Rattlesnake Mesa: Stories from a Native American Childhood

by Ednah New Rider Weber, Richela Renkun (Photographer)

Overview

A true account of a spirited Native American girl's experiences growing up on a reservation and attending Phoenix Indian School in the 1920s, written in an engaging, unconventional style and accompanied by 38 dramatic photographs.

After her beloved Grandmother dies, EdNah, a seven-year-old Pawnee girl, goes to live with a father she hardly knows on a Navajo reservation miles away. Heartbroken but resilient, she begins to create a new life for herself in this unfamiliar place.

Just as EdNah starts to feel at home in her new surroundings, she is sent away to a strict government-run Indian school. With her world turned upside down once again, EdNah must learn to rely on herself and her newfound community of friends.

Told in the unconventional voice of a seasoned storyteller, Rattlesnake Mesa is a true account of a girl coming-of-age during a complex time in America's past. Both heartbreaking and humorous, you will be moved to tears and laughter as you experience EdNah's spirited celebration of life as a healing.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781600608742
Publisher:	Lee & Low Books
Publication date:	11/01/2004
Pages:	144
Sales rank:	1,016,635
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.30(d)
Lexile:	760L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 17 Years

About the Author

EdNah New Rider Weber "Wolf Clan Woman," is a respected Native American elder and storyteller. She was born into the Skidi band of the Pawnee Nation and raised on the Crown Point Navajo Reservation in New Mexico. Weber has traveled all over the United States sharing stories of her childhood and life. She is also a gifted beadworker whose work has been recognized internationally and is featured in Lois Sherr Dubin's preeminent North American Indian Jewelry and Adornment. Weber lives with her family in Tucson, Arizona.

Richela Renkun is a graduate of New York University, where she majored in the performing arts. She brings her film and theater background to her photographic storytelling. Photographing Native American subjects holds a special place in Renkun's heart, and she has been honored by the Lakota with her own Indian name, "Loves Her Horses Woman." Renkun lives with her family and their horses in Vermont.

Editorial Reviews

"The black and white photographs are arresting images. . . readers will enjoy the intimate view of a Native American childhood of the time, and they will easily connect with Weber's universal memories, especially those of her strong friendships, and the empowering, subversive humor (including a few fart jokes) at the expense of adults." — Booklist

"[A] captivating read-aloud." — School Library Journal

"EdNah New Rider Weber's rich, distinctive voice infuses this 'book of memories' about growing up Indian under severe U.S government restrictions in the early 1900s. . . In spite of obvious hardships, Weber describes her school experiences with warmth and affection; her clear memory of things that amuse or frighten eight-year-olds and her love for the Southwestern landscape make this an unusually compelling memoir. Striking full-page black-and-white photographs illustrate each chapter and add to the book's appeal." — The Horn Book

Best Children's Books of the Year - Bank Street College of Education
CCBC Choices - Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Notable Books for a Global Society - International Literacy Association (ILA)
Southwest Books of the Year - Pima County Public Library
Spur Awards Finalist - Western Writers of America

From the Publisher

Gr 3-8-Weber's memoir of growing up in the early 1900s brings readers into the thoughts and surroundings of her eight-year-old self with humor and sincerity. When her grandmother died, her father took her to live with him at Crown Point Indian Agency on the Eastern Navajo Reservation. At the school there, she witnessed boys being beaten with a horsewhip, which haunted her. "I carried a mortal shame, fear, and hurt away with me." Just as she started to feel at home at Crown Point, she was sent to the faraway Phoenix Indian School, where her father was educated. However, she and her new friends became survivors ("we learned early-laughing was best.") Her memories of the ridiculous teachers and underground games are expressed in a conversational voice that begs to be read aloud. Readers will identify with her predicaments, whether they are learning about a different culture or recognizing their own. The voice does shift occasionally throughout the book to one that seems oddly outsider, and a homecoming ceremony involving Sacred Yellow Corn Pollen is not fully explained. But then Weber's evocative voice resurfaces. The recollections are illustrated with black-and-white photos of unidentified contemporary children posed in the New Mexico landscape as if they were part of the story, which sometimes makes an odd contrast, though they are beautiful. For its unique voice, consider this collection as supplementary material on the Indian boarding school experience, or as a captivating read-aloud.-Nina Lindsay, Oakland Public Library, CA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal