Explore America Student Research Guide

Cohlene, Terri. Clamshell Boy: A Makah Legend. Vero Beach: Bt Bounds, 1999. A retelling of the legend of the Clamshell Boy, who rescues a captured group of children from the dreaded wild Basket Woman. Includes information on the customs and lifestyles of the Makah Indians. 47 pages.

Holling, Holling C. The Book of Indians. New York: Platt & Munk, 1962. This interesting book describes the home life of Indian children from four different cultures and tells about their adventures. This book is out of print but available at libraries. 125 pages.

Williams, Maria. How Raven Stole the Sun. New York: Abbeville Press, 2001. This traditional Tlingit tale tells how the raven (originally white) became black. Striking illustrations show traditional life of the Indians of the Northwest Coast. The Tales of the People series was created with the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian. The illustrations and stories are by Indian writers and artists. 32 pages.

Wisniewski, David. The Wave of the Sea-Wolf. New York: Clarion Books, 1994. An original tale about Kchokeen, a Tlinglit princess who is rescued from drowning by a guardian spirit. Illustrated with Northwest Coast Indian cut paper designs. Includes an author's note discussing the history of the legend. 32 pages.

Nonfiction Books

"1491: America Before Columbus." National Geographic. Oct. 1991: 4-99. National Geographic takes a close look at several American Indian cultures on the eve of great change in 1491: Ozette, a Makah village on the Northwest Coast; Etowah, a Mississippian culture village in the Southeast; several Pueblo villages in the Desert Southwest; and Otstungo, a Mohawk village in the Eastern Woodlands.

Eder, Jeanne M. Oyawin. The Makah. Austin: Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 2000. This book covers the history, culture, religion, family life, and tribal government of the Makah Indians. 48 pages.

Hoyt-Goldsmith, Diane. Totem Pole. New York: Holiday House, 1991. A photo essay examines the life of a boy whose American Indian father carves a totem pole in the style of his Tsimshian tribe. 30 pages.

"Northwest Indians." Cobblestone: The History Magazine for Young People. Nov. 1992. Each issue contains easy-to-read articles, primary source readings, excellent illustrations, and occasional crafts and puzzles. Web site: cobblestonepub.com. About 50 pages.

Staub, Frank J. Children of the Tlingit. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books-Lerner Publications, 1999. Photographs and maps illustrate the history, geography, and culture of modern Tlingit, Tsimshian, and Haida cultures. 45 pages.

Web Sites

http://alaskanative.net
Alaska Native Heritage Center. Take a virtual tour of the center or go on a journey through rural Alaska for a look at native life. Learn about the native cultures of Alaska including the language, settlements, tools, and clothing. This site has videos, live cameras, art, and more!

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/award98/wauhtml/aipnhome.html
American Memory: American Indians of the Pacific Northwest. The Library of Congress brings you a wide collection of historical photographs of Native Americans from the Northwest Coast. The online presentation also provides a link to maps of the region and illustrated essays.

http://www.peabody.harvard.edu/potlatch
Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. Learn all about the potlatch! In its online exhibit, the museum shares basic information about the Northwest Coast potlatch. View photos, paintings, and artifacts, and learn about the potlatch's purpose, food, gift-giving, and more.

http://www.carnegiemuseums.org/cmnh/exhibits/north-south-east-west/tlingit
Tlingit of the Northwest Coast. Check out the Carnegie Museum of Natural History's exhibit devoted to Native Americans! This wonderful site shows the Tlingit's connection with the natural world and provides lots of information about Tlingit culture, lives, and history.

http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Haida/java/english/home/index.html
Haida: Spirits of The Sea. Visit the Virtual Museum of Canada to learn about one of its Northwest Coast tribes. Through vivid images and descriptions, learn about Haida canoes and craftsmanship, fishing, totem poles, stories, and food. Get a true sense of the Haida way of life.

http://www.civilization.ca/aborig/aborige.asp
Canadian Museum of Civilization. You know about the Chilkat, now learn about other Northwest Coast Indians. The Canadian Museum of Civilization gives you lots of information about tribes, villages, cultures, history, and art. Great pictures too!

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/fc/Yahooligans/nativeamericans
Yahooligans. Designed for kids, this site is a great resource for Native American links. Check out news stories, web sites, biographies, pictures, and more!

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/award98/ienhtml/curthome.html
American Memory: Edward S. Curtis's The North American Indian. The Library of Congress provides an online exhibition of photographs of American Indians. The representation includes tons of images from 80 tribes across the U.S. A wonderful glimpse into Native American culture!