Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians But Were Afraid to Ask: Young Readers Edition (Young Readers)

by Anton Treuer (Author)

Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians But Were Afraid to Ask: Young Readers Edition (Young Readers)
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Reading Level: 6th − 7th Grade
cms Common Sense Media Review

From the acclaimed Ojibwe author and professor Anton Treuer comes an essential book of questions and answers for Native and non-Native young readers alike. Ranging from "Why is there such a fuss about nonnative people wearing Indian costumes for Halloween?" to "Why is it called a 'traditional Indian fry bread taco'?" to "What's it like for natives who don't look native?" to "Why are Indians so often imagined rather than understood?", and beyond, Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask (Young Readers Edition) does exactly what its title says for young readers, in a style consistently thoughtful, personal, and engaging.

Updated and expanded to include:

  • Dozens of New Questions and New Sections--including a social activism section that explores the Dakota Access Pipeline, racism, identity, politics, and more!
  • Over 50 new Photos
  • Adapted text for broad appeal
cms Common Sense Media Review
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Kirkus

Starred Review
Wise, well-researched, and not to be missed.

School Library Journal

Starred Review

Gr 6 Up--Reading this book is like enjoying a talk with a close relative who wants you to learn, grow, and continue to ask questions. Treuer, a professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University, presents himself as an ambassador of his people. In the book, adapted from the title of the same name aimed at adults, the author answers nearly 200 questions and covers topics ranging from Indian casinos to ceremonies, politics to powwows. Some questions will be familiar to young readers, such as "Why is there such a fuss about nonnative people wearing Indian costumes for Halloween?" The book is broken down into sections: Terminology; History; Religion, Culture, & Identity; Powwow; Tribal Languages; Politics; Economics; Education; Social Activism; Perspectives: Coming to Terms and Future Directions; and, the conclusion, Finding Ways to Make a Difference. Treuer speaks from his own perspective; he draws from his experience as an educator and is careful not to speak in generalizations or for anyone else. The title also includes recommended reading, source notes, and an index. VERDICT This book is an important resource about contemporary North American Indigenous peoples. Recommend for all libraries.--Danielle Burbank, San Juan Coll., Farmington, NM

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"A personal, reflective, yet thoroughly grounded take on the present as well as the past, and it's a great starting place for young readers beginning to ask these exact questions." -The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books,
Anton Treuer
Dr. Anton Treuer (pronounced troy-er) is Professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University and author of 19 books. His equity, education, and cultural work has put him on a path of service around the region, the nation, and the world. He has a B.A. from Princeton University and a M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. He is Editor of the Oshkaabewis (pronounced o-shkaah-bay-wis) Native Journal, the only academic journal of the Ojibwe language. Dr. Treuer has presented all over the U.S. and Canada and in several foreign countries on Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask, Cultural Competence & Equity, Strategies for Addressing the Achievement Gap, and Tribal Sovereignty, History, Language, and Culture. He has sat on many organizational boards and has received more than 40 prestigious awards and fellowships, including ones from the American Philosophical Society, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Science Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, the Bush Foundation, and the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation.

His published works include Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask, The Language Warrior's Manifesto: How to Keep Our Languages Alive No Matter the Odds, Warrior Nation: A History of the Red Lake Ojibwe (Winner of Caroline Bancroft History Prize and the American Association of State and Local History Award of Merit), Ojibwe in Minnesota (Minnesota's Best Read for 2010 by The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress), The Assassination of Hole in the Day (Award of Merit Winner from the American Association for State and Local History), Atlas of Indian Nations, The Indian Wars: Battles, Bloodshed, and the Fight for Freedom on the American Frontier, and Awesiinyensag (Minnesota's Best Read for 2011 by The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress).

Treuer is on the governing board for the Minnesota State Historical Society. In 2018, he was named Guardian of Culture and Lifeways and recipient of the Pathfinder Award by the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9781646140459
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Levine Querido
Publication date
April 06, 2021
Series
-
BISAC categories
YAN025060 - Young Adult Nonfiction | History | Central & South America
YAN038140 - Young Adult Nonfiction | People & Places | United States - Native American
Library of Congress categories
History
Indians of North America
Social life and customs
Children's questions and answers
Questions and answers
Indians in popular culture
Golden Kite
Winner 2022 - 2022

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