The Story Keepers – Celebrating Indigenous Storytellers



This special episode of The Children's Hour honors Indigenous Peoples' Day with Laurel Goodluck, a children's book author. Laurel 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 its 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, Laurels stories not only represent indigenous experiences but also resonate with all children, offering lessons of strength and unity.



We also hear a Kids Crew review of Too Much: My Great Big Native Family written by Lucasti and voiced by Caibiya, who both know a thing or two personally about being in great big Native families!



Learn about Indigenous Peoples Day, a US Holiday that honors the first people who lived in the Americas, and celebrates their resilient cultures. Learn more about Indigenous Peoples 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 Childrens Hour is distributed by Native Voice One, The Native American Radio Network.



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Find the full episode page at https://childrenshour.org/story-keepers