Lana's Lakota Moons by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Sneeve, Virginia Driving Hawk.  2007. LANA'S LAKOTA MOONS. Lincoln:  University of Nebraska.  ISBN 9780803260283

PLOT SUMMARY

Lakota tribe cousins, Lori, a shy and quiet young girl, and Lana, an adventurous risk-taker, grow up within the strong community network of their family and tribal members in South Dakota.  Although both girls are very competitive with one another, and are constantly bickering and fighting, their love and loyalty for one another is seen in the everyday acts such as gardening, watching television, and attending powwows.  As the story progresses, a young girl named Shoua moves to their community and immediately strikes up a friendship with both Lakota cousins.  Together, all three learn more about  Lakota traditions and culture from tribal members and the community.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

As young readers turn the pages of LANA'S LAKOTA MOONS, they are introduced to the American Indian traditions of the Lakota Nation.  Set in a contemporary setting in South Dakota, Sneve heavily references many Lakota traditions and customs throughout the entire book.  The book twelve chapters reflect the twelve months of the year.  However, chapter titles correspond to the Lakota names given for each of the months.  For example, readers learn that the Lakota ancestors January is called "Moon of the Terrible" because "of the terrible cold that caused so many deaths"  while March is called "Moon When the Frost Covers the Prairie Chicken's Eyes" since " the weather gets warm, then gets cold again, and the poor prairie chickens wake up with frost on their eyelids."  Not only do these details pay homage to Lakota ancestry, but also emphasizes how they relied on nature and the phases of the moon to tell the seasons and months apart.  This is confirmed with the girls' grandmother tells them that since" the phases of the moon lasted for several days, it is sort of what is now known  as a month."

Sneve also includes authentic Lakota names with her characters.  Lori and Lana's grandparents are known as Grandma and Grandpa High Elk; Lana's boy friend is named Andy Brown Wolf; and the name of the holy man conducting a Lakota ceremony is Iron Shell.  In addition to using authentic Lakota names, Sneve characters also use terms and phrases from the culture.  For example, readers learn that pilamiye means thank you; Wicasa Wakan is the term used to refer to the holy man who will conduct a Lakota ceremony; and that wojoape is the chokecherry pudding dessert.  The attire and clothing Lakota ancestors wore is also included in the story.  Young readers learn that when the Lakota tribe moved between reservations, the "white ladies" taught Lakota women how to sew cloth into shirts and dresses, so there was no longer a need for Lakota members to use buckskin or animal hide to make their clothes.  

References are also made to Lakota folklore as well as traditions tribal members observe.  For example, Grandpa High Elk tells Lori and Lana about the mythical character, Iktomi.  This character from Lakota stories is described as a practical joke, who "tricked animals and people into doing things he wanted, but then he'd end up in trouble.  Yet he never learned."  Sneve also spends much of the story having Lana and Lori learn about a right-of-passage ceremony they will participate in known as the Naming Ceremony.  Grandma High Elk tells the two cousins they will receive new Lakota names to honor their ancestral roots and finally recognize them as women members of the tribe.  Lori is given the name Pejuta Okawin while cousin Lana is given Skanskanwin; both girls ask for the blessing of their Lakota community to bring honor to their family members.  The detailed description given by both girls' grandparents allow young readers to understand the significance of the ceremony as well as imagine the sights and sounds occurring as the girls step into womanhood.

The motif of four is also used in the story to mirror the Four Directions as well as the four seasons.    As Lori and Lana prepare for their naming ceremony, they work with Grandma High Elk to create quilts they will use to present to Lakota community members.  In great detail, she tells the young girls that yellow is used in quilts to represent the East: "The East represents birth and children who are just beginning to learn to live in the circle" of life. Red is the color for the South because "this direction stands for midday, noontime, and for adults who are in the prime of their life in the circle."  The North is symbolized with the white color, not only because of the winter season, but also to symbolize the "hardships that endured" during the winter months.  Finally, black is the color of the west; "Autumn is its season" and it is the "time when the leaves on the trees and other plants die and when people die of old age."  These detailed descriptions help students make connections with the four seasons of the year and the various stages of life all humans go through. 

Although this story does provide very accurate and thoroughly described cultural markers, the storyline is weak.  It seems the characters are not well-developed because Sneve has spent much time focusing on describing Lakota traditions to young readers.  Although this is an admirable goal, many of the characters lack depth and development which may not help students identify with the story's main characters.  Also, it seems that Sneve rushed through her story to fit it into the twelve chapters that symbolize the Lakota moons.  Readers may be surprised to learn that within the last three chapters of the story, young Lana is stricken with cancer and receives treatment for it, but loses her battle at the end.  I believe that if Sneve had spend more time developing the emotions and thoughts of these young Lakota members, the story would have an even stronger impact on readers.

REVIEWS AND AWARDS:

BOOKLIST: "The interweaving of traditional culture is sometimes heavy-handed ("We, the Lakota, believe"), but the mix of Great Plains history with the contemporary scene (including occasional e-mails) rings true... Lori's lively personal narrative will draw readers as she copes with anger, guilt, sorrow, and, finally, the loss of her sister, even as she realizes that, in the Lakota way, the girls will always be connected."

CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: "Sneve, author of two previous books about the Lakota for young readers, weaves Lakota lore into a completely contemporary coming-of-age story. Though there are a few places where the character development seems a little weak, the language remains vivid and poetic. By the end of the story we have learned a great about Lakota culture and have come to like Lori and her extended family a great deal."

FOREWORD REVIEWS: " Sneve has created a story that is both a tribute to her heritage and a poignant chronicle of the end of adolescent innocence."

CONNECTIONS

Have students read books that specialize in the Lakota Indians to learn about culture and traditions:

Goble, Paul.  BEYOND THE RIDGE.  ISBN 0689717318

Goble, Paul.  LOVE FLUTE.  ISBN 0689816839

Big Crow, Moses Nelson.  HOKSILA AND THE RED BUFFALO.  ISBN  0689432801

Reed, Melissa Ann.  RAVEN BRINGS TO THE PEOPLE ANOTHER GIFT.  ISBN 0689819994

(These titles and more can be found at http://www.lakotabooks.com/children_books.html)

A Boy Called Slow by Joseph Bruchac

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bruchac, Joseph.  1994. A BOY CALLED SLOW: THE TRUE STORY OF SITTING BULL. Ill. by Rocco Baviera.  New York:  Philomel Books.  ISBN 0399226923

PLOT SUMMARY

The Lakota Sioux band often gave their children names based on the way they acted.  A child born to the great warrior known as Returns Again to Strike the Enemy is given the name "Slow" because of his deliberate and precise movements; it often took him longer to complete tasks than the other children.  Wanting a stronger name, and to make his father proud, Slow becomes skilled in riding and hunting.  Slow finally proves his strength and bravery when he is the first to attack the enemy Crow tribe as it approaches Slow's homeland.  After the tribe's victory, Slow's bravery is recognized by tribal elders and he is given the new, powerful name "Sitting Bull."

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Joseph Bruchac  introduces young readers to "one of the greatest of all the Lakota warriors," Sitting Bull in the story A BOY CALLED SLOW, which celebrates the Hunkpapa band of the Lakota Sioux.  As readers turn the pages of this true story, the text reveals the link to the Lakota Sioux language when Bruchac uses several words and phrases throughout the story.  To help young readers distinguish what the words and phrases mean, Bruchac has the characters provide a brief translation in English.  For example, young readers learn that "tiyospaye" means tribal extended family, "wasicun"  stands for the white man, and  "Nihwa hwo?" means "Are you sleepy?"  These easy to understand descriptions allow readers to easily make the connection between the English and Sioux language used.

Other cultural markers used in Bruchac's story can be found in the names of the characters.  Slow's father is respected as the a great Sioux warrior, and has been given the name Returns Again to Strike the Enemy because of his fearlessness in combat against the Crow, the Sioux's enemy tribe.  Slow's uncle is given the name Four Horns, and he tells his young nephew how horses were brought to their tribe.   Bruchac also brings authenticity to Sitting Bull's story though the passage of time.  Whereas nowadays time is referred to in years, the Lakota Sioux mark time through the passage of winters.  As the story unfolds, Slow reaches his "seventh winter," Bruchac refers to events "two winters ago," and when Slow has seen "fourteen winters," he is ready to enter into battle alongside his father.   This reference to winter allows young readers to see how the change of seasons, specifically winter, was critical to the Lakota Sioux's livelihood.

The significance and reverence given to animals by the Lakota Sioux tribe is presented throughout the story.  Slow's uncle Four Horns tells how Wakan-Tanka, the Creator, brought the horse, known as Shoong-Ton'kah (The Spirit Dog) to the tribe to help "pull our travois and hunt buffalo" and are "as faithful as our dogs but able to pull our loads and carry us as quick as the whirlwind into the hunt."  Reverence to animals is also described as young readers learn of the Lakota Sioux's spirituality with nature: "Slow knew that many of his Lakota people could speak with the birds and animals, and hear their speech as clearly as human words; and the animals understood them, as well."  This is further emphasized in poignant scene in the story in which Slow's father speaks to a buffalo bull: "Returns again listens carefully as the buffalo spoke, for the words it spoke were names... They were powerful names."  Young readers later find out that this important event will provide Slow with the name "Sitting Bull" after he proves his bravery and strength to his tribe.  

Adding to the text's authenticity are Rocco Baviera's bold, dark acrylic oil painted illustrations.  Dark shades of black, purple, and navy blue are used to create mystical, outdoor night scenes in which the Lakota Sioux Indians speak with the birds and animals, tell great tales of the Spirit Dog's arrival, and speak with the great buffalo.  Baviera's adds splashes of burnt orange and neutral brown colors to bring the elements of Earth and nature into the story.  As young readers turn the pages, they see Slow's face illuminated by the flames of a small campfire, and the moon's light reflected in the Lakota Sioux warriors' headdresses adorned with white feathers.  These scenes help capture the spiritual significance of young Slow's journey into manhood.  Baviera does not add distinct facial features to any of the human or animal characters throughout the story, which allows young readers to imagine the scene in their own minds.  It isn't until the final page of book that the audience finally sees a clear image of Sitting Bull, "one of the greatest of all the Lakota warriors."

REVIEWS AND AWARDS:

PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY: "Bruchac's meaty yet cohesive narrative is richly complemented by Baviera's large, atmospheric paintings. Employing a somber palette marked by radiant bursts, the first-time children's illustrator evokes the solemnity and awe of ripening adulthood. Satisfying for its attention to historical and multicultural issues; stirring in its consummate storytelling."

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "The illustrations, oils that are rich and somber, convey details of traditional Lakota life, from the warm, close interiors of the family home to a pre-dawn assembly of warriors about to raid their Crow neighbors. The text creates an equally subtle portrayal of Plains Indian life."

BOOKLIST: "In brilliant counterpoint to the story's emotional timelessness is Baviera's vision of the Lakotas as spiritually and culturally distant from us. His dark acrylics punctuated by the unexpected pastels of diminished sunlight--purple snow, turquoise smoke, orange skies--is at once mythic and melancholy in its portrayal of a vanished culture."

CONNECTIONS

Have students read more about Sitting Bull and the Lakota Sioux tribe.

Trumbauer, Lisa.  SITTING BULL. ISBN 0736823719

Collier, James Lincoln.  THE SITTING BULL YOU NEVER KNEW.  ISBN 9780516243443

Shaughnessy, Diane.  SITTING BULL: COURAGEOUS SIOUX CHIEF.  ISBN 9780823951093

Jingle Dancer by Cynthia Leitich Smith

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Smith, Cynthia Leitich.  2000. JINGLE DANCER. Ill. by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu.  New York: Morrow Junior Books.  ISBN 068816248

PLOT SUMMARY

Jenna, a young member of the Muscogee Nation, is anxious to participate in her first jingle dance at a powwow.  However, her dress does not have enough jingles to make the celebratory noise needed for this traditional dance.  She visits several of her female relatives and asks each one if she can borrow a row of jingles so her dress  can "sing."  After collecting enough jingles, Jenna is able to dance at the powwow and does so in honor of those who helped her.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

As a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation, Cynthia Leitich Smith introduces readers to some of the sacred traditions and traditions of her culture.  Smith's effectively uses onomatopoeia to help young readers feel the "heartbeat" of the book, symbolic of the rhythm in the jingle dance young Jenna is preparing for. Repeated use of phrases such as "tink, tink, tink, tink" and "brum, brum, brum, brum" capture the musical sounds and drum beats associated with the Muscogee Creek Nation's Girls  jingle dance.  

Throughout the text, Smith uses personification to emphasize the sacred value the Muscogee Nation gives to the Sun.  The Sun, which is the source of life, is described as fetching the morning, arriving at mid-circle, and catching a glimpse of the moon every night.  Smith also uses accurate cultural details throughout the story to bring cultural knowledge and awareness to all young readers.   For example, when Jenna visits her neighbor, Mrs. Scott is making fry bread and Indian tacos.  Jenna also works with her grandmother, named Grandma Wolfe, to sew on the collected jingles to her dress.   The spiritual value of the dance regalia is repeatedly emphasized with each visit Jenna makes to her relatives.  As she collects the jingles, Jenna is mindful not to take too many so that her relatives' dresses will "not lose its voice" and their dress can still "sing."  The motif of four is reflected in the four rows of jingles Jenna must have for her dress as well as the four visits she makes to collect the jingles.  To help young readers gain a better understanding of the Native peoples traditions and beliefs, Smith includes an "Author's Note" to provide more details about the Muscogee Creek Nation's geographic locations as well as information on the honor and respect given to young girls at their first jingle dance.  The author also includes a short glossary of terms describing to young readers what frybread, Indian tacos, and powwows are.  This allows the audience to learn more about a culture that may be very different than their own.

The strength of this book is found in the realistic, richly-colored watercolor illustrations created by Wright and Hu.  Their illustrations reflect a variety of Muscogee Nation people living in a contemporary society while  still observing traditional customs of the Native culture.  The story's characters are shown living in brand-new duplexes, two-story homes, and apartments; not in teepees as some readers may have expected.   Cultural details consistent with the Muscogee culture are also seen in the accurate illustrations depicting the physical attributes, hairstyles, and clothing of the characters.  All of the female characters' skin tone are various shades of brown, have dark brown eyes, and have straight or wavy-textured black hair.  Attention to detail is given in the clothing and accessories worn by Jenna and her relatives.  As readers turn the pages, they see warm aqua and coral colors in Mrs. Scott's intricately decorated barrette and earrings; a feather-covered wind catcher in cousin Elizabeth's bedroom; and the multi-colored beaded moccasins Jenna puts on to practice her jingle dance.  It is in these intricate details that the authenticity of the story is seen and felt.

When Jenna finally performs her jingle dance, she is beautifully dressed in ornate regalia, wearing a red handkerchief around her neck, yellow and aqua-colored layers in her dress, and intricately beaded moccasins.  As she dances happily with other young girls of the Native culture, she holds and waves a feather to honor those who helped make her jingle dance possible.  Readers see other Muscogee Creek Nation members look on, with male members wearing feathered headdresses , brightly colored headbands, and paint on their faces.  Female members have their hair braided in two strands, with each strand draping their neck, and a single feather in their hair.  The accuracy and depiction found in the illustrations of native people gives young readers a glimpse into the lives of Muscogee Creek Nation members living in a contemporary society.

REVIEWS:

CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: "Even on a cursory first reading Smith's words sing, in this warm little tale of a child seeking to dance herself a place. In conjunction with the glowing illustrations, Jingle Dancer reads like a visual poem. ..The blending of contemporary and traditional, the feel of a child secure in that embrace, the changing face of art and craft and tradition itself--these are refreshingly and unobtrusively depicted here."

COOPERATIVE CHILDREN'S BOOK CENTER CHOICES: "There are lyrical turns of phrase in this picture book about a contemporary Mucogee/Ojibway child who achieves her dream with love and support from her elders. Jenna, her family, and friends all embrace cultural traditions while living contemporary lives, as the full-page watercolor illustrations emphasize. An author's note provides additional facts about Jenna's heritage and jingle dancing."

KIRKUS: " The watercolor illustrations clearly and realistically depict what is happening in the story. The layout of the book is straightforward-mostly double-page spreads that extend all the way to the edges of the paper. Jenna lives in what looks like a nice suburban house, the others seem solidly middle-class, and cousin Elizabeth is a lawyer. The author is deliberately showing us, it would seem, that all Native Americans are not poor or live on rundown reservations. A useful portrayal of an important cultural event in a Creek girl's year."

CONNECTIONS

* Have students read other books by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Smith, Cynthia Leitich. INDIAN SHOES. ISBN 9780060295325.
Smith, Cynthia Leitich. RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME. ISBN 9780807204290. 

*Have students watch women dance a jingle dance at a powwow. Have them compare the similarities they see in regalia in both the story's characters and the dancers in the video.  A video may be found at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iArcG-S3_QM

Book Fiesta! - Book Trailer

Midterm Project

The Afterlife by Gary Soto

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Soto, Gary.  2003. THE AFTERLIFE. Orlando: Hartcourt.  ISBN 01520447743

PLOT SUMMARY:

Seventeen-year-old high school senior, Jesus or "Chuy" as he is called, is excited to be at the club with the girl of his dreams.  But while in the club's restroom, he is brutally stabbed three times by a stranger he only recognizes as "Yellow Shoes."  Chuy transitions into the afterlife in which he is able to witness how his family, friends, and classmates react to his murder.  Along his journey, he meets other spirits who are also entering into the afterlife and together, they begin to examine their old lives and adjust to this new one.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

Soto's story offers many cultural markers that connect this supernatural story to the Latino culture.  Perhaps the most authentic connection created by Soto is the use of the Spanish language and terms throughout the text.  Embedded throughout the text, Spanish slang terms such as "cruda" (hangover), "cabron" (bastard), "carnal" (blood brother) and "chale" (no way) are spoken by the characters; phrases such as "Sin verguenza!" and "que onda, homes" are used in their interactions.  Soto italicizes these words to signal to readers it is a Spanish term, and even provides a glossary of selected Spanish words and phrases at the end of the book.  Latino students who are familiar with many of these Spanish terms will easily connect to the story as they may be terms they use in their everyday lives or hear at home.

In addition to using Spanish terms, Soto subtly, yet masterfully places more cultural markers throughout the text to add to the authenticity and credibility of the story's setting in this Mexican-American culture.  Although seemingly mundane, details such as the name of Cuca's Restaurant; a store clerk reading People en Espanol; neighbors dunking pan dulce into their morning coffee; and a "Mexicano pushing a paleta cart" add to the richness and feel of Chuy's Mexican-American culture. 

As readers continue to delve into the story, they may be disappointed that many of the characters' physical descriptions are limited.  Chuy is simply described as being skinny and lanky while his grandfather is described as having "work-weathered skin."  However, to balance this out, Soto uses detailed descriptions of story's various settings within the community.  While the story takes place in Chuy's hometown of southeast Fresno, "homeland for Mexicans and Hmongs mostly", Soto describes barrio life authentically.  As Chuy visits his family after his death, he describes the area in which his cousin Eddie lives in as being shady and dangerous: "In this part of town, there was every chance of encountering a thug waiting in the shadows."  Alleyways are described as being littered with stray dogs sifting through dumpsters; "radios were crying out Mexican songs, and over that I heard the frying of something delicious - chicken tacos?  Carne asada? Chicharrones?  I was aware that I couldn't eat, but the aroma..."  Socio-economic status is also presented to young readers as Chuy visits his own neighborhood: "junky cars and houses leaning crookedly on their foundations.  The apartment buildings were hideous.  Laundry the color of defeated nations hung on lines.  The screens on windows were torn." For many young readers, this description of barrio life reflects a distinct cultural experience they may or may not be familiar with.  These authentic descriptions of life in southeast Fresno creates a powerful image of the experiences and feelings shared by many Hispanic sand Latinos.  They may see themselves, their friends, and their families in the realistic settings Soto so accurately creates.

Another cultural marker Soto uses in THE AFTERLIFE is giving vent to fantasy and the spirit world.  Within the first three pages of the book, Chuy is murdered and his body is released into the afterlife.  Thus, Soto takes young readers on an imaginative ride through the fantasy world of the afterlife.  Chuy describes this transition, "As I rose out of my body, I realized that the pain was gone."  Readers learn that Chuy's spirit is so light and wispy that the wind can carry it to various parts of the city.  As he spends more time in the spirit world, Chuy realizes he can make others feel his presence, changing the temperature in a room, and sending chills down their body: "I possessed an invisible touch that made people feel me".  However, readers are never told why different parts of his spirit body, like his feet, arms, and torso, begin to disappear.  Chuy guesses it is because his time in this transitional spirit world is coming to a close so he earnestly makes his final visits to family and friends.  His journey in this afterlife may cause young students to pause and reflect upon their own lives, and consider the importance and value of family and loved ones. 

REVIEWS:

BOOKLIST: " Soto has remade Our Town into Fresno, California, and he not only paints the scenery brilliantly but also captures the pain that follows an early death. In many ways, this is as much a story about a hardscrabble place as it is about a boy who is murdered. Both pulse with life and will stay in memory."

THE LORGNETTE - HEART OF TEXAS REVIEWS: "Quick moving and full of slang, this is a book that will appeal to Hispanic teens. The glossary at the end explains many of the Spanish terms for those who are unfamiliar with words like "cholo," "mi abuelo," and "novio." This companion novel to Buried Onions will be popular with students who like to read about murder, ghosts, or mysteries. The added bonus of the Hispanic influence will allow some readers to see characters in a book that are similar to people in their own lives."

KIRKUS REVIEWS: " Soto writes with a touch as light as Chuy's ghost and with humor, wonderment, and a generosity toward life."

CONNECTIONS

* Have students read other books by Gary Soto

Soto, Gary.  BASEBALL IN APRIL AND OTHER STORIES.  ISBN 0152025677

Soto, Gary.  BURIED ONIONS.  ISBN 0152062653

Soto, Gary.  PETTY CRIMES.  ISBN 0152054375

Soto, Gary.  TAKING SIDES.  ISBN 0152046941