Indian No More Spiral-Bound |
Charlene Willing McManis, Traci Sorell
★★★★☆+ from 1,001 to 10,000 ratings
Indian No More
When Regina's Umpqua tribe is legally terminated and her family must relocate from Oregon to Los Angeles, she goes on a quest to understand her identity as an Indian despite being so far from home.
Notable Children's Book, Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)
Editors' Choices for Books for Youth, Booklist
Notable Books for a Global Society, International Literacy Association (ILA)
Amelia Bloomer Project - Feminist Task Force, American Library Association (ALA)
American Indian Youth Literature Award, American Library Association (ALA)
A Global Read Aloud Choice
When Regina's Umpqua tribe is legally terminated and her family must relocate from Oregon to Los Angeles, she goes on a quest to understand her identity as an Indian despite being so far from home.
Regina Petit's family has always been Umpqua, and living on the Grand Ronde Tribe's reservation is all ten-year-old Regina has ever known. Her biggest worry is that Sasquatch may actually exist out in the forest. But when the federal government enacts a law that says Regina's tribe no longer exists, Regina becomes "Indian no more" overnight--even though she lives with her tribe and practices tribal customs, and even though her ancestors were Indian for countless generations.
Now that they've been forced from their homeland, Regina's father signs the family up for the federal Indian Relocation Program and moves them to Los Angeles. Regina finds a whole new world in her neighborhood on 58th Place. She's never met kids of other races, and they've never met a real Indian. For the first time in her life, Regina comes face to face with the viciousness of racism, personally and toward her new friends.
Meanwhile, her father believes that if he works hard, their family will be treated just like white Americans. But it's not that easy. It's 1957 during the Civil Rights era, and the family struggles without their tribal community and land. At least Regina has her grandmother, Chich, and her stories. At least they are all together.
In this moving middle-grade novel drawing upon Umpqua author Charlene Willing McManis's own tribal history, Regina must find out: Who is Regina Petit? Is she Indian, American, or both? And will she and her family ever be okay?
* "In this book based on McManis’s own childhood experiences, the family is fictionalized to show how older children might react to being uprooted and plopped down in a foreign world. . . Readers will be moved as they become invested in Regina’s predicament. Is she still Indian, American, or both—and what does that mean for her and her family?" -- School Library Journal, starred review
* "What begins as a story of displacement quickly turns into a story of childhood fun and antics colored by Umpqua culture and the racial tensions of the civil rights movement set in the lively and culturally diverse city of L.A." -- Booklist, starred review
"It stands apart from anything I've read before because it is about the US government's termination of the Grand Ronde Tribe, and others, too. . . As far as I know, Indian No More is the first book for children that is about the life of a child and her family when their tribe was terminated and then, relocated. The story in Indian No More is one reason why it is unique. Another is the team that brought it forth." -- Dr. Debbie Reese, American Indians in Children's Literature
"I love Indian No More. It is a beautiful and important book, honest and moving. Regina's story faces a shocking injustice directly, creating a powerful historical novel that should be included in every school's curriculum." -- Margarita Engle, Newbery Honor-winning author of The Surrender Tree and We Need Diverse Books Mentor of Charlene Willing McManis
"In this honest depiction of an Indian family’s struggle to survive the termination of their tribe, we see how ‘Indian stories speak truth’ through the eyes of a gifted young narrator. Courageous and wise, Regina Petit navigates life away from home with a triumphant dignity that celebrates her heritage and everything she has to offer the world" -- Guadalupe Garcia McCall, award-winning author of Summer of the Mariposas
"Indian No More by Charlene Willing McManis and Traci Sorell is a poignant look at the termination era and its devastating effects. Regina is a determined young girl who faces huge life changes with incredible strength. It’s an important story, and a compelling debut." -- Supriya Kelkar, author of Ahimsa
Notable Children's Book, Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)
Editors' Choices for Books for Youth, Booklist
Notable Books for a Global Society, International Literacy Association (ILA)
Amelia Bloomer Project - Feminist Task Force, American Library Association (ALA)
American Indian Youth Literature Award, American Library Association (ALA)
A Global Read Aloud Choice
Best of the Best Books, Chicago Public Library
Best Books of 2019, American Indians in Children's Literature
The late Charlene Willing McManis (1953-2018) was born in Portland, Oregon and grew up in Los Angeles. She was of Umpqua tribal heritage and enrolled in the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. Charlene served in the U.S. Navy and later received her bachelor's degree in Native American Education. She lived with her family in Vermont and served on that state's Commission on Native American Affairs. In 2016, Charlene received a mentorship with award-winning poet and author Margarita Engle through We Need Diverse Books. That manuscript became this novel, which is based on her family's experiences after their tribe was terminated in 1954. She passed away in 2018, knowing that her friend Traci Sorell would complete the revisions Charlene was unable to finish.