This special episode of The Children’s Hour honors Indigenous Peoples’ Day with guest author Laurel Goodluck, who shares stories from her books that highlight indigenous perspectives. Laurel, who is of Mandan Hratsa and Tsimshian heritage, reads excerpts from her books, including Too Much, My Great Big Native Family and She Persisted: Deb Haaland. The Kids Crew engages with Laurel on topics like family, resilience, and cultural pride. Mixed with indigenous music from around the world.

Our special guest, Laurel Goodluck, a children’s book author, joins the Kids Crew to share her experiences and stories that uplift Native American culture. Laurel, who is Mandan Hratsa and Tsimshian, draws inspiration from her rich cultural heritage and her large, intertribal family. Her latest book, Too Much, My Great Big Native Family, resonates deeply with many of the Kids Crew members as they reflect on their own families.

Laurel discusses the importance of seeing oneself in stories and why it’s vital for indigenous children to see their culture reflected in literature. As she reads from her books, she emphasizes themes of resilience, family, and the celebration of one’s heritage. From her beloved book Forever Cousins to the inspiring biography She Persisted: Deb Haaland, Laurel’s stories not only represent indigenous experiences but also resonate with all children, offering lessons of strength and unity. Hear an excerpt of Forever Cousins in The Children’s Hour episode called Banned Books.

We also learn about Indigenous People’s Day, a US Holiday that honors the first people who lived in the Americas, and celebrates their resilient cultures. Learn more about Indigenous People’s Day, and the myths around Christopher Columbus at The National Museum of the American Indian website.

This episode is mixed with great indigenous music from around the globe (but mostly in the Americas), and was written and produced by Katie Stone, and recorded at the Outpost Performance Space in Albuquerque New Mexico. Our engineer was Chad Scheer. We had production help from Christina Stella and Gus Tafoya, and additional support from our intern, Thaniel Lentz.

The Children’s Hour is distributed by Native Voice One, The Native American Radio Network.

©2024 The Children’s Hour Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Please note: not all songs we play can be found in Spotify.