We Are Water Protectors, written by Carole Lindstrom and illustrated by Michael Goade, both of whom have indigenous roots, is book #20 (of 20) of 2020, whew, read after the contest ended, because of libraries being closed for weeks at a time. I love this little book.Įach year my family reads all the Goodreads-award-nominated picture books. This book makes me realize I miss being part of the seasons and the land and celebrating it. One the cover, the girl is wearing earrings of the 4 directions and the colors.

I pledge to make this world a better place by being a steward of the Earth and a protector of the water. I will treat the winged ones, the crawling ones, the four-legged, the two-legged, the plants, trees, rivers, lakes, the Earth with Kindness and respect. I will always remember to treat the Earth as I would like to be treated. It says: I will do my best to honor Mother Earth and all its living beings, including the water and the land. There is also a little pledge at the back of the book and if it weren't a library book I would sign it. The Lakota tradition didn't mention that. In her tribe, the mend protect fire and the women protect water. I love the uplifting loving message of this book. Our world is out of balance and indigenous tribes have tried to tell us for decades how to live in harmony with the world and we are so lost in our culture, we don't have the will as a group to stand up and help ourselves. I love the poetry and the way of thinking about life. I know the stories of the 4 legged and the winged ones. I haven't found a place in Maryland to connect with that again. I went to South Dakota for 4 years in a row and did a vision quest and prayed on the land with the people. I have prayed with the people and for the land. It's dreamlike and it takes me back to my days in the sweat lodges. The artwork is swirls of water and beautiful blue tones. They are stewards of the land and that fits right in with the bible which tells us we are stewards of the land as well. The story is about this girl and her village and the important of all the water, land and animals. The serpent is oil pipes that crisscross our land and leak. They are told to protect the water and one day a black serpent will come to poison the water and they must protect against this serpent. She tells of the stories told to the people of the land. The author wrote this after the incident at Standing Rock happened with the water and the oil pipe. This is one of those books that feels written for me.

We are the water protectors book