Poetry

Using the guidelines provided previously, let's start looking for quality children's literature by beginning with poetry.

Did You Hear Wind Sing Your Name?: An Oneida Song of Spring
Sandra de Coteau Orie (Oneida), Illus. by Christopher Canyon

Orie uses Oneida symbols and traditions to create a cycle of the seasons and the approach of Spring, in particular.

Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message
Jake Swamp (Akwesasne Mohawk), Illus. by Erwin Printup (Cayuga/Tuscarora)

This book of poetry draws on Iroquois tradition to showcase the good morning message that is used to greet the day.

Songs of Shiprock Fair
Luci Tapahonso (Navajo), Illus. by Anthony Chee Emerson

Tapahonso uses a combination of text and poetry to describe the experiences of a young girl attending the largest Navajo Nation fair in Shiprock, NM.

When the Rain Sings: Poems by Young Native Americans
Available from the National Musuem of the American Indian


A collection of contemporary poetry written by children of the Ojibwe, Lakota, Omaha, Navajo, Cochiti/Kiowa, O'odham, Yaqui, Hopi, and Ute Nations.