Module 4 Jingle Dancer

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Smith, Cynthia L. 2000. JINGLE DANCER. New York, NY: Morrow Junior Books. Illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu. ISBN 688162428.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
A young Muscogee Ojibway Indian, Jenna, borrows metal jingles from the dresses of several women in the community so she can perform the traditional jingle dance at the powwow.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDLING CULTURAL MARKERS)
Smith captures Jenna’s struggle to get enough jingles in a very honest and sincere fashion. Most students will relate to the themes of wanting something and being accepted as a young adult. Onomatopoeia like, tink tink and brum brum is used to enhance the sounds of the dancing. The book is a nice addition to any collection because it is the story of a modern day Native American child and family. Her relatives are professionals, like lawyers, in addition to dancers at a powwow. Jenna’s family lives in a suburban house that most students will be able to relate to.

Many Native American elements are seen throughout the story. Smith mentions many important Creek and Chippewa elements, like frybread, powwows, Indian taco and dancing regalia. Smith also uses phrases that incorporate nature into the story. For example, “As Sun fetched morning and as Sun arrived at midcircle” are used to help tell time. The importance of the celebratory powwow was also central to the story. Jenna was dancing to represent her family and her family members stressed this importance by saying, “Will you dance for me?” The number four is emphasized in the story. Jenna asks four women for help to create her dress.

The afterword by the author and the glossary are important for readers. She explains the significance for jingle dancing and the origin of jingle dresses. These explanations help the reader understand Ojibway culture better.

The illustrations are soft and muted with watercolorings. Native American elements are very abundant throughout the book. Jenna and her grandmother are dark skinned and their hair is very dark. When Jenna dances her dress and regalia are depicted accurately, according to the author’s note. Her hair is in one long braid and carries a feather and beaded belt.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS“…Watercolor paintings in bright, warm tones fill each page. In scenes where she is dancing, backgrounds of blurred figures effectively represent both the large audience and the many generations whose tradition the gathering honors. Seeing Jenna as both a modern girl in the suburban homes of her intertribal community and as one of many traditionally costumed participants at the powwow will give some readers a new view of a contemporary Native American way of life. An author's note and glossary tell more about the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, the Ojibway origins of jingle dancing, and the significance of the number four in Native American tradition. This picture book will not only satisfy a need for materials on Native American customs, but will also be a welcome addition to stories about traditions passed down by the women of a culture.” SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

“Smith, a mixed-blood member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, convincingly juxtaposes cherished Native American tradition and contemporary lifestyle in this smooth debut. Van Wright and Hu's (Jewels) lifelike renderings capture the genuine affection between Jenna and these caring older women. Their easy integration of Native and standard furnishings and clothing gracefully complement Smith's heartening portrait of a harmonious meshing of old and new.” PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

E. CONNECTIONS
Use media to view clips of jingle dancing.
Try to invoke legend into group writing assignment by telling time or phrases in the manner that Smith used.
Discuss the author's personal history and see the influences in the writing.

Module 4 Alice Yazzie's Year

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Maher, Ramona. 2003. ALICA YAZZIE’S YEAR. Berkeley, California: Tricycle Press. Illustrated by Shonto Begay. ISBN 582460809.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
An eleven year old Navajo girl narrates each month of a year in her life growing up in modern-day American on a reservation.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDLING CULTURAL MARKERS)
Maher captures the year of Alice, a Navajo eleven year old, in a slow moving format. The pace moves so slowly that most young readers will probably put this book down after reading a few pages. Instruction by teachers will be needed for students to gain a deeper understanding of the material. Many Native American elements are seen in Maher’s writing. She mentions many important Navajo elements, like sheepskin, pinyon wood and frybread. Alice also attends school off the reservation and goes on field trips to experience more culture, particularly white culture like Disneyland. Even though she enjoyed the trip, she was quick to point out that “nobody listened and the nicest thing was coming back here.”
Alice is proud of her Native American culture and wears squash blossom and turquoise jewelry. The coyote is also seen as a very important animal to Alice and her friends. When she adopts a coyote pup she writes, “It is her friend and is named for a friend.” The grandfather character incorporates traditional Native American role by riding a horse and wearing a headband but he also values education and wants the Navajo children to learn technology. The grandfather’s choices could be discussed by readers as whether he is evolving like other Native Americans have had to or feeling pressured to change by the white man.
Maher captures some of the Native American discontent with white people by her text. Some examples are, “Strip mined for power-the kind of power that white people know” and Alice is bothered by the white preacher’s wife pressuring her to attend Sunday school. The story of Thanksgiving and how it can mean something else to Native Americans is highlighted in the month of November. Alice tells her teacher, “We’d be glad to see Columbus sail away.”
Alice also embraces living in a modern world, as much as having traditional Navajo elements to her life. She dresses up as Australian 1980s tennis star, Evonne Goolagong, for Halloween and gives her grandfather Mickey Mouse ears. Fortunately, her grandfather seems to enjoy how Alice incorporates all cultures into their life by statements like, “Evonne Goolagong. I like that name.”
The afterword by Navajo educator Carl Gorman is important for readers. He explains the Navajo translations that are next to each month of the year. It is not a literal translation of the month like most readers probably assumed but more a little phrase about that time of the year. These explanations help the reader understand Navajo culture better.
Begay’s illustrations are vivid and bright. Native American elements are very abundant throughout the book. Alice and her grandfather are dark skinned and their hair is very dark, almost blue-black. Alice also wears her hair in traditional braids and her grandfather has a long ponytail. They both wear traditional Native American jewelry with silver and turquoise. Southwest American animals like buffalo, horses and coyote are also depicted.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS“… Clearly meant for older readers despite the picture-book format, the book compares a buffalo's eyes to "a drunk bronc rider's," which may make the intended audience even less certain. Begay's illustrations are wonderfully textured and infused with the colors of the Southwest. For some children, the artwork may be more revealing of traditional Navajo lifestyles than the pared down, almost stream-of-consciousness text. Purchase where supplemental materials on Native American culture are needed.” SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

“…At times, Alice's perspective is political (she speaks out against Columbus in school); at other times it is lyrical (lightning is "ghosts chasing their tails"). Begay's paintings, impressionistic dabs and swirls of brilliant color, sometimes muddy faces and expressions, but like the words, the wild patterns and hues leave room for imaginations to fill in the spaces. Whether read alone or aloud, the poems tell an affecting story about contemporary Navajo life through an appealing young character with a strong sense of history and herself. Teachers will want to use this across the curriculum; a concluding section offers more background to Navajo language and culture.” BOOKLIST

E. CONNECTIONS
Visit Shonto Begay’s website, www.shontobegay.com and learn more about the artist’s background. Discuss how his life as a Native American shaped his art.
Pick out Native American terms and create a glossary for the book.

Module 4 Raccoon's Last Race

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bruchac, Joseph and James Bruchac. 2004. RACCOON’S LAST RACE. New York, NY: Dial Books. ISBN 803729774.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
The retelling of an Abenaki legend of how Raccoon, the fastest animal on earth, loses his speed because he is boastful and breaks his promises.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDLING CULTURAL MARKERS)
Father and son team Joseph and James Bruchac team up once again to narrate the famous Raccoon tale. Raccoon’s Last Race is a good addition to a folklore collection and can be used to entertain children, as well as teach a lesson. The authors use repetition nicely when telling how Raccoon brags, “He would race Bear. Zip-zip! He would beat Bear. He would race Fox. Zip-zip! He would beat Fox.” Onomatopoeias like, “thump-thump, ka-boom, and splat!” are also used to add details to the action. This book is an excellent read-aloud story that has a meaningful message about discipline and the consequences of boastfulness and the failure to keep promises.

The Authors’ notes page is helpful to the reader because it provides background on the importance of the Raccoon to the Abenaki people. The Bruchacs also inform the reader that the word “Azebansoo” in Abenaki means “to act like a Raccoon or to play a trick.” The Native American motif of four is seen in this story when Raccoon races four other characters, the Bear, Fox, Rabbit and Big Rock. The illustrations provide detail about the characters and story plot but do not just an overtly obvious Indian American characteristics. The authors did not use any Abenaki language in the body of the story either. Other than the notes page, readers of this story would probably not realize they were reading a traditional Abenaki tale.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
“A solid retelling of an Abenaki legend. The text reads aloud smoothly and keeps the action moving quickly. Done in pen-and-ink, gouache, and pastel, the illustrations accentuate the humor of the tale. The boldly colored animals are set against softer backgrounds, and occasional close-ups add variety to the scenes. An authors' note provides some background for the story. A strong addition to picture-book collections.” SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

E. CONNECTIONS
Discuss with older readers whether or not the Bruchacs should have incorporated more Abenaki language into this story.
Compare this story to other folktales where bragging and boasting are themes, like How the Possum Lost His Beautiful Tail" as retold by Kathi Smith Littlejohn.