Stitches of Tradition Gashkigw

“Noozhishenh, bimadiziwin,” Nookomis says. “My granddaughter, live a good life.”

An Ojibwe grandmother carefully measures and selects just the right colors of fabric, and her sewing machine hums whirr, whirr, whirr late into the night.

In the morning, her growing granddaughter has a beautiful new ribbon skirt to wear, a reminder of her nookomis and the cultural traditions that stitch together her family with love.

This heartwarming story by Marcie Rendon (Ojibwe), with stunning illustrations by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley (Ojibwe), celebrates the power of Indigenous craft and community and weaves together the spirit of resilience, female empowerment, and gratitude for the generations that came before us. 

Marcie Rendon is an enrolled member of the White Earth Ojibwe Nation, author, playwright, poet, and freelance writer. A community arts activist, Rendon encourages other Native creators to pursue their art and is a speaker for colleges and community groups on Native issues, leadership, and writing. She is an award-winning author of a murder mystery series and has an extensive body of fiction and nonfiction works. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.