Ours to Tell: Reclaiming Indigenous Stories

by Eldon Yellowhorn, Kathy Lowinger

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection!




A wide-ranging anthology that shines a light on untold
Indigenous stories as chronicled by Indigenous creators, compiled by the
acclaimed team behind What the Eagle Sees and Sky Wolf’s Call .

For too long, stories and artistic expressions from Indigenous people have been written and recorded by others, not by the individuals who have experienced the events.

In Ours to Tell, sixteen Indigenous creators relate traditions, accounts of historical events, and their own lived experiences. Novelists, poets, graphic artists, historians, craftspeople, and mapmakers chronicle stories on the struggles and triumphs lived by Indigenous people, and the impact these stories have had on their culture and history. Some of the profiles included

Indigenous poet E. Pauline Johnsonacclaimed novelist Tommy Orangebrave warrior Standing Bearpoet and activist Rita JoeWith each profile accompanied by rich visuals, from archival photos to contemporary art, Ours to Tell brilliantly spotlights Indigenous life, past and present, through an Indigenous lens. Because each profile gives an historical and cultural context, what emerges is a history of Indigenous people.

Genres: Nonfiction, Indigenous

140 pages, Hardcover

Published April 29, 2025

Reviews

[RaspberryRoses · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this anthology, although the description is pretty misleading. It makes it sound like the book is going to contain personal accounts from the people being covered - but it's biography, not autobiography. And that's fine! I just wish it was more clear in its vision.

[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sixteen stories about the indigenous experience for those who wish to know true history.
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In this anthology there are sixteen short stories that discuss Indigenous culture, heritage, traditions and histories. Novelists, poets, graphic artists, mapmakers, historians and craftspeople all share their struggles and triumphs living as Native people. It also includes profiles on various Indigenous People.
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This story anthology was full with gorgeous artwork and true accountings of various people from Indigenous tribes and/or communities. It had intimate collections with first-hand accounts that made reading it feel like a friend telling you stories. While I found there wasn’t a whole lot of cohesiveness to the anthology itself, each story was important and impactful. This book releases April 29.

CW: genocide, violence, death, murder, colonization

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ours to Tell: Reclaiming Indigenous Stories is the fourth collaboration between Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger, and it's the fourth time they've given us an excellent book.

In Ours to Tell, they deliver profiles of different Indigenous people, past and present, who have told their own stories in different formats. It highlights the importance of Indigenous people being able to tell Indigenous stories, rather than seeing those stories from a white settler-colonialist viewpoint.

One of my favourite things about this one is how the stories are grouped. The first section is about people who used early written Indigenous languages, a Maya scribe and the inventor of the Cherokee syllabary. The second section is about writers of third person nonfiction accounts of Indigenous peoples, a journalist and an anthropologist. The third section is about people who have done creative writing, such as poets, novelists, and comics creators. The fourth section is about eyewitness accounts, such as through legal records, maps, letters, and journals. The final section is about people who have told their stories through craft, a ribbon skirt maker, a beadworker, and a collective of cooks. I loved seeing the sections broken up into these different types of storytelling, which really demonstrates how much variety there is to Indigenous stories when Indigenous people are allowed to speak and write and create for themselves. There's also an excellent afterword from Yellowhorn.

All the individual profiles were fascinating to read. There were some incredible people from history I got to learn about (or even revisit in a couple of cases), as well as Indigenous people in the present who are telling their stories today.

This is a wonderful introduction to the different types of Indigenous storytelling. It's a wonderful introduction to the diversity of Indigenous peoples (many featured here are from incredibly different nations with different cultures and histories, and their backgrounds are all specifically cited). It's also a wonderful introduction to Indigenous stories, because at its core this is also a collection of stories. Highly recommended!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yellowhorn, of the Piikani Nation, and Lowinger collect 16 tales from Indigenous individuals who relay personal histories, recount historical events, and describe Native traditions in this compact anthology. . “We want our version to be known,” the creators write in an introduction that references the first Thanksgiving between English colonists and Wampanoag peoples in 1621. But the story that those outside the Wampanoag community know as “a happy time of feasting and family” hides a darker truth: two years later, during a similar feast, 200 Wampanoag leaders were poisoned by the colonists. Across five sections that cover Native images, symbols, poems, songs, written stories, and more, selections highlight myriad communities. An entry about Gaspar Antonio Chi (1531–1610) tells of the Maya nobleman scribe’s part in creating the Maya/Spanish alphabet. Another, about novelist Tommy Orange (b. 1982), who is a citizen of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, describes the impact of Orange’s Pulitzer Prize finalist There it is a book that “made urban Indigenous people visible.” Interior artwork mimics a scrapbook and includes samples of Native-made works and photos of featured figures. It’s a compelling and illuminating volume corrects colonist tellings to and highlight Native peoples’ experiences and perspectives.

This was a fascinating book for me to read as I’ve always wanted to know more about the Native traditions. It’s an excellent book to read but I must admit I wanted more. I must admit that I would like another book on this subject to tell us more about traditions and lives. This book was written for those who are in the 11-14 years . I recommend this book to be read by anyone regardless of age.

Disclaimed: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.

[Dimitri Cullipher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Eldon Yellowhorn, Kathy Lowinger, and Annick Press for a review copy of this book.

Content Warnings: Colonization, Mentions of Death, Mentions of Child Abuse, and Racism

"Ours to Tell" by Eldon Yellowhorn is a book that collects stories from Indigenous people from the United States and Canada, weaving a historical and emotion triumph of story telling through different mediums. Accompanied by photographs and art, this book offers a much needed and often overlooked peek into the history of Indigenous people through their own stories.

For a historical text aimed at children and young teens, "Ours to Tell" does a nice job of showcasing stories from both the past and present, all with the connecting thread of giving those stories a modern voice. I had assumed, judging from the provided synopses, that "Ours to Tell" would have more stories from the individuals featured in the book. However, it reads very much like a historical textbook that one might find in an elementary or early middle school grade. There is nothing wrong with that, of course, it simply was not what I was expecting.

Overall, I would suggest "Ours to Tell" to anyone interested in the history of storytelling in Indigenous Americans and Canadians.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have ever read or listened to eye-witness accounts, each eye-witness has a story that is a little different from the others. In many respects, that is what Ours to Tell does, it re-tells stories from the perspective of the Native Americans who lived the stories, rather than the Europeans who have told the stories up to this point.
Some of the stories come from the time Europeans explored North America. Other stories are more recent. Some of the stories were told in pictures. Some are told in clothing. Others are told in written word.
I found the stories to be very interesting.
Most of the stories are appropriate for a K-12 Christian school audience. Some of the storytellers live alternate lifestyles so I encourage K-12 Christian school librarians to read the book before making a decision about adding it to their collection.
I received a complimentary copy of Ours to Tell. This is my honest review.

[Kathleen Garber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading through this book I see that learning about Indigenous history from non Indigenous sources leads to misinformation. I have learned about some commonly misunderstood historical events but I learned more only a few pages into the book.

This book is written with a teen reader in mind but is definitely great for adults too. The publisher, Annick Press’s website allows you to look at the Table of Contents, a thorough look inside AND an educator’s guide. I’ll be using this book in my homeschool next year and the educator’s guide will come in handy. Annick Press is great for Indigenous books in general.

Each chapter is a story about a certain Indigenous person who lived anywhere from 1531-now. There are plenty of photographs, art work and samples of writing included throughout. The book is very interesting and made me want to know more.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is filled with pictures new and old, drawings, and fascinating indigenous stories that Young Adult readers and adults will find engaging and useful. Recently I was reminded that when we share information about an event, there are at least three perspectives if not more. Throughout American History, the stories of the Indigenous peoples has been told from the perspective of primarily those who conquered them. This book provides an opportunity to share stories, as well as correct those that were not correctly told such as Thanksgiving. I look forward to sharing this book with students and staff at the high school where I work.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know what would be wonderful? If this could be slipped into the front of every history textbook. A simple, diverse retelling of Indigenous history that brings to life and corrects several narratives and portrayals of historical characters, like Ada Blackjack. My one criticism is ... this is all over the place. There's not really any sense or order to it. (Also, the digital copy is warped ... I hope that this is a galley issue that will be corrected when sold).

Thank you to Edelweiss+ and Annick Press for the advance copy.

[H. Woodward · Rating 4 out of 5]

4. This is an easy to read and pleasing to the eyes format. Students will love the maps, art, photos, and different samples of indigenous creativity! There’s nothing wrong with statesmen and athletes, but I love seeing storytellers and art makers. Will definitely have wide appeal to other types of students than previous similar books. A slim volume, but stuffed full with ideas and images. Very cool!

[Kayli Mckay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ours to Tell is a collection of sixteen stories about Indigenous creators and their roles in history and Indigenous culture. It is an excellent book for young children to learn more about Indigenous people and their histories from Indigenous authors. I found it to be a great resource in my classroom.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Felice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I encourage you to read this book! It's a fascinating account of important indigenous people in the US and Canada and their contributions to their culture and way of life. It is historical and informative. I liked reading about the poets, artists and writers. It's a fast read and very interesting.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful stories and poems, art and history of indigenous people. I ended up with several new areas to read further on and new writers to seek out. I highly encourage everyone to read this book. Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and quick read highlighting some Indigenous voices I haven’t heard about before (and some I have).

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Narrative nonfiction giving brief biographies of various indigenous men and women throughout history.