I was a late bloomer for literacy myself. All my friends could read before I did. But, still, books were my favourite birthday gifts as a kid. I never said no to a good story, and I appreciated having them read to me while I couldn't do it myself. Today, as a college student, long academic articles flow through me with an ease that would amaze 7-year-old Antônio. Interestingly, however, I've never had the chance of reading in my heritage tongue. Krenak is an extremely under-resourced language – as are many Indigenous languages in Abya Yala (or Latin America, in the Guna language). It was hard enough to put our hands on dictionaries, can you imagine children's books?
It was at the 50th Dartmouth College Annual Powwow that I first stumbled upon Indigenous children's literature. Christine Nih'shaw walked me through her tent, where her series of illustrated bilingual books (Lakota/English and Mohawk/English) was in exhibition. It was my first encounter with that sort of book – the one that serves a purpose in enhancing literacy in our languages.
As it happens within many endangered language communities, centring our efforts around the raising of fluent speakers is a fundamental principle of language revitalisation. As much as I wish I could speak Krenak as a first language, it feels too late to guide these efforts around my own experience – something I talk about in my first contribution to the ELP blog. Children's books are described by Nancy L. Hadaway and Terrel A. Young (2013) as "powerful means of connecting children and adults in language and literacy development, potentially contributing to multilingualism and [I]ndigeneity." For the scholars, this sort of material allows for communal experiences of Indigenous languages, building on millennia-old traditions of oral storytelling, which may now take the form of late-night readings at home, putting our own language knowledge into practice as we bring on new generations of speakers.
Finally, Hadaway and Young also point to the importance of Indigenous bilingual books for the non-Native population as well. As the researchers explore in "Indigenous Bilingual Children’s Books" (2014), "bilingual books expand awareness of cultural and language diversity among non-indigenous readers." Hence, I have put together a brief collection of Indigenous bilingual books that serve the above described purposes. Through a short bibliographic research, this list was constructed to provide examples and inspiration for the work of authors from endangered speech communities around the world.
Bilingual and multilingual Indigenous literature in Brazil
I begin by borrowing from Trudruá Dorrico's opinion piece "Bilingual and multilingual Indigenous literature in the classroom" (originally published in Portuguese as "Literatura Indígena bilíngue e polilingue na sala de aula" in 2021). In her work, Dorrico identifies the inclusion of Indigenous languages literary production in the school environment as part of the greater challenge of overcoming the established colonial tradition of delegitimising Indigenous knowledge systems. She brings attention to the issue of literacy in Indigenous languages as key to the strengthening of cultural identity for Native youth, who fail to find representation in the strictly lusophone curriculum.
The literary critic proceeds to make valuable recommendations of bilingual books that can be brought to use in any formal learning environment. Lia Minápoty's Tainãly, Uma menina Maraguá/Taynãly, yepé tainãê Maraguá – published by Ed. Positivo in 2014 – for example, shines light on the possibilities of using Indigenous language books not only for literacy development. The book, written in Maraguá and Portuguese, is authored by Minápoty, who speaks Mawé and Nheengatu – two other Indigenous languages, not Native to her community. This way, the author transposes her own experiences of Indigenous multilingualism into her main character, Tainãly. Additionally, by doing so, Minápoty also fosters an opportunity for non-Indigenous children to engage with the material and thus learn about the language endangerment reality faced by the Maraguá community.
In a similar fashion, Aline Pachamama authored the multilingual book Taynôh: o menino que tinha cem anos/Taynôh: mitsi dzahu na watébrémi ãmã iwahu/Taynôh: ava'i ma'et' as ro'yma ohasa/Taynôh: el niño que tenia cien años (Ed. Pachamama, 2019). The book – as revealed by its title – is written in A'uwé (Xavante), Guarani Mbya, Portuguese, and Spanish. In the story, Taynôh, an Indigenous kid, sees himself falling disconnected from his own A'uwé culture, and is called back by Pachamama – Quechua for "mother earth" – to return to his roots. By highlighting the inherent multilingual nature of Indigenous coexistence in Brazil, the author also builds an impactful juxtaposition between the A'uwé and Guarani with Portuguese and Spanish – the dominant languages imposed by the colonial rule of South America and overall Abya Yala. As a Brazilian myself, I see value in this juxtaposition for allowing critical pondering of the bi- or multilingual Indigeneities – more specifically those created after (or due to) European invasion. While Indigenous communities struggle to sustain their languages, Portuguese and Spanish have not only taken front stage in our lives, but also became a lingua franca of sorts for distinct Indigenous communities to engage with each other – something ancestrally done solely through Indigenous tongues. A reading of the book in Guarani Mbya is available to the public, which Aline made available in hopes of allowing non-Guarani speakers to have an insight into the spiritual richness of the language when reclaimed and spoken by its people.
The last of Dorrico's recommendations is Kamuu Dan's Makunaimã Taani: Presente de Makunaimã (aua Ed. 2021) – which offers Portuguese translations to the original Wapichama text. For Dorrico, "the translated book can be used as a pedagogical tool both for Indigenous education [and] contributing to literacy in the Wapichama language; as well as for the non-Indigenous student, who can get to know the Wapichama language and worldview present in its plot" (2021).
From the other side of the continent: Indigenous children's literature at the Calgary Public Library
Speaking from the other side of the continent, when doing the research necessary for this collection review, I was amazed by the work done by the Calgary Public Library. In 2019, the institution brought together a dozen of diverse Native voices local to the Treaty 7 territories for the Indigenous Writers Workshop. The result – a series of 12 publications focused on Indigenous language teaching and learning for kids – is impressive.
The authors – Matoomiikamoosaaki (Latasha Calf Robe), Natoyi’sokasiim (Tim Fox), Îyâ Sa Wîyâ (Tina Fox), Tatâga Thkan Wagichi (Trent Fox), Crystal Many Fingers, Miikotsiminii (Payne Many Guns), Mai’stoistowaakii (Sheena Potts), Sheri Shotclose, DerRic Starlight, Îyarhe Wiyapta (Natasha Wesley), Mînî Thnî (Trudy Wesley), and Iikiinayookaa (Marlene Yellow Horn) – authored both mono- and bilingual stories in Siksiká (Blackfoot), Iyethka (Nakoda), Sarcee (Tsuut’ina), and English. The stories are varied: some are recountings of traditional stories, others offer an illustrated personification of the authors’ own language learning journey. Either way, these are definitely important contributions to Indigenous literature and literacy, as well as a commendable work of reconciliation coming from an institution traditionally shielded by and centred around Western knowledge systems, which have historically neglected local Indigenous voices – a critique that I extend not only to libraries, but to most academic institutions that exist for and due to settler colonialism in the Americas.
The complete collection can be found at the Calgary Library website. However, echoing Aline Pachamama's idea of a certain spiritual value that's encoded in Indigenous traditions of storytelling – perhaps, for some, exclusive to its oral forms – I invite you to also check out the authors' reading of these books, available on the Library's YouTube account.
Children's books in Indigenous languages worldwide
While the children's books market is yet to fully acknowledge its role in promoting Indigenous language usage, both in and out of the classroom, this collection aims to serve a simple purpose: to inspire. From Abya Yala to Turtle Island, our languages face uncertain fates, tilting towards dormancy – a reality our children do not deserve. In hopes of calling for a global effort for children's language literature, I also recommend borderless movements, such as the Global Storybooks Portal.
The University of British Columbia-based team works in collaboration with speakers from over 40 countries to translate and publish, mainly digitally, a set of 40 short illustrated books. The scope of the project is broad, focusing on Indigenous African, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis languages originally. Now, with over 15 sub-portals to specific regions and languages, the project has expanded to community-based efforts all around the world, allowing for independent contributors to translate their set of stories to any language. Although the project works with a set collection of stories, not developing new, culture-specific narratives, it builds communities in the global trenches of language learning.
Bringing the next generations into the conversation
Overall, in the journey of safeguarding and revitalising Indigenous languages, children's literature stands out to me as a powerful tool – a bridge between generations, and a source of resilience. Explored through the lenses of Hadaway and Young, Indigenous children's books emerge not only as symbols of multilingualism, but – if employed appropriately in classroom settings – can become windows into cultural diversity and literacies for those outside these communities.
Lastly, I also invite interested readers to explore the Worlds of Words: Center of Global Literacies and Literatures – a project housed at the University of Arizona's College of Education. Within their resources, one can find "an estimated 40,000 volumes of children’s and adolescent literature focusing on world cultures and Indigenous peoples" (WOW). Their work both promotes intercultural and international literacies and literatures and uplifts Indigenous voices and languages, with a heavy emphasis on representation and inclusivity in language education.
In putting together this resource collection, I hope to illustrate the evergoing efforts to bring the next generations into the conversation. The impact of our works will be little if new, young speakers aren't in the centre. These stories breathe life into endangered languages, fostering both pride and a profound sense of connection – to the land, to our communities, and to each other. As we rally for a globalised effort to inspire the creation and recognition of children's literature as tools for cultural survival, the initiatives here highlighted can shine as beacons of inspiration for others.
References
Hadaway, Nancy L., and Terrell A. Young. "Celebrating and revitalizing language: Indigenous bilingual children's books." Bookbird: A Journal of International Children's Literature 51.3 (2013): 56-68.
Hadaway, Nancy L., and Terrell A. Young. "Preserving languages in the new millennium: Indigenous bilingual children's books." Childhood Education 90.5 (2014): 358-364.