Keepers Of The Earth

Native American Stories and Environmental Activities for Children

Michael J. Caduto and Joseph Bruchac

Golden CO, Fulcrum Inc., 1989 (teachers' manual also available).

April 22, 1990, the twentieth anniversary of the first Earth Day, was a new beginning. Environmental awareness must become a part of the school curriculum and a part of everyone's daily life. There is no better way to begin than with stories.

Joseph Bruchac, Abenaki storyteller and poet, has done an excellent job of collecting and retelling myths, legends, and tales from a wide range of North American tribes. These delightful and moving stories make such good listening that the profound message slips in without effort: we are all part of nature's balance. Memorable characters from trickster Gluscabi to brave, self-sacrificing Fisher touch our hearts. We are reminded of the message every time we feel the wind or see the Little Dipper. Bruchac makes his ecological points firmly, but without blatant preaching.

To accompany each story, ecologist/storyteller Michael Caduto has compiled excellent hands-on activities suitable to K-8 children. These are not just suggestions for ideas that sounded good, but practical directions obviously based on many trials with varied age groups. Furthermore, the activities teach sound principles and relate directly to the points of the stories. Discussion questions, footnotes, and extension activities further expand each section. I regret only the lack of story source notes. (Perhaps they are in the Teachers' Manual, which I have not yet seen.)

Topics include: Nature & human needs; Energy; Wind & water; Celestial and biological seasons; Predator & prey; Survival; Stewardship. This book comes highly recommended as a practical resource for anyone who teaches youth about ecology, biology, weather, geology, astronomy. The stories are so good that any teller who loves Native American stories will find it a treasure.

Reviewed July 1st, 1991 by Fran Stallings