Native Crafts: Inspired by North America's First Peoples

by Maxine Trottier

Native peoples have always turned to the natural world to make everything from clothing to cooking utensils to ceremonial items. In the same tradition of using materials and designs inspired by nature, this book in the Kids Can Do It series shows kids how to make their own beautiful native crafts and musical instruments. Photos, diagrams and step-by-step instructions make it easy! Kids will also find out more about the many Native peoples of North America. Kids can make * seed and bead jewellery * clay pinch pots * totem poles * moccasins * hoop drums * corncob and cornhusk dolls

40 pages

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Maxine Trottier is the award-winning writer of numerous books for young people, including Claire's Gift (winner of the Mr. Christie's Book Award), Laura: A Childhood Tale of Laura Secord, the Circle of Silver Chronicles, and The Tiny Kite of Eddy Wing (winner of the CLA Book of the Year Award).

A former teacher and an avid sailor, Maxine has long been fascinated by history. She is now an associate member of La Société des Filles du roi et soldats du Carignan, whose purpose is "to honour the memory of these courageous people." While researching Alone in an Untamed Land, Maxine discovered that she herself is directly descended from a fille du roi.

Maxine lives in the small outport of Newman's Cove in Newfoundland, with her husband William and their Yorkie Moon.

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple and basic craft book featuring sixteen child-friendly projects inspired by North America's First Nations (from tradtional bead jewelry to diverse types of drums), and what I personally have found most impressive and most heartening and uplifting with regard to Maxine Trottier's Native Crafts is that the instructions, while indeed specific and detailed, are also uncluttered, gloriously simple, read that they are easy to understand.

For I am rather majorly uncoordinated and untalented craft-wise, and sometimes also have issues following as well as being easily distracted by excessively intricate and overly involved directives. However and glory be, the instructions for the sixteen presented projects in Native Crafts ALL appear clearly delineated and explained, with a step-by-step methodology suitable for both children and amateur, novice (and even like in my case lacking in fine motor skills and talent) adult crafters.

And while I personally would most definitely have appreciated and welcomed some additional historical details and a bibliographical list with suggestions for further reading, this is just a personal quibble (because as a craft book, the information provided is with a certainty more than adequate). Highly recommended and fun for the entire family, and I so much love that Maxine Trottier has dedicated this book, has dedicated Native Crafts to the memory of a First Nations ancestor (Marguerite Ouabankikove).