Native Women Changing Their Worlds

by Patricia Cutright

Overview

Native women have filled their communities with strength and leadership, both historically and as modern-day warriors. The 12 Native American and First Nations women featured in this book overcame unimaginable hardships—racial and gender discrimination, abuse and extreme poverty—only to rise to great heights in the fields of politics, science, education and community activism. Such determination and courage reflect the essence of the traditional Cheyenne saying, “A nation is not conquered until the hearts of its women are on the ground.” The impressive accomplishments of these 12 dynamic women provide inspiration for all. B/W photos.

Ashley Callingbull Burnham (Enoch Cree Nation)
Henrietta Mann, PhD (Southern Cheyenne)
Ruth Anna Buffalo (Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation)
Elouise Pepion Cobell (Blackfeet)
Loriene Roy, PhD (Anishinabe, White Earth Reservation)
Sharice Davids (Ho-Chunk Nation)
Roberta Jamieson (Kanyen'kehà:ka, Six Nations of the Grand River Territory)
Deb Haaland (Pueblo of Laguna)
Elsie Marie Knott (Mississauga Ojibwe)
Mary Golda Ross (Cherokee)
Heather Dawn Thompson (Lakota, Cheyenne River Sioux)
Emily Washines (Yakama Nation with Cree and Skokomish lineage)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781939053329
Publisher:	Book Publishing Company
Publication date:	05/25/2021
Series:	Native Trailblazers , #9
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.31(d)
Lexile:	1160L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Patricia Cutright is Lakota and an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe. Patricia has lived in many places, from Brooklyn, New York, to the Federated States of Micronesia and many places in between, providing leadership in libraries along the way. She has published articles and written book chapters on library technology and cooperation. Her awards include the 2003 American Library Association/LITA Gaylord Award for Achievement in Library and Information Technology, 2002 Oregon Librarian of the Year, 2017 University of Washington iSchool Distinguished Alumnus Award and 2016 Presidential Administrator Award from Central Washington University. She lives in Ellensburg, Washington.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

Introduction ix

Chapter 1 Ashley Callingbull Burnham Enoch Cree Nation 1

Chapter 2 Henrietta Mann, PhD Southern Cheyenne 9

Chapter 3 Ruth Anna Buffalo Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation 17

Chapter 4 Elouise Pepion Cobell Blackfeet 25

Chapter 5 Loriene Roy, PhD Anishinabe, White Earth Reservation 33

Chapter 6 Sharice Lynnette Davids Ho-Chunk Nation 43

Chapter 7 Roberta Jamieson Kanyen'kehà:ka, Six Nations of the Grand River Territory 51

Chapter 8 Deb Haaland Pueblo of Laguna 59

Chapter 9 Elsie Marie Knott Mississauga Ojibwe 69

Chapter 10 Mary Golda Ross Cherokee 79

Chapter 11 Heather Dawn Thompson Lakota, Cheyenne River Sioux 89

Chapter 12 Emily Washines Yakama Nation with Cree and Skokomish Lineage 97

References 104

Photo Credits 116

About the Author 117

Editorial Reviews

Each entry includes a quote, each woman’s awards and honors, and their given Native name alongside English translations…. This useful resource will help fill a void.

Booklist

2021-01-26
Twelve profiles of Native American and First Nations women are collected in this engaging work.

The individuals included here have achieved success in many fields, from Deb Haaland (Pueblo of Laguna), a U.S. Representative from New Mexico, to the late Mary Golda Ross (Cherokee), an elite aeronautical engineer at Lockheed. Each profile begins with an inspirational quote, features approximately six to eight pages describing the subject’s early life and later achievements, and concludes with a list of their awards and honors. Photographs enhance the text. While their lives and talents are diverse, the women share strong beliefs in the sanctity of family and the preservation of their cultures and languages. Some of the women grew up on a reserve, some moved around in their youth, but all faced challenges. The book shows how they have overcome racial and gender discrimination, poverty, abuse, and other obstacles to become leaders in their professions and communities. Highlighting how each found a way to keep a positive outlook, it also shows that when their goals seemed unachievable, there was a family member or a teacher who believed in them and pushed them to move beyond the expectations of Indigenous women in the non-Native world. These remarkable stories, relayed in straightforward and accessible prose, will serve as catalysts, propelling young people to seek the potential they have within themselves.

Inspiring portraits of accomplished Indigenous women. (references, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews