You can use your CLAMS card to borrow titles from these partner libraries:
0 of 2 copies available
When you think about the beginning of the American story, what comes to mind? Three ships in 1492, or perhaps buckled hats and shoes stepping off of the Mayflower, ready to start a new country. But the truth is, Christopher Columbus, the Pilgrims, and the Colonists didn't arrive to a vast, empty land ready to be developed. They arrived to find people and communities living in harmony with the land they had inhabited for thousands of years, and they quickly disrupted everything they saw.
From its "discovery" by Europeans to the first Thanksgiving, the story of America's earliest days has been carefully misrepresented. Told from the perspective of the New England Indigenous Nations that these outsiders found when they arrived, this is the true story of how America as we know it today began.
-
Creators
-
Series
-
Publisher
-
Release date
September 12, 2023 -
Formats
-
Kindle Book
-
OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9780593480458
-
EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9780593480458
- File size: 11228 KB
-
-
Languages
- English
-
Levels
- Lexile® Measure: 1040
- Text Difficulty: 6-8
-
Reviews
-
August 1, 2023
An Indigenous perspective on the impact of European settlement. Coombs (Aquinnah Wampanoag) uses two distinct voices to share information. The alternating chapters prefaced with "When Life Was Our Own" demonstrate the intergenerational sharing of knowledge about Wampanoag life based on oral traditions and research. Within these narratives, she teaches specific lessons: For example, readers learn how cedar was harvested with respect, "in a way that encouraged the growth of new saplings." Later, they hear about how a sachem, or tribal leader, would resolve conflicts through a football game in order to avoid fighting. The voice of the remaining chapters "is inclusive of all tribal nations in southern New England," covering history from the 1400s to the present. These chapters define and explore racism and provide facts about the devastating effects of the Europeans' presence. Explorers' 1524 arrival in present-day Rhode Island was followed by the Great Dying that wiped out entire Indigenous villages between 1616 and 1618. Europeans then proceeded to extract profits from natural resources, in contrast to Indigenous beliefs that "only the Creator who made the land could own it." The epilogue describes the situation for Wampanoag people and other southern New England tribes in their territories today. Text boxes labeled "Let's Think About This" pose critical thinking questions about the communities' opposing viewpoints and engage readers. Black-and-white photos and artwork support the text. Together, the two intertwined narratives form a cohesive, engaging whole. A poignant and powerful look at identity, change, and resiliency. (bibliography, resources, image credits) (Nonfiction. 9-14)COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
-