BOOK OF THE WEEK
The 鈥楬eart鈥� of the matter: Albuquerque author鈥檚 picture book explores Native stories, ceremonies and culture
Picture books are often aimed at preliterate small children and the adults who read them aloud to those children.
However, 鈥淪tories Are the Heart of the World鈥� is a picture book that is a learning tool for children of all ages and reading levels 鈥� and it is for adults to not only read to youngsters but also to themselves.
The book opens with an image of a waterway showing fish and plants below the surface. The waterway is named Heart River, 鈥渨here creation and the idea of you and us begin,鈥� the book states.
Laurel Goodluck, the author of the book, writes the Heart River is the origin of the creation story of the Mandan tribe of North Dakota.
Heart River is where the Mandan emerged, though there are accounts of other locations, Goodluck writes in the book鈥檚 author鈥檚 note.
A baby鈥檚 naming ceremony and the older child鈥檚 sweat lodge ritual are practices of the Mandan and the Hidatsa peoples, according to Goodluck.
Navajo/Din茅 ceremonies that are described in the book include a ceremony of the burial of the umbilical cord, the First Snow celebration and a Laughing Party.
At the Laughing Party, readers watch as Auntie tickles a newborn who giggles. The laughter is 鈥渁 sacred breath we all waited to hear, to signal you have left the spirit world to join our earth family.鈥�
On other pages, the book describes how 鈥渢he fresh, sweet smell of earth rises. As we bury your umbilical cord, we tell you stories of our dreams for you, offering prayers to bond you to the Holy People, and now you are connected to Mother Earth.鈥�
Goodluck, an Albuquerque resident, is Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara. Her husband is Navajo/Din茅.
Like the author鈥檚 own family, the book is intertribal, filled with stories of ceremonies and rituals of different tribes.
On two facing pages the book shows a young couple holding hands and telling the reader, 鈥淥ur stories flow and move to the earth鈥檚 surface and deposit themselves deep in our hearts.鈥�
Coursing throughout the book are single-sentence pieces of wisdom that are presented as refrains. Here are some of them:
鈥淲hen you are in the world, creation stories and your medicine bundle offer you protection.鈥�
鈥淲hen you are in the world, snow stories keep you healthy.鈥�
鈥淲hen you are in the world, leadership stories give you courage.鈥�
鈥淲hen you are in the world, meditation stories encourage you to be responsible.鈥�
Goodluck said stories about family give young people positive feelings about their identity, their culture, their history and their ancestors.
In her author鈥檚 note, she writes her grown sons know that their great uncle, John Goodluck, was a Navajo Code Talker during World War II and that Code Talkers helped the 近距离内射合集 States win the war.
鈥淚 tell kids that your culture is your superpower. It helps you make decisions and think critically,鈥� she said in a phone interview.
The book鈥檚 illustrator is Nicole Neidhardt. Born and raised in Santa Fe, Neidhardt lives in Victoria on Canada鈥檚 west coast.
Goodluck said she recommended Neidhardt to the book鈥檚 publisher.
She said she had seen Neidhardt鈥檚 artwork at Santa Fe Indian Market before she knew that Neidhardt illustrated books.
On her website, Neidhardt comments that through her father she is a descendant of Scottish, German, Polish and French families 鈥渨ho sit alongside Din茅 ancestors in my blood memory.鈥�
Her illustrations in 鈥淪tories Are the Heart of the World鈥� add a special warmth and richness to Goodluck鈥檚 storytelling.
鈥淚 think what I love most about the book,鈥� Neidhardt said in a phone interview, 鈥渋s that it really shows how stories and ceremonies can teach children. The book does such a beautiful job of showing how practices and rituals help us with the ups and downs of life. I鈥檝e never seen a book that talks about these huge milestones in a (child鈥檚) life and grounds them.鈥�
Goodluck thinks that all of her children鈥檚 books have universal value.
鈥淲hile all my books are rooted in my experiences as a Native person, they are written for all children and families. When children read about other cultures, they learn about different lives while discovering shared similarities and valuing differences,鈥� she wrote in an email.
