Rattlesnake Mesa: Stories from a Native American Childhood

Notable Books for a Global Society, International Literacy Association (ILA)
Children's Book Award Notable, International Literacy Association (ILA)
Choices, Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Honor Book Award, Society of School Librarians International

A true account of a spirited Native American girl's experiences growing up on a reservation and attending Phoenix Indian School in the 1920s, written in an engaging, unconventional style and accompanied by 38 dramatic photographs.

After her beloved Grandmother dies, EdNah, a seven-year-old Pawnee girl, goes to live with a father she hardly knows on a Navajo reservation miles away. Heartbroken but resilient, she begins to create a new life for herself in this unfamiliar place.

Just as EdNah starts to feel at home in her new surroundings, she is sent away to a strict government-run Indian school. With her world turned upside down once again, EdNah must learn to rely on herself and her newfound community of friends.

Told in the unconventional voice of a seasoned storyteller, Rattlesnake Mesa is a true account of a girl coming-of-age during a complex time in America's past. Both heartbreaking and humorous, you will be moved to tears and laughter as you experience EdNah's spirited celebration of life as a healing.

Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Published: 11/01/2004
Pages: 144
Weight: 0.65lbs
Size: 9.10h x 7.40w x 0.30d
ISBN: 9781600608742
Age: Young Adult

About the Author

EdNah New Rider Weber "Wolf Clan Woman," is a respected Native American elder and storyteller. She was born into the Skidi band of the Pawnee Nation and raised on the Crown Point Navajo Reservation in New Mexico. Weber has traveled all over the United States sharing stories of her childhood and life. She is also a gifted beadworker whose work has been recognized internationally and is featured in Lois Sherr Dubin's preeminent North American Indian Jewelry and Adornment. Weber lives with her family in Tucson, Arizona.

Richela Renkun is a graduate of New York University, where she majored in the performing arts. She brings her film and theater background to her photographic storytelling. Photographing Native American subjects holds a special place in Renkun's heart, and she has been honored by the Lakota with her own Indian name, "Loves Her Horses Woman." Renkun lives with her family and their horses in Vermont.