Published: 2020
Author: Carole Lindstrom
Illustrator: Michaela Goade
Genres: Picture Books, Indigenous, Nature, Native American, Environment, Activism, Social Justice, Cultural
Audience (Grade Levels): Elementary Grades K-3
Number of Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5 Stars)
Goodreads Link: We Are Water Protectors
Triggers: None
Review By: Kassidy Seary
Publisher’s Summary:
Review:
We Are Water Protectors is a children’s book that highlights the ongoing battles between indigenous communities and environmental justice. It specifically focuses on the Dakota Access Pipeline. Throughout this book, readers will notice themes of ancestry, community responsibility, and shared inheritance as the Native American Tribe Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe unites together to take on the “black snake” of an oil pipeline threatening their way of life.
For the younger audience this book is intended for, Lindstrom conveys a powerful message about the interconnectedness of all living things and how the Indigenous people in this story act as both teachers and courageous advocates on behalf of clean water, inviting us all to take action and stand together. This book aims to educate and inspire younger students on the importance of caring for our earth and the harmful effects that can happen to people, land, and animals if we do not take action to do so. I like this book as a gateway into starting conversations with younger students about standing up for what you believe in and being a voice for those that need it most in the world.
Classroom & Curricular Connections:
- Social Studies & Native American History: Directly ties to units exploring modern Indigenous culture, tribal sovereignty, community leadership, and contemporary movements led by Native American tribes like the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe.
- Science & Environmental Studies: Provides an excellent framework for discussing ecosystems, natural resources, environmental preservation, and the real-world ecological impacts of oil pipelines on land, animals, and water sources.
- Social Emotional Learning (SEL): Highly effective for lessons surrounding community responsibility, activism, standing up for personal beliefs, and serving as an empathetic voice for others.
Extension Activity / Library Application:
- “Water Protectors” Pledge & Water Drop Activity: After reading, have students discuss ways they can protect natural resources in their own school or neighborhood. Distribute cutouts of water drops where students can write or draw their own “Earth Protection Pledge” to build a collaborative library wave or stream display.
- Visual Metaphor Analysis: Guide young readers to examine Michaela Goade’s Caldecott Medal-winning artwork. Discuss how the illustrator uses the visual metaphor of a menacing, angular “black snake” to represent a pipeline, helping students learn to decode mood and symbolism in picture books.
Diversity & Representation:
This book provides exceptional and essential modern Indigenous representation. Created by an Indigenous author and illustrator team, it highlights the rich traditions, ancestral knowledge, and courageous modern-day environmental stewardship of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe. It offers an invaluable mirror for Indigenous students and a vital window for all children to appreciate shared cultural inheritance and equity.
Readalikes:
- Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard
- The Water Walker by Joanne Robertson
- Young Water Protectors: A Story About Standing Rock by Aslan Tudor
