My powerful hair

 

Shirley J.                  Children's literature                           The significance of hair to indigenous cultures    My Powerful Hair by Carole Lindstrom   48 pages 

This book tells how important one's hair is to indigenous cultures (native tribes, inuits of the north, etc.).    It speaks of when the American government took tribal children from their parents and put them in orphanages, cut their hair and made them wear the white man's clothes, forced them to speak only the white man's language and learn his ways while being treated as subservient beings.    Tribal people believe their hair hold the memories of the tribe, it is the source of their strength and power.   The first humiliation by the whites was to cut both the boy's and girl's hair then make them forget their native language and the ways of the tribes.   A glorious and eye-opening story about an indomitable spirit that will not be denied.  The book is written for youngsters but is a learning experience for people of every age.  I recommend it to all ages.