Michelle Levine

Prefacing this review is a confession: I know very little about the Ojibwe. Over the years, I've read several books by Louise Erdrich, all of which involve Ojibwe people, but those aren't histories or even cultural studies -- they are fictional stories. Therefore, I decided I needed to learn more, and children's nonfiction is very often a good place to start. Also, it is worth noting then that I cannot gauge the accuracy of this book as I myself knew little going into it; however, it appears to be thoroughly researched.

This book presents in clear terms information about the Ojibwe, encompassing their cultural history from living structures, farming methods, religion, etc. Oftentimes, the author stops and takes a moment to note how the ways of the Ojibwe in the past reflect modern Ojibwe practices. This is very important because many children have a tendency to think of Native Americans as a long gone peoples, which is troubling.

Although the author does try to keep things pretty child friendly, she doesn't shy away from mentioning hardships, wars, and the problematic past between European settlers (later, U.S. citizens) and Native Americans. She also talks about ways modern Ojibwe are trying to reclaim land stolen from them and other efforts for better treatment and resources.

The book is filled with a number of illustrations, mostly photographs, that depict the various things described in the text. Occasional sidebars provide more information about specific persons or topics. Backmatter includes a glossary, an index, a bibliography/further reading, and places to visit on the web and in person to learn more information.… (més)