Do you know what it means to stereotype? People stereotype
others when they present a group of people in the same way all
the time, usually negatively. American Indian people, for instance,
are often depicted as mean, wearing feathers and beads and carrying
bows and arrows. Books and movies rarely show them even living in
the 21st century!

     This is a book of few words and many pictures. You will begin to
learn that Native children live in many different places, speak many
different languages, and have many different cultures and customs.
When we selected the groups to include in this book, we tried to
show this diversity. We chose tribes from across the country, native
peoples of Alaska and Hawaii, small and large nations, and
confederations made up of several tribes. Native people living in
cities are in this book, too. We picked some groups whose ancestors
were forced to relocate from their homelands.

     Yet the nations in this book are just a few of more than 500
Native cultures. As you will see, Native children can participate in
their ancient customs and also ride bikes, play video games, and
attend school like other American children. Their parents work like
any other adults and they live in houses like other Americans.

     Imagine if someone came to your house and made you move
away or destroyed your home. Imagine if many of your relatives and
friends died trying to save their homes and their way of life. That is
what happened to Native people when Europeans first came here
over 500 years ago. It is important to learn the truth about Native
peoples, the original inhabitants of this land. Native cultures were
here long before the United States was a country. Native peoples
and communities still face many problems today and constantly fight
court battles to maintain their rights and status as independent
nations—their sovereignty.

     If you are a Native child reading this book, we hope you find out
something you didn’t know about another Native nation. If you are a
non-Native child, we hope that you will forget untrue and unkind
things you may have learned about Native peoples. This book has a
tiny bit of the vast information about Indian people. There is a lot
more to learn.

Yvonne Wakim Dennis and Arlene Hirschfelder

It does not require
many words to speak
the truth.

Chief Joseph, Nee-Mee-Poo

(Nez Perce)    

Photo©: Jeff Greenberg/
Visuals Unlimited