Navajo Long Walk

Bruchac, Joseph. 2002. NAVAJO LONG WALK: THE TRAGIC STORY OF A PROUD PEOPLE'S FORCED MARCH FROM THEIR HOMELAND. Illustrated by Shonto Begay. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society.

Plot Summary

Joseph Bruchac and illustrator Shonto Begay come together to tell the tragic story of the forced march of thousands of Navajo from their homes and relocation to a reservation. The story also tells of the return of the Navajo to their home and how today the Navajos number more than 150,000 and live on what has become the largest of all reservations in the United States.

Analysis

Bruchac tells the story of the forced removal of the Navajos in seven chapters beginning with Broken Circle and concluding with The Walk Home. In the dedication page, both writer and illustrator acknowledge their ancestors. Bruchac acknowledges and is grateful to the Navajo Nation for their wisdom and guidance in the writing of this book. It is apparent that this work was handled with much reverence.

The Afterward includes comments on the success of the Navajos as herdsmen and gifted artisans. Moreover, the contributions by the Navajo peoples during World War II in form of a code that was based on the Navajo language, contributed greatly to winning the war in the Pacific.

In order for the readers to fully understand the story, Bruchac takes the readers to the genesis of the Navajo peoples. He tells of the arrival of the Spaniards in 1540. We further understand how the Navajo people got their name. “ From the Pueblo peoples they learned agriculture –how to grow corn, beans, and squash. Indeed, the word ‘Navajo’ is derived from the Tewa Pueblo word Nabaju, which means 'people with planted fields.'" Bruchac’s interlingual use throughout the book adds authenticity to the tale and further demonstrates his knowledge of the Navajos.

Bruchac depicts the Navajo as real people, and not mystical figures that only possess good qualities. While he states that “The Navajo way has always been to seek the path of balance and beauty,” he also tells of the Diné Ana’í – the Enemy Navajos. “The Enemy Navajos were feared as slave raiders and later as scouts for the U.S. Army. It was not easy for Navajos to escape from their own people, who knew the language and the land.”
Bruchac chronologically breaks down the story, making it easy for readers to follow. Visual learners will also appreciate the inclusion of an 1863-1868 map that demonstrates the trails taken by the Navajo people for each of the three walks.

Another aspect that adds validity to the telling of this story is the fact that Bruchac’s tale is not one sided. In the same manner that not all Navajos were depicted as just, Bruchac does not portray all Americans as evil. He mentions Henry L. Dodge, appointed as an “Indian agent.” Bruchac states, “He was the first agent to actually live among the Navajos. He always treated them with respect and honesty and tried to act in their best interest. The Navajos grew to love Dodge…”
Finally, the illustrations presented convey the story in a convincing manner. The illustrator, Shonto Begay incorporates seven oil paintings and various two toned watercolor illustrations to accompany Bruchac’s text. For each acrylic painting, Begay annotates the connection between illustration and text. It is evident in the annotations that Begay has poured his heart and soul into this project. For example, in relating one of the walks of the Navajo people Bruchac writes, “Although the Army had orders to use wagons, horses, and mules to help carry the sick, the children, and the crippled, they were seldom used for this purpose. The soldiers rode and the Indians walked.” Of the accompanying illustration for this depiction Begay states, “…the cries of children, moans of the dying, futile prayers uttered in the snow and mud along a blood-soaked trail – [these] were emotionally difficult to recreate.”
I have to admit that the reality depicted in the illustrations and the inclusion of stories passed down and printed as Bruchac’s words, made a dramatic impact on me. There were instances when I was so overcome with grief that I had to put the book down and continue at a later time. One instance dealt with a pregnant woman. Bruchac writes,

"The late Howard Gorman, a deeply respected elder whose ancestors made that terrible journey, told a story passed down to him by his elders... a young woman who was about to give birth could keep up no longer. Her relatives begged the soldiers to wait for her. They were forced to move on. One soldier rode back. Then the sound of a gunshot was heard."

Notwithstanding, I do not believe that this is a book that should be hidden from students’ view. Quite the contrary, this is a story that must be heard by their ears because it is part of the tapestry that formed this nation. Bruchac also agrees as he states, "We were given two ears so that we may hear both sides of every story.” Without a doubt, this is a book that must imperatively be included in the libraries of our schools.

Review Excerpts

"Begay's paintings, rendered with acrylics on clay board in swirling brushstrokes, convey urgency and emotion. His art reaches a new level of accomplishment and his captions, explaining his use of symbols, will help youngsters interpret the cryptic moments in his work."– Publishers Weekly

"Told with drama, tension, conflict, and with a positive resolution the author gives dimension to 'one of the greatest and least known injustices in American history.' Shonto Begay has created extraordinary paintings using acrylics on clay board. They have an emotional intensity and eloquence." – From Children’s Literature

Connections

Other titles by Joseph Bruchac include:

The Warriors
The Waters Between
The Winter People

Pocahontas
Sacajawea
Children of the Longhouse
Dawn Land
Dog People, Native Dog Stories
Eagle Song
The Heart of a Chief

Seasons of the Circle
Skeleton Man

Website of illustrator:

http://www.shontobegay.com/

Minty

Schroeder, Alan. MINTY: A STORY OF YOUNG HARRIET TUBMAN. 1996. Illustrations by Jerry Pinkney. New York: Dial Books. ISBN 0-803-1889-6.
PLOT SUMMARY
This Coretta Scott King award winning book is a fictional acount of Harriet Tubman’s life as a young child. The book provides a glimpse of the harsh living conditions Minty, Harriett’s nickname, endured under the rule of her cruel owner and how this possibly fueled her desire to one day run away and become a free woman.

ANALYSIS
Pinkney’s illustrations do an outstanding job of presenting life in a Virginia plantation in the 1820s. The attention to detail adds authenticity to the book. In the illustrations we notice that eight year old Minty is barefooted, wearing a long a simple frock while outside, yet wears an apron over the frock while serving a meal.
We also notice the attention to Minty’s hair. While Minty is a house slave, her short, curly hair is uncovered, but as she is translated to the fields, her mother makes her a bandanna to protect her head from the scorching sun.
Another cultural marker is apparent in Pinkney’s rendition of the Big House and of the clothing the Masters wore. We notice China and the stitch work on the tablecloth. We take notice of the Missus' long, flowing gown, her necklace and her the husband’s two toned vest and handkerchief at his throat.
A strong theme presented is the strength of African Americans in the face of such deplorable living conditions. While we don’t see the marks left on Minty’s back after a whipping, we see her parents tending to her wounds. Minty is biting down on a stick as tears stream down her cheek. Minty’s brother, unable to bear the sight, covers his eyes and Minty’s sister cries as she looks on. We are told that it is several days before Minty can walk again.
Demonstrating a spirit of survival, Minty’s mother relates a piece of advice her father gave her,
“If your head is in the lion’s mouth, it’s best to pat him a little. Pat the lion, Minty. It ain’t gonna kill you.”

The dialect used also provides authenticity to the story. One example is when a field slave tells Minty, “Tell your mama to make you a bandanna, or, girl, you gonna fry your brains out.” That same slave later tries to deter Minty from running away, “Believe me, honey, I’ve tried it and it ain’t worth it. Uh-uh.”
Alan Schroeder promptly informs us that this is a fictional account of Harriet Tubman. He further states that the basic facts are true and presents an Author’s Note at the conclusion of the book. I was surprised that Schroeder did not include a list of works he consulted to validate his story. It is in the Author’s Note that we are told Harriet Tubman was known as a “difficult slave”. Schroeder depicts Minty’s incorrigible spirit as the story opens up and Minty is hiding from the Missus. She giggles at the Missus, sticks out her tongue and thinks, “I’ll come when I’m good and ready.” Immediately after that Schroeder allows us into to catch a glimpse of Minty’s faith and hope. She seeks out a doll she has hidden in the barn and tells her the following story:
“David – he picked up this tiny little rock, took aim, and sent it flyin’. Hit the ol’master smack in the head. Killed him, right there in front of everyone. Then they had a big ol’party afterward, and David got to move into this big house with a long table, and he was never hungry or nothin’again.”

In the Author’s note we are told that Minty was assigned to tend muskrat traps. Schroeder is able to weave this into our story. In an act that foreshadows Minty’s future, she releases the trapped muskrats, just as later in life she helps slaves find their way to freedom.

This book may be a fantastic resource in an ESL classroom. It can introduce newcomers to the contributions of Harriet Tubman and recognizes her heroic efforts in helping others escape slavery. This has thus earned her an important place in the history of these United States. Without a doubt, should be in every teacher's classroom library.

REVIEWS
Pinkney's illustrations are outstanding, even when compared to his other fine work. His paintings, done in pencil, colored-pencils, and watercolor, use light and shadow to great effect, and his depictions of Minty are particularly powerful and expressive. This is a dramatic story that will hold listeners' interest and may lead them to biographical material such as David A. Adler's A Picture Book of Harriet Tubman (Holiday, 1992) and Ann McGovern's Wanted Dead or Alive (Scholastic, 1991). –From School Library Journal

Told in rhythmic prose and colloquial dialogue, the plot has actual events that are small, but it is rich with melodrama, suspense, pathos, and, of course, a powerful vision of freedom. Pinkney's illustrations exhibit, characteristically, his refined draftsmanship; the complicated compositions convey psychological aspects of slavery and make the individual characters even more distinct. –From Kirkus Reviews

CONNECTIONS
Other titles that deal with The Undergroung Railroad:
Wanted Dead Or Alive: The True Story Of Harriet Tubman by Ann Mcgovern
. . . If You Traveled on the Underground Railroad by Ellen Levine
Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson
Barefoot: Escape on the Underground Railroad by Pamela Duncan Edwards