Hannah Lindoff
Published: 2017-09
Total Pages: 40
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Our Elders say the indigenous people of the Northwest Coast have lived here since time immemorial, and DNA studies have proven we have been here for more than 10,000 years. The Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian cultures flourished and because the land and waters were so bountiful, they had ample time to develop the material cultures for which they are internationally known¿monumental totem poles, Chilkat robes, cedar clan houses and other ancient art practices unique to the Pacific Northwest.The Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian people continue to live as hunters and gatherers, and their lives are bound by the seasons. Let¿s Go! A Harvest Story teaches children about Southeast Alaska Native subsistence activities and foods. Through the book, readers travel on a journey through the seasons while exploring Native traditions, cultural values, and the beautiful and bountiful Southeast Alaskan landscape. The illustrations begin in spring, when Native people pull cedar bark for weavings and collect spruce tips, and as the months pass, readers learn about gathering wild celery and berries and fishing for crab and salmon. As fall arrives, readers learn about collecting wild tea and hunting deer. The book explores winter, when Native people collect cockles and clams, and early spring, when people harvest herring eggs¿a delicacy. It also touches upon the Native value of sharing their harvests with others.This book is part of Baby Raven Reads, an award-winning Sealaska Heritage program for Alaska Native families with children up to age 5 that promotes language development and school readiness. Baby Raven Reads was awarded the Library of Congress's 2017 Literacy Awards Program Best Practice Honoree award.