Native American Day will be observed in South Dakota this year on Oct. 11th. The second Monday in October was known as Columbus Day until 1989, when the SD Legislature created Native American Day on the 2nd Monday in October.

The Library has a great collection of Native American themed books for all ages. In this article for this week I will describe some of the books which are ready for check out.

First we have “Apple in the Middle” by Dawn Quigley. This book would probably be of interest to 7-12 graders, though I enjoyed reading it. The book is described by the author as a book about Apple Starkington who turned her back on her Native American hertiage the moment she was called a racial slur for someone of white and Indian descent, not that she really even knew how to be an Indian in the first place. Apple’s name, chosen y her Native American mother on her deathbed, has a double meaning: treasured apple of my eye, but also the negative connatation- a person who is red, or Indian , on the outside, but white on the inside. As Apple meets her Indian relatives, she shatters Indian stereotypes and learns what it means to find her place in a world divided by color.

The second book I would like to promote for readers is “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants”, by Robin Kimmer. Jane Goodall, esteemed Biologist says “Robin Wall Kimmerer has written an extraordinary book, showing how the factual, objective approach of science can be enriched by the ancient knowledge of the indigenous people. It is the way she captures beauty that I love the most―the images of giant cedars and wild strawberries, a forest in the rain and a meadow of fragrant sweetgrass will stay with you long after you read the last page.”―Jane Goodall

The Library will be closed on Monday, October 11th in honor of Native American Day.