Everything you wanted to know about indians but were afraid to ask (young readers edition)
by Anton Treuer
From the acclaimed Ojibwe author and professor Anton Treuer comes an essential book of questions and answers for Native and non-Native young readers alike.
Ranging from “Why is there such a fuss about nonnative people wearing Indian costumes for Halloween?” to “Why is it called a ‘traditional Indian fry bread taco’?“ to “What’s it like for natives who don’t look native?” to “Why are Indians so often imagined rather than understood?”, and beyond, Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask (Young Readers Edition) does exactly what its title says for young readers, in a style consistently thoughtful, personal, and engaging.
Updated and expanded to include:
* Dozens of New Questions and New Sections—including a social activism section that explores the Dakota Access Pipeline, racism, identity, politics, and more!
* Over 50 new Photos
* Adapted text for broad appeal
Type: Young Adult Nonfiction
Pages: 400
Format: Paperback
Publication: May 7, 2024
ISBN: 9781646144181
Type: Young Adult Nonfiction
Pages: 400
Format: Hardcover
Publication: April 6, 2021
ISBN: 9781646140459
praise
Golden Kite Award Winner
Chicago Public Library’s Best of the Best
Kirkus’ Best of the Year
ABC Group Best Books for Young Readers
TLA’s 2022 Texas Topaz Reading List
Chicago Public Library’s Best Teen Book Covers of the Year
IllumiNative Children’s Book Gift Guide
AICL's Best Books of 2021
A Junior Library Guild Selection
2022 Texas Topaz Selection
Cybils Awards Finalist
CCBC Choices
★ “Wise, well-researched, and not to be missed. This collection of short essays about Native Americans is comprehensive, equitable, and generous.”
—Kirkus (starred)
★ “Reading this book is like enjoying a talk with a close relative who wants you to learn, grow, and continue to ask questions. This book is an important resource about contemporary North American Indigenous peoples. Recommend for all libraries.”
—SLJ (starred)
“A wide-ranging compendium of provocative questions and satisfying answers. Perfect for browsing or a deep dive.”
—San Francisco Chronicle
“A personal, reflective, yet thoroughly grounded take on the present as well as the past, and it’s a great starting place for young readers beginning to ask these exact questions.”
—BCCB
“A comprehensive and stimulating read.”
—Shelf-Awareness
“An excellent resource that should be in every middle and high school.”
—School Library Connection
“This would be a good resource for readers to begin learning about Native American histories, lives, and cultures.”
—Horn Book
“Treuer imbues his research and cultural commentary with both humanity and style. An astonishing depth of knowledge and insight complements his conversational writing voice. Treuer’s latest release should be on every American bookshelf – and in every American history classroom.”
—Cowboys and Indians
“This is a thoughtful, useful book.”
—The Circle News
“An essential book of questions and answers for Native and non-Native young readers.”
—IllumiNative
About anton treuer
Dr. Anton Treuer (pronounced troy-er) is Professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University and author of 19 books. His equity, education, and cultural work has put him on a path of service around the region, the nation, and the world. He has a B.A. from Princeton University and a M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. He is Editor of the Oshkaabewis (pronounced o-shkaah-bay-wis) Native Journal, the only academic journal of the Ojibwe language. Dr. Treuer has presented all over the U.S. and Canada and in several foreign countries on Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask, Cultural Competence & Equity, Strategies for Addressing the “Achievement” Gap, and Tribal Sovereignty, History, Language, and Culture. He has sat on many organizational boards and has received more than 40 prestigious awards and fellowships, including ones from the American Philosophical Society, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Science Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, the Bush Foundation, and the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation. His published works include Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask, The Language Warrior’s Manifesto: How to Keep Our Languages Alive No Matter the Odds, Warrior Nation: A History of the Red Lake Ojibwe (Winner of Caroline Bancroft History Prize and the American Association of State and Local History Award of Merit), Ojibwe in Minnesota (“Minnesota’s Best Read for 2010” by The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress), The Assassination of Hole in the Day (Award of Merit Winner from the American Association for State and Local History), Atlas of Indian Nations, The Indian Wars: Battles, Bloodshed, and the Fight for Freedom on the American Frontier, and Awesiinyensag (“Minnesota’s Best Read for 2011” by The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress). Treuer is on the governing board for the Minnesota State Historical Society. In 2018, he was named Guardian of Culture and Lifeways and recipient of the Pathfinder Award by the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums.
