March 19, 2021
Hello ,
When I was a little girl, I loved to read about pioneers on the Oregon Trail. I came to identify with qualities I perceived in people who made that difficult journey.
They were bold, grasping opportunity and freedom. They were tough, pitting themselves against nature, gambling on their physical strength and mental acuity, and testing their will to survive.
When I worried about what had happened to the Native peoples whom the pioneers displaced, I was given a vague answer, "It's too bad what happened, but it's progress and you can't stop progress."
From my perspective now, I would not call westward expansion human progress. And I'm focusing on Indigenous people's will to survive. I'm identifying myself with the qualities of compassion, good listening skills and the ability to see history more clearly.
As a writer and lover of books, I'm also working to amplify voices that have long been ignored.
Great Books, Important Voices
Several years ago, I told you about Mary Golda Ross, a Cherokee aerospace engineer. I'm delighted there is a new picture book telling her story.
In the 1920's, most girls had no expectation of a college education or a career outside the home, but Mary Golda Ross had learned differently, and from a very young age. The Cherokee people had a long tradition of equal opportunity for women.
"Even in the days before women's liberation, the role of Cherokee women has never been a subservient one," Mary said. "Women held high positions in early Cherokee tribal councils, where their advice was heeded not only on matters of policy, but also concerning war strategy."
Mary's story is told in the newly published picture book Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer. It's written by Traci Sorell, who lives in the Cherokee Nation.
Illustrator Natasha Donovan is Métis; her Métis family are the Delarondes and the Morins from Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan. She now lives in on a tiny farm in Deming,
Washington. (Which happens to be where I grew up, though I have not had the pleasure of meeting her.)
The other book in the photo above, The Sea in Winter is written by Christine Day (Upper Skagit) who grew up in Seattle, as she says, "nestled between the sea, the mountains, and the pages of her favorite books."
The Sea in Winter is Christine's second novel, and billed as a story of a Native American girl struggling to find her joy again. From the publisher:
It’s been a hard year for Maisie Cannon, ever since she hurt her leg and could not keep up with her ballet training and auditions.
Her blended family is loving and supportive, but Maisie knows that they just can’t understand how hopeless she feels. With everything she’s dealing with, Maisie is not excited for their family midwinter road trip along the coast, near the Makah community where her mother grew up.
But soon, Maisie’s anxieties and dark moods start to hurt as much as the pain in her knee. How can she keep pretending to be strong when on the inside she feels as roiling and cold as the ocean?
I purchased these books from Birchbark, located in Minneapolis, MN. Birchbark Books is operated by a spirited collection of people who believe in the power of good writing, the beauty of handmade art, the strength of Native culture, and the importance of small and intimate bookstores.
There's one more incredible book I want to recommend. I read a lot of westerns growing up, along with Oregon Trail stories, but I never read one like this.
Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee is a western featuring girls! An Asian-American girl and a black girl! I would have loved this book
when I was a teenager (adult themes), and I super enjoyed it as an adult.
I highly recommend this book! Here's a one minute book trailer.
More on Mary Golda Ross, whom I mentioned above, and was the first female engineer at the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. (shown below)
Mary was the great-great-granddaughter of Cherokee Chief John Ross, who lead his people over the Trail of Tears. Mary was born ten months later Oklahoma became a state on her parents’ allotment in the foothills of the Ozarks. More on her incredible life here...
If there's one good thing about the pandemic, it's that the inability to gather in public for events opened the door to many, many more events we can now attend online.
Such as the 47th anniversary celebration of the Coalition of Labor Union Women, which includes a play telling the stories of women leaders in the labor movement.
We Were There, is a multi-media presentation including voices and songs celebrating historical women and current day leaders and activists. I'm thinking this is going to be a rollicking good time.
Wednesday, March 24, 2021,
7-8:30pm ET - 4-5:30pm PT
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To find out more about my books, how I help students, teachers, librarians and writers visit my website at www.MaryCronkFarrell.com.
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