Books by White Cedar Woman
Who am I?
Who Am I? tells the story of Makwa, a young Indigenous boy whose spiritual name means 'bear' in Ojibwe. Torn between his traditional teachings and the modern life of a typical American kid, Makwa loves basketball and video games. However, his grandfather challenges him with a profound question: how does he plan to honor and give back to his people and ancestors who fought for their survival?
Makwa embarks on a journey of self-discovery, exploring whether his true calling is to be a dancer like his cousins. Despite examining various styles, he doesn't feel the pull. Without his father around since infancy, Makwa turns to his grandfather for guidance. Through the rituals of leaving a tobacco offering and smudging, he seeks the Creator's help to find his path.
I'm Not A Costume!
This story is based on real life events. Ayasha is a 5-year-old girl who moves to Chicago from Fort Berthold reservation and encounters cultural appropriation at her new school. She sees children wearing costumes of Native American people. She and her family come up with an idea of how to educate her school about her culture, its meaning and how to honor her people respectfully.
Atíka’s Medicine
This is a Native American picture book called Atíka’s Medicine. It takes place in Fort Berthold reservation in North Dakota with Atíka(grandma in Arikara) and her granddaughter Ayasha (little one in Ojibwe). Ayasha is visiting her Atíka for the summer and learns how to overcome being different at school such as poverty, culture beliefs and bullying. Atíka is a colorful, funny character who ends up using her talent of making the best fry bread on the rez from her house. This is all to raise money for Ayasha and her big sister Aiyanna’s school clothes and supplies. She shows her granddaughters howto get their point across positively about who they are. Their Atíka’s medicine is from their family’s strength