About the Author:
Sam English, who created the cover image for NIGHT IS GONE, DAY IS STILL COMING, is an American Indian artist who believes that his role is to paint the contemporary Native American in a spiritual sense. Sam English has received numerous awards from Native American art shows around the country as well as some fifty commissions from tribal, governmental, and nonprofit organizations. In 1997, he was commissioned by the Presidential Inaugural Committee to create a mural for the 1997 inauguration.
From School Library Journal:
Grade 6 Up-"Our oral tradition isn't fading away/Just hard to recognize 'cause it has changed/Look for it hard 'cause it's hard to see/When I found it, I realized it was always with me." A 22-year-old member of the Kiowa nation begins his poem, "Oral Tradition," with these lines that could well serve as the thesis for this collection of poems and prose by 57 American Indians between the ages of 11 and 22. Whether they feel oppressed, cheated, or inspired, these young people write from the depths of their souls, recalling past indignities to their people that have shaped who they are today. Annette Bird Saunooke of the Eastern Band Cherokee writes, "My skin is a camouflage and my eyes, though blue, are magnifying glasses of a stereotype-a stereotype marked by a little Indian doll with a Hollywood history." And, though others feel an affinity with their heritage, they discover their "smallness" in the world. Nineteen-year-old Vena A-dae writes, "I am the Cochiti carrot in the huge ethnic salad." Other selections give a glimpse into Native American life today, living on the "rez,"-a life still rife with the pains of the past and with revered traditions. Eleven-year-old Ramona dreams of being a Native American president. These are honest voices in a well-organized anthology that gives an excellent look into an important American culture. It may also serve as a stepping-off point to social studies discussions.
Sharon Korbeck, Waupaca Area Public Library, WI
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