Virtual Book Reading: Maria DesJarlait (Arikara and Ojibwe)

CLICK HERE to Buy Atika’s Medicine 

Atíka’s Medicine is a Native American picture book. It takes place in Fort Berthold reservation in North Dakota with Atíka (grandma in Arikara) and her granddaughter Ayasha (little one in Ojibwe). Ayasha is visiting her Atíka for the summer and learns how to overcome being different at school such as poverty, culture beliefs and bullying. Atíka is a colorful, funny character who ends up using her talent of making the best fry bread on the rez from her house. This is all to raise money for Ayasha and her big sister Aiyanna’s school clothes and supplies. She shows her granddaughters how to get their point across positively about who they are. Their Atíka’s medicine is from their family’s strength.

Maria “White cedar woman” is an indigenous woman who is from the Arikara tribe of Fort Berthold reservation in North Dakota and Ojibwe from Red Lake, Minnesota. She was raised on the reservation in North Dakota and had big city dreams.  She went on to college in Chicago, Il where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and English as a second language. She is married to her best friend Joel and has two daughters Aiyanna and Ayasha that keep her plenty busy.  She teaches Preschool in Illinois where she seen the need for books that represent Native American children as people of today. She wrote this book based on her experiences as a child with her grandmother and her two daughter’s experiences with their adventurous grandmother Peggy as well. This is her story that she hopes to inspire more Native American children to dream big.  Miigwetch (thank you)!