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The Winter People

"Most battles are lost," Uncle Pierre had once said to me, as I watched him take his musket apart and put it back together again, "before the fighting ever begins" (p. 85).

SUMMARY

Saxso is fourteen years old when the British Bostoniaks attack his Abenaki village. It's the mid 1700s, and war is raging between the British and the French, with Saxso's people caught in the middle. Without enough warriors to defend their village, Saxso watches as the whole thing is burned to the ground. Many are killed, and some- including Saxso's mother and sisters, are taken hostage. It is up to Saxso to save them, but how will he accomplish this when he is told he must go alone?

MY REACTIONS

I absolutely loved this book! I loved how Bruchac brought the Indian perspective of these horrific, historical events to life. I also enjoyed how he included many original Abenaki legends throughout the novel that helped the reader connect Native beliefs with the events taking place. This novel provided me with an engaging way to enhance my cultural appreciation for the Abenaki people and the hardships they faced throughout the early development of our country. I am confident my students would share a similar experience.

IDEAS TO EXPLORE WITH THIS NOVEL

Last semester, as part of my Education Across Cultures class, I created an Internet scavenger hunt for my students using The Winter People. Here are some of the questions and links that students can explore as they deepen their understanding of the Abenaki culture and engage in the novel.

• INTERNET HUNT QUESTIONS

1. The Winter People is a work of historical fiction. A researcher, named Gordon Day, analyzed the actual events Bruchac incorporated into his story. Explore the following links to identify five facts, verified by Day, that Bruchac included in his story as the Bostoniak attacked the Abenaki village.

Website- http://www.avcnet.org/ne-do-ba/rrr_2.html

2. At the dance hall, the Abenaki people used several kinds of instruments. Explore the following website and summarize three characteristics of the music for native people of the Northeast.

Website- http://www.ohwejagehka.com/songs.htm

3. At the beginning of chapter ten, Saxso mournfully states, “There was no sense of time passing that morning. Perhaps it was because the church was gone. The church had kept the time for us with the ringing of its bell.” Use the following website to identify the time keeping devices others in Saxso’s village may have used during this time period. Support your answer with facts from the site.

Website- http://physics.nist.gov/GenInt/Time/time.html

4. The birchbark canoe was a vital tool for Saxso to use in order to save his family. Joseph Bruchac describes this canoe in great detail- from its appearance to the construction. Analyze the following photo of a birchbark canoe. Then, compare and contrast this canoe to Saxso’s using a Venn Diagram.

Website- http://nativeharvest.com/files/BirchbarkCanoe12.jpg

5. Saxso tells of many ways the Abenaki people used plants. Explain how the Abenaki people might have used the black cohosh plant?

Website- http://www.stevenfoster.com/education/monograph/bkcohosh.html

6. Bruchac does an amazing job of sharing Abenaki stories that teach a lesson. Read one of these Abenaki lessons and interpret the lesson it teaches.

Title of the tale read:

Lesson taught:

Website- http://www.native-languages.org/abenaki-legends.htm

7. Use the following online dictionary to find the meaning of the following words used throughout The Winter People-

epidemic-

concealment-

stealthily-

talisman-

concealed-

Now construct your own sentences using the words!

Website-
http://familyinternet.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=familyinternet&cdn=parenting&tm=4&gps=100_10_1003_599&f=00&su=p284.9.336.ip_&tt=3&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//kids.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/english

8. Judge Joseph Bruchac’s qualifications to write a story like, The Winter People. Do you believe he is highly qualified to write Native American literature? Support your opinion with five specific reasons.

Website- http://www.josephbruchac.com/

9. During the 1600 to 1800’s, Indian populations were decimated by epidemics. Identify five causes and assess how this happened.

Website- http://www.kporterfield.com/aicttw/articles/disease.html

10. Joseph Bruchac includes numerous examples of figurative language throughout his story. Locate one example for each type.

Personification-

Metaphor-

Simile-

Imagery-

Website- http://www.kidskonnect.com/content/view/343/27/

11. Listen to an Abenaki elder speak their language. Describe the emotions you feel as you listen.
Website- http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~abenaki/Wobanaki/index.htm

12. Construct a letter to your favorite character from The Winter People. Use the following website as a guide when filling it out.

Website- http://www.ed.gov/inits/americareads/kids_rwn_letter_text.html

13. Explore the following website that discusses Native Americans as dynamic agents of change. The author mentions, “One of history's most important tasks is to identify myths and misconceptions and correct them.” How do these misconceptions affect your attitude toward your education? How could you take an active role in changing this?

Website- http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/native_voices/nav1.html

14. Click on the following website to read an interview with a traditional Abenaki basket maker, Jesse Larocque. List three new facts you learned about the Abenaki culture through reading this interview.

Website- http://www.abenakination.org/interview.html

15. Visit this extraordinary site that explores the Raid on Deerfield. Which of the five cultures do the Abenaki people belong to? Conclude how this site is relevant to Bruchac’s novel, The Winter People.

Website- http://www.1704.deerfield.history.museum/home.do

16. Explore the following website and choose two new and interesting bits of information you learned about the Abenaki tribe. Explain how Bruchac could have integrated these facts in to his story, The Winter People.

Website- http://www.native-languages.org/abna.htm#language

The Arrow Over the Door

"He and the others came here because they were asked by the English to make war on the Americans. Before they fought, they wanted to see what kind of people we were. They surrounded our house, thinking they might destroy all who were within. But when they saw us sitting with our door open and without weapons of defense, they had no disposition to hurt us. Then they knew they would not take the side of the king. They would take the side of peace" (p. 76-77).

SUMMARY

This story is told from two different perspectives, Samuel Russell and his Quaker heritage, and To Stands Straight, a young Abenaki Indian. Samuel is struggling to defend his Quaker beliefs for a peaceful nation, while To Stands Straight is confused at the British's insistence that all Americans are enemies. When the two cultures finally collide, the young characters must decide if fighting, or following their hearts, is what is best for their future and the future of their people.

MY REACTIONS

Because I am basing my professional project around cultural perspective, I thought Joseph Bruchac provided a unique way at presenting a controversial event and showing both sides of the issue. Justifying emotions and actions is much easier for the reader when they are able to get inside the minds of the two different characters involved. While the story was brief, it was still able to accurately portray the complexities of this historical time. I also liked the fact this novel would tie in with our 5th grade social studies curriculum and provide students with characters and emotion that would supplement our often dry and content-rich textbooks.

IDEAS TO EXPLORE WITH THIS NOVEL

• Ask students if they've ever faced a moral decision in their life. Can they justify the reason behind their decision?
• What is the symbolism behind the arrow over the door?
• Research the impact the Abenaki Indians had on the American Revolution.
  

The Heart of a Chief

"It has been said that giving a sports team an Indian name is meant to honor Indians. But if real Indians don't feel honored by that name, what really is the honorable thing to do?" (p. 129).

SUMMARY

Chris Nicola is an eleven year boy entering the sixth grade who is dealing with issues inside and outside of the school setting. Although Chris quickly makes friends at his new school, he is put in charge of a controversial project that has the potential of ruining his image. Chris is annoyed at the team's mascot name, The Rangerville Chiefs, and many of the signs kids hold up during sporting games, like "Scalp 'em Chiefs". Chris decides to do something about this dilemma and risks the friendships he has formed by attempting to put an end to these derogatory comments and actions. In addition, Chris' Penacook is struggling with life at home. His mother is deceased and his father is away battling his alcoholism. Also, his reservation is struggling with the decision on whether or not they should build a casino on their land. This novel explores many of the harsh realities of Native American children today.

MY REACTIONS

I really enjoyed the character voice in this novel. Joseph Bruchac did a fantastic job at making his characters seem real and believable through attitudes and dialogue. For instance, Chris comments on his first week at his new school. "It is Saturday morning and I have survived the entire first week of school. That's a big plus one. But on Monday I will be back in the shark tank. Equally big minus one" (p. 27). The character's voice is definitely there and definitely believable!

I also appreciated how the male protagonist stood up for his values. I think that is an important lesson to teach our students in today's society. Bruchac did not sugar-coat the difficult struggles Native American children face on a day to day basis (alcoholism, neglect, addiction, prejudices). Rather, he presented the issues in a way that opened our eyes, made them real, and resulted in an awareness for many of our society's downfalls.

IDEAS TO EXPLORE WITH THIS NOVEL

• Students can develop leadership roles to make changes both in and out of school.
• Have students identify offensive mascots in their surrounding communities. Then, research why these mascots are offensive and explore ways they could make a change for the better.
• Explore how Chris' feelings of injustice in his own life led to his earning respect. Ask students if they can relate using a similar experience.

Hidden Roots

"Hiding your roots might make it better for you. If not being Indian might mean that people would treat you better, if it meant you'd have more of a chance in life, well, then, that was how it would be" (p. 118).

SUMMARY

Hidden Roots is a story about an eleven year old boy, Sonny, growing up in New York during the 1960s. Sonny is a bit of an outcast and struggles to make friends at school, although he never fully understands why. That is until the summer before his sixth grade year when his Uncle Louis comes to visit. During his visit, Louis takes Sonny out into the woods by their house and helps him develop an understanding and appreciation for nature. As Sonny begins to mature, his family decides to finally tell him the truth about his 'hidden roots' and the horrific plight of his Native American ancestors.

MY REACTIONS

I initially chose this Bruchac novel because of the mystery behind its title (the cover art is mysterious too!), and come to find out, it ended up being one of my favorites! I enjoyed the transformation of maturity in the leading character. It's one I often witness myself as a 5th grade teacher, and I found myself connecting Sonny to many of my former students.

Sonny will be an easy character for many young adults to relate to, regardless of sex or cultural background. The raw emotion Bruchac presents throughout Hidden Roots, allows readers to empathize with the characters, and ultimately we end up rooting for the family to accept their history and embrace their future. The historical events explored through this novel are embarrassing for our nation's history, but important for students to understand and learn from as they mature into young adults. I really appreciated the author's note that Bruchac included at the end of the novel. It helped distinguish fact from fiction in the novel and made my aesthetic experience that much more powerful.

IDEAS TO EXPLORE WITH THIS NOVEL

• Students can examine an individual's role in society- how can one person make a difference?
• Students can identify constant supports that generations have relied on throughout the years. What supports have stayed the same? What supports have changed? Why do students infer these generational changes have taken place?
• Students can relate a personal challenge that led to triumph which they faced in their own lives and compare it to Sonny's.
• Students can research other factors that led to the plight of Native Americans throughout our history. Review the Native American Timeline of Events to identify other factors.

The Warriors

"An attack from an enemy was something that his people understood. In the old days, they had known who the enemy was. Even when his people fought the white men, those wars had had rules. But now it was as if there were no rules about anything. How could people live if the enemies were invisible? If they shot people for no reason at all? How can people deal with a world like that?" (p. 99).

SUMMARY

Jake Forrest is a young Iroquois teenager with a passion for lacrosse. Jake is forced to leave the Iroquois reservation when his mom is offered a job in the city. Fortunately for Jake, because of his talented lacrosse skills, he is accepted into a top-notch boarding school in Washington D.C.. However, it doesn't take Jake long to realize his new team doesn't know anything about the history of his tribal sport, nor do they care to learn the traditional cultural aspects of lacrosse. Soon tragic strikes the school, and Jake must make a life changing decision. Should he escape heartache and return to his people on the reservation, or should he face the warrior within and help his teammates cope with the tragedy through the sport they all love?

MY REACTIONS

I have mixed emotions about this novel. I appreciated Bruchac's attempt at making Native American contributions to society current and relevant for our young adult readers, but I felt the novel lacked depth. I would have liked to have seen more scenes focused on Jake's lacrosse games. I feel this would have shown the reader his passion instead of just stating it. Also, this is a novel you could suggest to young readers who are passionate about sports, and because there are very few scenes that explore the actual sport, it may turn the reader away.

I did enjoy the fact Jake's character and his actions throughout the story had the ability to transform our thinking; helping us to understand the cultural dissonance many Native Americans feel in society today. In addition, Jake's boarding school classmates and lacrosse teammates treated him and refered to him in ways offensive to Jake, but perhaps oblivious to the outside party. For instance, they often refer to Jake as "Chief". These would be wonderful teaching opportunities to explore in the classroom and help with student awareness of such offensive labels.

IDEAS TO EXPLORE WITH THIS NOVEL

• Students can check out the following links to explore traditional lacrosse sporting rules vs. mainstream adaptations to the sport. This would provide a wonderful opportunity for students to compare and contrast the two.

Lacrosse: An Iroquois Tradition

Modern Day Lacrosse

• Students can write a personal narrative about a time when they endured a noble pursuit. What reasons did they have for taking this on? How did their actions change their outlook and the outlook of those involved?

Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two

"Some of the things those generals wrote made me feel so good that I almost laughed out loud. Remember, grandchildren, like so many other Navajos, I had grown up hearing only criticism and hard words from the bilagaanaas about our people. We Navajos were stupid. We were lazy. We could not be taught anything. We could never be as good as any white man. To hear what was now being said truly made the sun shine in my heart" (p. 136-137).

SUMMARY

Code Talkers is the story of a sixteen year old Navajo boy, Ned Begay, and his desire to enlist with the Marines Corps during World War II. The Navajo Indians have been specially recruited by the Marines for their unique language. Ned lies about his age to enlist, and ultimately ends up taking part in one of the most unique and helpful tasks given to our Navajo soldiers during that time, becoming a code talker. The story follows Ned's journey from a very early age when he is sent of to boarding school. It continues through his experiences at war in the Pacific, and finishes back home again with many of the racial and prejudices he escaped for some time while at war, still very much a part of the world he was living in .

MY REACTIONS

The thing that touched me the most about this novel was the raw emotion and humor Ned brought to the recalling of these historical events. His grueling journey through racism and war was very raw, and it helped me create an aesthetic reading experience that opened my eyes and gave me a clearer picture for what life was like for these young Navajo soldiers. Bruchac did a fabulous job at developing his protagonist character; Ned was very insightful. One of my favorite lines was found on page 67, "All through Indian school we had been taught that white men knew everything. That day, for the first time, I realized several things. The first was the the bilagaanaas are not born knowing everything. The second was that in many of the most important ways, white men are no different from Navajos. The third? That no matter who they are, people can always learn from each other." Now that is a powerful message to be sending our students!

I also enjoyed the humor that Ned brought to the relationships he had with other characters. One of my favorite parts of the story was when Ned returned from war and entered a bar hoping for a Coke. The sign said "NO INDIANS SERVED HERE", and when the bartender started harassing Ned asking him, "Can't you read, you stupid Navajo?" Ned responded that he didn't want an Indian; he wanted a Coke. Although comments like this showed Ned's humor, it also showed the reader that despite the fact war had changed Ned, many of the aspects in his world that had made him ashamed and saddened as a child still existed. It didn't matter that he had fought for America's freedom, and it didn't matter that he had made white friends at war and they would have died for him; in the eyes of those prejudiced bilagaanaas in that bar, he was just another stupid Navajo (p. 210).

Bruchac does an amazing job at honoring the culture and language of the Navajo Indians, but I did find that his dialogue often made the story line more difficult to follow. Perhaps it is because I am not as familiar with Marine Corps and war vernacular, but regardless, I thought it was a very good read.

IDEAS TO EXPLORE WITH THIS NOVEL

This novel would tie in beautifully with an 8th grade social studies curriculum, which explores United States History. Other possible reading activities include:

• Create a Navajo vocabulary journal with definitions provided in the book
• Use a map (or create a Google Lit Trip) to trace Ned's World War II journey
• Pretend you are a character from the book that Ned positively influenced. Write a letter to Ned showing your appreciation for the changes he made in your life
• Infer how Ned would feel about society today. Would he be proud of his Navajo tribal members and their contributions to society and preserving their cultural roots? Would he be proud of U.S. citizens and their attempts to fulfill their promise that "all men are created equal"?