Rising Voices: Writings of Young Native Americans Book

An astonishing collection of poems and essays written by young contemporary Native Americans. Words of protest against prejudice and oppression, poems of estrangement and pain, cries for lost worlds and lost identities — but also songs of celebration and joy for the future.

Publishers Weekly

Through more than 60 poems and essays, contemporary Native American children and young adults share their feelings about themselves, their people and their land. While some selections in this anthology are reverent in tone, revealing a deep respect for nature, family and tradition, other writings emerge as protests against prejudice and oppression. In the first section of the book, ``Identity,'' the young Native Americans tell of their struggles to fit into a white society without denying their heritage. Another chapter, ``Education,'' traces their growing desire to learn, if not regain, ancestral customs and beliefs. Readers of all cultures should have no trouble relating to the ideas presented here. Characterized by clear imagery and unadorned language, these expressions of anger, regret and hope provide enormous insight into a race of people whose opinions, until recent times, have been too often suppressed. Ages 12-up. (May)