Nation Studies: Native Americans

Written and illustrated by Michael Bania. The story is set in an Inupiat Eskimo village in the northwest Arctic and follows Kumak, a man who is unhappy with the size of his family's house. His wife, children, and even his wife's mother are all dissatisfied with the cramped living conditions. Kumak decides to seek advice from Aana Lulu, the wise elder of the village.

Written and illustrated by Lydia Dabcovich. It is based on a traditional Inuit folktale and tells the story of an old Inuit woman who adopts an orphaned polar bear cub, raising him as her own son. The woman, who lives alone and struggles to provide for herself, finds the cub on the ice and takes him in, sharing her limited food with him. As the cub grows, he becomes strong and begins to hunt and fish for her, providing her with food and furs. The story highlights the deep bond between the woman and the bear, who she names Kunikdjuaq.

Written and illustrated by Tim Jessell. The story revolves around the relationship between the wolf and the caribou, explaining how they are brothers despite the wolf hunting the caribou. According to the legend, the Great Being in the Sky created a woman, a man, and their sons to inhabit the land, and later populated the earth with various creatures, saving the caribou for last. However, as the sons hunted the healthy caribou, the sick and weak proliferated. The woman prayed for a tool to cut the sickness from the caribou, and the Great Being brought forth Amorak, the father of wolves, whose hunting would make the caribou herds strong again.

Retold by Eric A. Kimmel and illustrated by Rosanne Litzinger. The story revolves around the daughter of a Tlingit tribal leader who rejects all her human suitors, declaring that she would rather marry a frog from the lake. One night, a handsome young man with slightly bulging eyes and long fingers appears at her door, and she follows him to a new life underwater with the Frog People. Her father, desperate to have her back, threatens the Frog People with war, eventually getting her back but only temporarily. The princess, however, is determined to return to her new life with the Frog People and her children.

It is a retelling of a traditional Inuit tale where an old woman adopts and raises a polar bear cub, which grows up and provides her with food even after she has to send him away to save it from the villagers. Written and illustrated by Lydia Dabcovich.

Kumak's House: A Tale of the Far North is a folktale set in an Inupiat Eskimo village in the northwest Arctic, featuring Kumak as the main character. The story conveys a humorous lesson on life (of being content with what one has) through Kumak's repeated visits to elder Aana Lulu for advice, illustrating traditional Inupiat activities and animals of the Arctic.

"The Eagle's Gift" is a book written by Rafe Martin and illustrated by Tatsuro Kiuchi. It is an adaptation of a traditional Eskimo story where an Eskimo boy, hoping to win back his two lost brothers, follows the guidance of Eagle Mother and learns to dance, sing, and tell stories, spreading joy throughout the world.