia, over the Bering landbridge, we are now learning these ancient populations followed other routes as well.

This book starts out with the Creation myth Turtle Island and Sky Woman, and follows a loose history of indigenous people, all the way up to the modern day, and throughout North and South America alike. I loved the artwork, pictures, and interspersed myths. One thing that stuck with me, and for which I am thankful, is that they pay proper homage to the indigenous peoples for having created their own monuments and mega-architecture. Nothing irks me more than 'we don't know where Monks Mound, Pueblo Bonito, Temple of the Sun, {insert other large FP building or mounds works} came from. The natives couldn't have built them. Europeans must have done, or else been here earlier and shown them how.’ I have read similar notions in several publications and it angers me every time.

This is a great introduction for middle-grade readers. Personally, I think it would be a great companion for teaching history in schoolrooms.

📚📚📚📚… (mere)