Sonia Antaki

Red Dove Listen to the Wind MIDDLE GRADE FICTION AGES 10 TO 14 Red Dove Listen to the Wind

Abandoned by her white father, thirteen year-old Red Dove faces another lean winter with her Lakota family on the Great Plains now empty of the buffalo that once sustained them. Willful and proud, Red Dove is presented with a difficult choice: leave her people to live in the white world— or stay, and watch her family starve. When she breaks a sacred tradition and eats the fruit of the Dead Man’s Plum Bush, her wise old grandfather gives her a medicine pouch that allows her to enter the thoughts and feelings of others. With it, she confronts the cruelties of the nun who runs the school, and the horrors of the massacre at Wounded Knee. Accompanied by her beloved pony, Red Dove begins a journey to find her true place in the world, only to discover that her greatest power comes from within herself.

Illustrations by Andrew Bosley Red Dove Listen to the Wind ONE ELM BOOKS ONE ELM BOOKS

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Publisher’s Cataloging-In-Publication Data Names: Antaki, Sonia. | Bosley, Andrew, illustrator. | Spotted Elk, Calvin, writer of supplementary textual content. Title: Red Dove, listen to the wind / by Sonia Antaki ; with illustrations by Andrew Bosley ; [foreword by Calvin Spotted Elk, Lakota]. Description: Egremont, Massachusetts : One Elm Books, an imprint of Red Chair Press LLC, [2019] | Includes Lakota terms and phrases. | Interest age level: 010-014. | Summary: “Abandoned by her white father, thirteen-year-old Red Dove faces another lean winter with her Lakota family on the Great Plains. Willful and proud, she is presented with a difficult choice: leave her people to live in the white world, or stay and watch them starve. Red Dove begins a journey to find her true place in the world and discovers that her greatest power comes from within herself.”--Provided by publisher. Identifiers: ISBN 9781947159129 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781947159136 (paperback) | ISBN 9781947159143 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Indian girls--Juvenile fiction. | Racially mixed youth-- Juvenile fiction. | Identity (Psychology) in youth--Juvenile fiction. | Lakota Indians--United States--History--19th century--Juvenile fiction. | CYAC: Indian girls--Fiction. | Identity--Fiction. | Lakota Indians-- United States--History--19th century--Fiction. | LCGFT: Historical fiction. Classification: LCC PZ7.1.A61 Re 2019 (print) | LCC PZ7.1.A61 (ebook) | DDC [Fic]--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018955613 Main body text set in 13/18.5 Adobe Caslon Pro Text copyright © 2020 by Sonia Antaki One Elm Books, logo and green leaf colophon are trademarks of Red Chair Press LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in an information or retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical including photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission from the Publisher. For permissions, contact [email protected] Printed in Canada 0519 1P FNF19 C016245 Red Dove Listen to the Wind

by Sonia Antaki with illustrations by Andrew Bosley

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ONE ELM This is an original story, Dedicated to my Goddaughter, Lily Spotted Elk, Lakota— Descendant of the man who led his people at Wounded Knee Introduction

I first met Sonia at an event I was hosting for Chief , (the 19th keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe). After striking up a friendly conversation, I could see that we were kindred spirits of sorts. Subsequent visits revealed that she was writing a book for young readers about a 13-year old half-Lakota, half-white girl. Since my own ancestry dates back to include my Great Grandfather, Wiyaka Sakpe (Six Feathers), who rode with in “The Battle of Little Big Horn”, or as our people refer to as “The Battle of the Greasy Grass”, it seemed only natural that I would help with a few details to make the story more “authentic”, even though it is a work of fiction. Red Dove, Listen to the Wind is a tale of a mixed-blood girl who struggles to bring her worlds together. It is an entertaining work that shares the Native American experience of a turbulent time in U.S. history with our world today. As the story unfolds, you feel the angst of an adolescent girl who has a lust for life, but who is riddled with frustration, curiosity and a little rebellion for good measure—something most young people still experience. I read it non-stop, alternating between scolding this precocious youngster and cheering her tenacious search for a place to belong. Red Dove, Listen to the Wind is a good read for all ages.

–Linda Sixfeathers, Lakota

Foreword

When Sonia Antaki asked me to consult for Red Dove, Listen to the Wind, I agreed, because I knew how important it was to bring this story of traveling between worlds, told through the eyes of a thirteen- year-old girl, to an audience of new readers. I am Lakota, and my daughter Lily and I are descended from the man who led our people at Wounded Knee. The history books call him Chief Big Foot—Si Tanka—but his true name was Spotted Elk—Unpan Gleska—the name that my daughter and I carry now. Like many Lakota growing up on ’s Pine Ridge Reservation in the 1970s, my childhood was marked by poverty and loss. I know what it is to attend a school like the one described in the story. I also know what it is to live with the legacy of Wounded Knee. Red Dove, Listen to the Wind is a work of fiction, but it tells a tale that resonates still, in the hopes that some young reader, boy or girl, will grow up to help right the wrongs that have been visited on our people for far, far too long.

–Calvin Spotted Elk, Lakota viii Kantasa Wi The Moon-of-Ripe-Plums Dakota Territory—Late Summer, 1890

irls don’t hunt,” Red Dove’s brother said. “So go away!” “GRed Dove pretended not to hear. She pointed to the flock of wild turkeys squawking and squabbling in the meadow below. “We’ll go hungry if you miss again, Walks Alone, so let me try.” She pulled her brother’s ash wood bow out of his hand. He jerked it back. “I’m not letting you use my arrows,” he said, glaring. “I don’t need yours. I have my own. Wait here.” Red Dove darted towards the old cottonwood tree. Scrambling up to the knothole, she pulled out her secret treasure: a quiver of arrows. She raced back but her brother was nowhere in sight. “I told you to wait!” she cried.

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Praise for Red Dove, Listen to the Wind

“A captivating story that needs to be told” “Red Dove is a respectful and loving portrayal of a young Lakota girl growing up during the turmoil of the late 1800s. Her spunky and courageous nature is demonstrated in her tale of a time when all Native children were forcibly taken to boarding schools, hundred of miles away from their home. I recommend this book as a captivating story that needs to be told to young and old alike.” –Mary Puthoff, educator and Program Specialist Title VI American Indian Education Program

“Readers will fall in love with Red Dove.” “Her goodness will remain with readers long after the story has ended.” –G.K. Foster, author of Untouchable

“A hero’s journey that will inspire every child.” “Vivid and fast-moving, this tale of a young Lakota girl struggling for her identity in the late 1800’s engaged me from the beginning and never let go. It’s a hero’s journey that will inspire every child, male or female, Native American or not. Plus, it is chock-full of surprises, adventures, and actual history. A great read even for an adult.” –E. Katherine Kerr, Teacher & Author of The Four Principles: Applying the Keys of Authentic Acting to Life

“I loved this historical novel.” “Red Dove, the feisty young Lakota girl at its heart, comes to life on the page as she tries to find her place in a changing world after the battle of Wounded Knee. Sonia Antaki brings this 19th century world to vivid life, and Red Dove’s adventure-filled journey kept me turning the pages as I watched her coming into her own.” –Gabi Coatsworth, author featured in Tangerine Tango: Women Writers Share Slices of Life

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