Brave Bird at Wounded Knee: A Story of Protest on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation

Bithell, Rachel and Freeberg, Eric (illus.)

Brave Bird at Wounded Knee: A Story of Protest on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
December 31, 2022 by North Star Editions

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Patsy Antoine lives in Denver with her expectant mother and father, who are hoping to buy a house before her new sibling is born. Her father is originally from South Dakota, but took advantage of a 1950s program that awarded money to Native Americans who wanted to do to school and relocate away from reservations. While he had hoped to return to Pine Ridge, he met Patsy's mother, who was training to be a nurse along with his sister, and he stayed in the Denver area. As her teacher is having students talk about current events in 1973, Patsy is hurt when people say unkind and untrue things about the AIM (American Indian Movement) protests at Wounded Knee. Since her grandmother, aunt, and cousin still live very near the protests, she is concerned, and her teacher encourages her to research what is going on. She also talks to her father about this, and realizes that she doesn't know very much about her Lakora culture. When her aunt asks her father to return home to repair the electrical system that runs their indoor plumbing, Patsy goes along with him, since it is her spring break. She learns a lot about what is happening with the protests, and realizes that Native interests have long been ignored by the federal government. She enjoys spending time with her grandmother and learning some traditional dishes and needlework. When she overhears her father being asked to drop supplies off for the protestors, she is worried, and hides in his truck before he heads out. When her father is shot, she is able to help him drive back to her aunt's house. The two finally return home to find out what has happened at Wounded Knee, and her experiences encourage her to share these experiences with her classmates. 

Strengths: This was very carefully researched, and the details about ordinary life (food, clothing, means of communication) were very solid. There is a consultant listed on the title page: Royal Lost His Blanket-Stone, Jr., Director of Lakota Studies at Sinte Gleska University. There are good notes about the names used in 1973, compared to the names preferred today, as well as the advice to ask individuals and groups which names they prefer. I thought it was very helpful that Patsy's classmates opinions about the AIM protest are shared, and their teacher instructs them to back up their opinions with facts. She is very sensitive about dealing with Patsy's feelings about the protests and her classmates' comments, and doesn't push her to identify as part Native American. Patsy does confide in a supportive friend about her relatives. Her grandmother's house is depicted as having amenities different from the ones Patsy is used to in Denver, but these are not treated as "less than", other than a comment about how cold it is to go to the outhouse first thing in the morning. There is a wealth of detail about the AIM protest; details are laid out in a very clear way, and backed up by facts. One common complaint about Native American books is that inaccurate tropes are used, and this very carefully steers clear of these. I learned a lot reading this, and found it particularly interesting that the author wanted to write this book because her son is half Lakots. 
Weaknesses: This felt a little deliberate at times, but the story did move along quite nicely and was very enjoyable. I thought that there might be one historical point that was a bit off, but "cool beans" apparently came into the vernacular earlier than I thought. I'm okay with deliberate when I can feel that every detail has been checked and double checked. 
What I really think: I'm a big fan of this Jolly Fish Press I am America series; it's a good replacement for the Scholastic My Name is America Series. This new series covers a lot of important but often uncovered history of marginalized people. They are also short, and have great notes about the events covered. I buy them in prebind from Follett, since the library bindings are very expensive.