This Land

Starred review from May 27, 2024
With a title that echoes a song long protested as erasing Indigenous history, this work—part of the Race to the Truth series—aptly communicates the issue of land acknowledgments. As the book opens, a child narrator notes how “this is my house.... Before us, another family lived here”—a concept that introduces “a whole village full of families, laughing, cooking, and playing,” whom European settlers would forcibly remove to reservations. A question the child asks during travels (“Who lived here before the people who live here now?”) leads to several spreads that acknowledge Indigenous homelands (“At the Golden Gate Bridge, I learned that the Ohlone have been fishing here for thousands of years”). Shape-based art by Anishinaabe illustrator George (Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior) foreground landscapes and portraiture in this work about how Indigenous people “have always been here, and they’re still here, wherever we go.” And Anishinaabe author Fairbanks, making a picture book debut, renders a memorable message: “This land is sacred./ This land is living./ From the Black Hills/ to Pueblo Canyon,// From the swampy bayous/ to the salmon swimming,/ this land all has a history.” More about land acknowledgment concludes. Ages 4–8. Author’s agents: Jess Regel, Helm Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Nicole Geiger, Full Circle Literary.

June 15, 2024
Anishinaabe creators Fairbanks and George encourage young people to consider the history behind the land they live on. At home, surrounded by family, a white-presenting child with long red hair contemplates the past. "Before us, another family lived here. Before that, another family lived here, too. And another. And another." The unnamed narrator recounts how European colonizers expelled Native Americans from their homes and forced them onto reservations. An Anishinaabe boy named TJ, who's friends with the protagonist, and his grandmother Noko have taught the young narrator to honor Indigenous peoples' connection to the land. They remind the protagonist that "Indigenous people have always been here, and they're still here, wherever we go." The child reflects on these principles often: "Now, whenever my family goes somewhere, I ask, 'Who lived here before the people who live here now?'" Thoughtful backmatter urges readers to take land acknowledgments seriously and to find ways to act beyond merely cultivating awareness. Though the book's lessons will resonate more with non-Native audiences, many young Native readers will appreciate the reverence shown to Indigenous people (past and present). Accompanied by engaging, comic-style artwork, this is a gentle, age-appropriate introduction to Indigenous history and cultures. A stirring tale that fosters respect for Native peoples. (discussion questions, learn more about Indigenous people in your area) (Picture book. 5-9)

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July 1, 2024
A white girl teaches readers about the colonization and land dispossession of Native Americans. She sings a song taught to her by her Anishinaabe friend's grandmother that rebuts Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" anthem. Visits to iconic landmarks help her understand Indigenous peoples' historical claim to the "living," "sacred" American land -- including her backyard. Fairbanks's unvarnished text pairs well with George's full-color digital illustrations, which portray diverse Native traditions, clothing, and housing. A necessary reminder of Native American resilience, endurance, and land rights.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)