Josie Dances
Follow Josie, a young Ojibwe girl, as she and her family prepare for her coming-of-age presentation at next summer’s powwow.
Themes: Tradition, community, coming-of-age, celebration
About the Author & Our Honored Guest
We are grateful and excited to welcome Dr. Denise Lajimodiere as our honored guest! Denise is an enrolled Citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, Belcourt, North Dakota.
She has been involved in education for forty-four years as an Elementary teacher, Principal, and professor, earning her Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate degrees from University of North Dakota. Dr. Lajimodiere is a retired Associate Professor from the School of Education, Ed. Leadership program, North Dakota State University, Fargo. She is one of the founders of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (N-NABS-HC).
Denise is a poet – Dragonfly Dance; Thunderbird; Bitter Tears; His Feathers Were Chains; Children’s book author, Josie Dances, and academic book author, Stringing Rosaries: The History, The Unforgivable, The Healing of Northern Plains Boarding School Survivors
Denise was recently named as North Dakota state Poet Laureate. She is the first Native American to hold that position. Denise is a traditional Jingle Dress dancer, Ojibwe Birch Bark Biting artist, and lives in a cozy cottage by a lake on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation.
Bio provided by author.
About the Illustrator
Dr. Angela Erdrich has worked as a pediatrician in Native American communities since 1997. She makes her home in Minneapolis where she enjoys spotting birds and animals in the wild just as she does at Turtle Mountain where she is a tribal member. She learned water color as a teenager. Josie Dances is her first illustrated book.
Bio from Birch Bark Native Artists.
Discussion Questions
- Josie’s experience in preparing for her coming-of-age ceremony involved all of the members of her family and community. Have you ever been a part of something that required a community effort?
- Josie’s spirit name, Migiziinsikwe, is incredibly important and a lot of thought went into it. Does your name hold any special meaning?
- Even though Josie worries that she won’t be able to participate in the Powwow, she continues to practice. Has there ever been a time when you had to practice through doubt?
Learning Activities and Explore More
- Can you find evidence of the seasons changing in the book as Josie prepares for her dance?
- Look up images and videos of traditional Ojibwe dances at powwows. Can you see the items Josie was wearing on any of the dancers?
- Watch this video to hear Dr. Lajimodiere and Dr. Erdrich, the author and illustrator, discuss Josie Dances.
- Do you want to learn even more words in Ojibwe? Visit the Ojibwe People’s Dictionary online!