Voices of the People

Title: Voices of the People
Book List: Interesting Nonfiction & Biographies for Teens
Published by: Reycraft Books
Release Date: 2022
Author: Joseph Bruchac
Genre: Teen
Pages: 96
ISBN13: 9781478875154

Through poems that capture the essence of each person’s life, acclaimed Native American writer Joseph Bruchac introduces readers to famous indigenous leaders from The Peacemaker in 1000 A.D. to modern day dancer Maria Tallchief and Cherokee chief Wilma Mankiller. Each poem is illustrated by a modern-day tribally enrolled artist.

“Those you are about to meet are real people, not stereotypes. They are women and men who truly were, through their words and their deeds, voices of the people.” Bruchac’s (Abenaki) biographical poems provide chronological introductions to thirty-four notable Native Americans, from the Peacemaker, a Wendat (Huron) leader who united five warring nations around 1000 C.E., to twentieth-century activist Wilma Mankiller, who was the Cherokee Nation’s first woman head chief. What stands out most, however, are the accompanying reproductions of artwork by different contemporary Native artists working in a variety of mediums. Bruchac explains his selection process: some artists were paired with biographical subjects from the same tribe; other artists’ work “connects to the subject of the biography in an important way.” An appended “More about the Voices” section provides short paragraphs of information about the people highlighted, and Bruchac includes a poem about his own life. Intended to educate non-Native readers and to additionally inspire Native readers (per the author’s note), this ambitious undertaking should encourage all people to learn more about the biographical subjects and to seek out work by the featured artists. NICHOLL DENICE MONTGOMER --Horn Book Starred Review

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