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This Land
This land is your land now, but who did it belong to before? This engaging primer about native lands invites kids to trace history and explore the communities that lived in their neighborhoods before they came along.
Before my family lived in this house, a different family did, and before them, another family, and another before them. And before that, the family who lived here lived not in a house, but a wigwam. Who lived where you are before you got there?
This Land teaches readers that the lands we occupy, from our backyards to our schools to Disney World, were once the homeland of Indigenous people, some of whom still live there today. With backmatter that directly explains the concept of land acknowledgment, This Land will spark curiosity and encourage readers to explore the history of the places they live, and the people who have lived there throughout time and today.
Before my family lived in this house, a different family did, and before them, another family, and another before them. And before that, the family who lived here lived not in a house, but a wigwam. Who lived where you are before you got there?
This Land teaches readers that the lands we occupy, from our backyards to our schools to Disney World, were once the homeland of Indigenous people, some of whom still live there today. With backmatter that directly explains the concept of land acknowledgment, This Land will spark curiosity and encourage readers to explore the history of the places they live, and the people who have lived there throughout time and today.
40 pages, Hardcover
Published August 27, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 22, 2024
This interesting picture book features a young white girl who is proud of her home and family while acknowledging that other families have lived there and come before them. She even is aware that Europeans made some of these families leave their land and move to reservations. It isn't clear how she knows all this, but most likely, her friend T.J.'s grandmother has taught her about the land's history and shares some of her food and music. Now that the girl is "woke," she questions who was here first even when she travels to places such as the Grand Canyon, the Golden Gate Bridge, and New York City (typical tourist destinations where many visitors fail to recognize that Native Americans preceded them), The importance of land acknowledgement is discussed in the back matter, alongside possible discussion questions and lesson extensions. The artwork, created with Procreate and Photoshop, consists of several natural scenes as well as characters with brown, indigenous features. The end papers also contain postcards with the name of a place and the tribe that originated there. This is a thoughtful, caring approach to the topic, and one that could be used to raise awareness about Native American history and the respect due to this land that has been usurped by Europeans. Sharing it with students--in the places where that is allowed--might lead to helpful discussions and begin the healing process.
August 20, 2024
I received an ARC of this book for my honest opinion.
This book does a great job of discussing the fact that all USA land used to be inhabited by many different Native American tribes. I appreciate the fact that the book encourages educating yourself on the tribes that used to live where you live and that it highlights the fact that Native American cultures are still a living rich culture, not something to be thought only as history. Lastly, there is great backmatter on how readers can educate themselves about Native American culture in their area. Great for Native American Heritage Day, classrooms, or home libraries that embrace diversity.
This book does a great job of discussing the fact that all USA land used to be inhabited by many different Native American tribes. I appreciate the fact that the book encourages educating yourself on the tribes that used to live where you live and that it highlights the fact that Native American cultures are still a living rich culture, not something to be thought only as history. Lastly, there is great backmatter on how readers can educate themselves about Native American culture in their area. Great for Native American Heritage Day, classrooms, or home libraries that embrace diversity.
September 2, 2024
Anishinaabe creators Ashley Fairbanks and Bridget George use a picture book format to introduce or remind readers that the land we live on has been lived on by others. The book celebrates the indigenous origins of aur spaces including famous spaces like the Grand Canyon. The rework the lyrics of This Land Is Your Land to create a song acknowledging the native origins of places. The book provides a website resource for learning more about land acknowledgement and how to figure out the origins of any space. The end pages are decorated with postcards acknowledging tribal origins.
September 25, 2024
This is an amazing book about what the land we live on was like in the past. Although it specifically talks about land on the American continent, and past Native tribes that lived on the land, the takeaway of acknowledging that the land we live on has a history could apply to anywhere on earth.
I like how the young main character approaches this with an open heart and mind, curiosity, wonder and appreciation. It'll certainly inspire some other kids to take a closer look at the land they live on too.
I like how the young main character approaches this with an open heart and mind, curiosity, wonder and appreciation. It'll certainly inspire some other kids to take a closer look at the land they live on too.
September 26, 2024
This is the second book I've read from the Race to the Truth series, and I already really like this honest-yet-approachable series for helping young readers understand social issues. This is a great book to help explain land acknowledgment and foster understanding of Indigenous homelands in North America.
September 1, 2024
Check out the website native-land.ca to see whose land you're on.
September 10, 2024
Respectful introduction to how this land was colonized, with resources for finding out more about your area.
September 21, 2024
This book deserves an A-plus because it helps kids understand who the Indigenous peoples are and that they were the first people to live on the land where the story happens.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews