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Coming Home: A Hopi Resistance Story
CCBC Review:
Artist Mavasta Honyouti recalls stories told by his kwa’a (grandfather), who was forced to attend the Keams Canyon boarding school in the early 20th century. When Mavasta’s great-grandfather and other Hopi men protested their children being taken from home, they were threatened with arrest. At the school, Mavasta’s kwa’a was told pick a new, Anglo name; without any understanding or context, he chose Clyde. Clyde missed his home and family, but vowed to not lose his language and culture despite threats of punishment. His attempts to run away were unsuccessful, although he finally returned home in later years. The bilingual narrative was written in English and translated into the Hopi language. The author/artist is a woodcarver, like his father and grandfather before him. His account is paired with painted woodcarvings that evoke the southwest landscape and elements of Hopi culture, and dramatically capture the events and emotions of the boarding school trauma in static but stirring scenes. More about the history of Hopi people and boarding schools, the translation of the narrative, and the author/artist’s work are in essays with photographs at the volume’s end. ©2025 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by
Mavasta Honyouti
Translated by
Marilyn Parra
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 9-13
Age Range:
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Format:
Picture book
Subjects:
20th Century
First/Native Nations
Grandfathers
Hopi People
Oppression
Racism
School
Separation
U.S. History
Diversity subject:
Indigenous
Publisher:
Levine Querido
Publish Year: 2024
Pages: 40
ISBN: 9781646144570
CCBC Location: Picture Book, Honyouti