Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior

October 23, 2023
Anishinaabe/Métis author Lindstrom gives voice to nibi, or water, in this fluid biographical account of Indigenous Water Warriors Josephine Mandamin (1942–2019) and Autumn Peltier (b. 2004). “I have a spirit./ I have feelings./ I remember,” nibi begins, recalling how, once, “all life on Earth cared for me./ Looking seven generations into the future/ to make sure I was pure and clean.” But when people who “didn’t cherish me” cause pollution, Anishinaabe elder Grandma Josephine walks “miles and miles around the Great Lakes.../ so people would see her.” Her great-niece Peltier—“the seventh generation” and today an Indigenous rights activist—raises her voice and meets with leaders globally. Alongside saturated flowing blue backgrounds, Anishinaabe illustrator George features recognizable faces that hint at real-life occurrences, including Peltier testifying at the UN. Though a lack of context in the text may at times confuse young readers, this moving title serves as both a powerful portrait of intergenerational activism and a call to action, inviting “all of you now./ To grow the ripple into a/ tidal wave.” More about the figures concludes. Ages 4–8.