Pathki Nana: Kootenai Girl Solves A Mystery

by Kenneth Thomasma

Shy and lacking in self-confidence, eight-year-old Pathki Nana faces a difficult task when, according to Kootenai tribal custom, she must go alone into the mountains to seek a personal guardian spirit.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Indigenous, Middle Grade, Fiction, Childrens, Historical, Native American

163 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Kenneth Thomasma is a professional storyteller and writing workshop leader who lives in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Reviews

[Shawna Finnigan · Rating 1 out of 5]

CW// mentions of maternal death, descriptions of gore/injuries, animal deaths

I loved Kenneth Thomasma’s Naya Nuki when I was a kid and I read it several times. I think I bought Pathki Nana back when I was obsessed with Naya Nuki, but I had no clue at the time that Kenneth Thomasma is problematic and why I shouldn’t be reading his works. If I hadn’t already had this book on my shelf, I probably wouldn’t have read it. Basically Kenneth is a white man who has made a whole career off of writing Native American stories. Native people have called out the stereotypical ways that he portrays native people and they’ve disapproved of his works. While I still have fond memories of Naya Nuki, I’m not going to spend money on any of his other works because I don’t want to support him in any way.

Pathki Nana also had some outdated language, specifically calling Native Americans ‘Indians.’

My issues with the author aside, I didn’t enjoy this book very much. The only thing I liked about this book were the animal scenes, but at the same time, it somewhat felt like the author learned of the phrase “guardian spirit/animal” and decided to shove as much of that as he could into this book.

Pathki Nana was a very dull character. She didn’t seem to have any strong characterization at all. Most of the actions that she took were from mysterious urges that she got that had no explanation. Her accident proneness was also magically cured (for no reason) by her nearly dying.

Most of this book was very dull and repetitive. I was bored out of my mind reading this and I decided to just binge read the last half of the book so that I could move onto reading something more interesting. The repetitiveness got annoying really quickly. Each action would have several sentences used to just describe the action in different ways. For example, we don’t need three sentences to simply say that Pathki Nana couldn’t sleep. We got that after the first sentence when we were explicitly told that she couldn’t sleep.

The end of the chapters would also sort of spoil what was coming next. There was no suspense or wondering what would happen next in this story. It would lay everything out at the end of each chapter and then the following chapter would just describe what you knew the chapter would be about. It didn’t seem like a very effective writing method…

I don’t really have much else to say about this book other than if you want to read a Native American story, I highly recommend seeking out a story by an indigenous author instead of reading books like this one that are written by white people.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember loving this book when I was about 12. Found a copy recently and read it to my kids (8 and 6), and they were definitely hooked. The writing is a little stale and repetitive at times, but the survival adventures of a Native American girl are so different from most of the usual kid offerings out there (smelly school bus! Blonde bullies!) that the book still delivers. My daughter requested more stories featuring Native American kids after we finished this one, and I was surprised how few there seem to be. So that makes this one an oldie but a goodie.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went through a phase in fourth and fifth grade where I was obsessed with American Indian stories. I seriously couldn't get enough Kenneth Thomasma.

[Kristyn]

The author visited my elementary school. I remember my friends and I obsessively reading these books after that.

[Jeff · Rating 1 out of 5]

Perhaps read this review

https://americanindiansinchildrenslit...

[Antonio Asencio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pathki Nana had a lot of personal self esteem issues. She never thought she was as good as the other girl in the village. She has a sister who is named Red Willow who unlike Pathki seemed to do everything great. Pathki would often leave and isolate herself. She did this so often that her village called her 'the sad one'. As everyone in the tribe has done, she was instructed to go connect with her gaurdian spirit on the mountain. However this was more than just a spiritual journey. It was also a battle between life and death.

I would give this five stars. I personally love American Indian books and this one seemed to be more relevant since I've been to the Kootenai forest and been in that area.

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need to get my own copy of this book -because once again I was swept away as a young girl reading about the adventure of another girl my age escaping her enemy and surviving on her own for a couple of months in the wintertime. These books by Ken Thomasma really highlight the differences in the cultures of the Native Americans of yore and our modern culture today. An average 10 year old girl or boy would never survive on their own for more than a couple of days in the wilderness - but the Native Americans really did teach their children from a very young age how to survive and take care of themselves.

[Amelia Mapstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Touching, beautiful, amazing!
I simply loved it, even when some parts were the most descusting, goary, or scary parts in the entire book! Recomended for all pre-teen girls, 10-14! This beautiful book is about a young Native American girl around 14 who goes on a long trip through the woods, to become a woman and find her destiny! To do this, she'll have to meet many spirits desguised as animals, and even sacrafice some of them to survive in the wild!
Will Pathki find out her true destiny in the world? Will she survive? To find out, read this amazing book!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book about two years ago but it has left a lasting impression! This book is packed to the top with adventure! Pathki Nana (an eight year old Native American girl) is inttructed by her mother to go to the mountains to seek a personal guardian spirit. Instead of finding a personal guardian spirit she finds a struggle for her life. She is left running though the mountains, forests, deserts and rivers to get away from Cut Ears who had been stealing her tribes horses. This is a heart touching story told from and eight year old’s point of veiw. Happy reading!!!!

[Ashley Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A coming-of-age story that's also a survivalist thriller! The series of Kenneth Thomasma books includes favorite characters such as Naya Nuki and Soun Tetoken. But it's Pathki Nana that holds a special place in my heart. This young girl who can't seem to do anything right seeks solace in nature and stumbles across something really wrong. Before she can return to tell her people of the betrayal in her midst, young Pathki's life becomes seriously endangered. She must learn to heal herself before she can be any help to others.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my elementary school we read another of Mr. Thomasma's books in class and everyone became very enthused about it, but when I went to the library and picked up Pathki Nana I was absolutely hooked. The main character was very easy for me to relate to and her adventure captured my imagination completely.
All of Kenneth Thomasma's books are excellent in my opinion, but of all the books I've read by any author Pathki Nana is the one I go to time and again.

[Bookhardtsbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably my favorite out of the Amazing Indian Children series. I loved the character and the plot. Her fear was shown instead of told. She has amazing survival knowledge and a strong will to survive no matter what. If you like survival stories this is a must read. P.s. You may also enjoy Naya Nuki.

[Chelsea Dyreng · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ken Thomasma writes very empowering books for young readers. His sentences are short and the stories are swift moving and filled with action. My daughter especially enjoyed this one, so much that she said I HAD to read it. I can see why she loved it so much, but as an adult I need more depth. But I'm giving it 5 stars because my daughter told me to.

[marissa:] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, this book is so awesome!! I read it in like, a day because it was impossible to put down. I know the title sounds kinda weird but, wow, this is a good book!!

[Littlelizamonai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book! I read it in first grade so if i remember it from then you know it has to be good!

[Jayme · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a pretty good book. I read it like a long time ago, but it was fairly good.

[Lindsay Wuchner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great story about the courage of a young girl. I read it when I was younger and just picked it up again for a quick read and remember why I loved it so much.

[Naomi Castanon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shows the challenge of becoming free.

[Krysta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading this book and others like it in Elementary school and loving the adventure and intriguing descriptions of Native American life.

[Bookwyrmgyrl]

I really like this series by Thomasma.

[Erin Gillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pathki Nana should have been a happy eight-year-old Kootnai Indian Girl who solves a mystery about Cut Ears, the villain.

[Abby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Since it is a school book I won't do a full review. This book was boring, and the author was repetitive! It was also quite gory! 'Nuf said.

[Wayne Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty
good.
interesting.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this to my 8 yr old son and he loved it.

[Sarah B · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an exciting and dramatic story!!

It is utterly amazing what this 9-year-old girl can do in here. Utterly spectacular! She may have felt like a real klutz and an outcast in her little village, everything going wrong for her all the time - just dumb accidents really but they made her feel so very very bad (which I definitely can understand) - but when it came time to use her wits to survive, young Pathki Nana had what it takes.

This survival story will have you holding your breath. I was utterly hooked!! Not only does she have to survive for days - over a week - by herself out in the wilds with no tools but she has to run from an evil man who will kill her if he catches her. And her tribe is far away. So she is utterly on her own. Very dramatic!

And I just loved all the nature stuff in here. The various birds, the otters, the bears, the elk and deer... And the descriptions of the land she is traveling through (its Montana)... Its all so vivid! From the loose scree on the steep hill sides to the grass / moss to the willow trees and the raging storms. I just love these nature based stories! They really pull on my heart.

And the end made me misty eyed... Very touching.

I will definitely keep this one in my collection on my bookshelf.

[Dean · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have a signed copy from when I was in elementary school, and I decided to read it to my second grader. The story is really nice. I struggled with the fact that a white dude wrote the book, and many of the ideas seemed appropriated. Also the sentences. Seriously I would expect my second grader to compose sentences like that. I read it aloud and ended up editing a majority of the sentences to make them readable. They were just clunky.

This one is a pass for me.

[Helen Pugsley]

This. I have been searching for this book for years. I swear, I've whispered the name Pathki Nana in my sleep, because I remember her so vividly, it's like a childhood friend.
His books didn't age well, but Thomasma's books slapped.

[Rhonda Gingerich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did as a read-aloud for 2nd and 3rd grade. They enjoyed her adventures.