I am nibi.

I have a spirit.

I have feelings.

I remember.

p. 1

Introduction

Aanii boozhoo! Today, I’m reviewing Carole Lindstrom’s latest picture book, Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior. I should have expected that I needed tissues when reading this one – heed my words and have some on hand, because this one made me cry. A summary from the publisher:

Indigenous women have long cared for the land and water, which in turn sustains all life on Earth—honoring their ancestors and providing for generations to come. Yet there was a time when their voices and teachings were nearly drowned out, leaving entire communities and environments in danger and without clean water.

But then came Grandma Josephine and her great-niece, Autumn Peltier.

Featuring a foreword from water advocate and Indigenous Rights Activist Autumn Peltier herself, this stunning picture book from New York Times-bestselling author Carole Lindstrom and illustrator Bridget George gives voice to the water and asks young readers to join the tidal wave of change.

Publisher’s site

Carole Lindstrom has knocked it out of the park again – this book is another powerful message about advocating for future generations and practicing good stewardship of Earth’s natural resources. Let’s dive in below.

The Good Stuff

Lindstrom has a fabulous, prosaic voice to her writing. This is her third book after We Are Water Protectors (illustrated by Micaela Goade) and My Powerful Hair (illustrated by Steph Littlebird). Lindstrom has devoted her work thus far to themes of Indigenous resilience and resistance, making Autumn Peltier a perfect subject for her work. For those of you who aren’t familiar, Autumn Peltier is a force of Indigenous environmentalism and advocacy. (The link takes you to her Wikipedia page, a great place to start.) She is well-known for her powerful testimony to the United Nations General Assembly in 2018 when she was only 13. Peltier’s work has only grown stronger and more profound since then.

Lindstrom reflects Peltier’s powerful work and her story so beautifully in the book. The story is told from the point of nibi (water in Anishinaabemowin), who recounts the work that Josephine Mandamin and Autumn Peltier carry out on behalf of water. The story flows (pun unapologetically intended) through nibi‘s experiences from Anishinaabek of old and our reverence for water, the pollution of modern times, and Mandamin’s and Peltier’s experiences speaking and working on nibi‘s behalf now. Although this book is written focused on particular people, Lindstrom masterfully writes it in such a way that any person reading it can understand and relate to what’s happening.

It’s also important to mention here that this story is culturally- and tribally-specific. This is not an easy thing to do with informational text; that said, Lindstrom’s choice to have nibi tell Peltier’s story from its point of view is a fantastic way to achieve cultural context and relevance. My own perspective as an Anishinaabe person is very similar to how Linstrom communicates it. It’s a thrill to get to experience a story told within my culture’s understanding of water!

The art is also incredible. Bridget George’s illustrations are gorgeous. George purposefully and beautifully incorporates Anishinaabe design motifs into every page. George’s depiction of nibi is breathtaking also. The images of Josephine and Autumn in the story are so exciting to me because they resemble the people they’re based on so closely! It’s endearing to see those two Anishinaabe ogimaakwewok represented so sweetly – I was able to tell who they were right away even without looking at the title. (Apologies to the booth attendant who had to listen to me burble about how excited I was about this book at ALA this past summer!) Beyond that, George also includes Indigenous people of all shapes, sizes, skin tones, and ages. The intentional inclusion of Anishinaabek and more broadly Indigenous people is so, so special. This book is another powerful example of inclusion right alongside Lindstrom’s debut We Are Water Protectors and other luminary titles like Kevin Noble Malliard’s Fry Bread.

Similar to Lindstrom’s other works, I also have to mention the foreword and back matter. Peltier wrote the foreword for the book, giving readers a short but impactful message about it. There is more information about Peltier’s life and her work in environmental advocacy for readers who are just learning about her in the back, as well as photographs of Mandamin and Peltier. Besides being beautiful and prosaic, it’s an excellent resource about modern Indigenous people and environmentalism.

In Summary

Okay, I’ve been gushing for a hot second about this book – I’ll start wrapping it up so you can get on with your day. 🙂 Nmiigwechinendam, I am thankful, for the opportunity to see a book published about someone like Autumn Peltier. Water protection and environmental advocacy is so important – this book is a beautiful tribute to it. This book is highly recommended.

Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior is written by Carole Lindstrom (Anishinaabe/Metis) and illustrated by Bridget George (Anishinaabe). It’s published by Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan. You can find a link to purchase it here. As always, gichi miigwech for reading!