Learning & Enrichment

Bear’s Braid by Joelle Bearstail Author Event and Signing

Joelle Bearstail joins us from Mandan, ND to present her new children’s book, Bear’s Braid! November is Native American Heritage Month, so we are extra excited to have Joelle present her amazing book about resilience against bullying and being proud of who you are. You won’t want to miss it!
About the book:
Bear and his friend Ben feel like they are living two lives: one, where native traditions—like long hair—are a crucial part of their identities, and the other, where indigenous expressions are mocked and treated with ignorance. When the boys encounter bullying because of the braids they wear, these two worlds collide. Seamlessly blending discussions of modern indigeneity and universal experiences of bullying and resilience, Bear’s Braid is an essential and of-the-moment book that belongs on every bookshelf, and fits in easily with the classics of social justice children’s literature.
About Joelle:
Joelle Bearstail’s Hidatsa name is Bullberry Woman (Maahishí wiash). She is Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara from the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, located along the Missouri River in North Dakota. She has worked in the education field for several years as a teacher, curriculum specialist, and education liaison. She is also the founder of ImagiNative Inc., a nonprofit organization with the mission of empowering native youth by encouraging them to embrace their talent, creativity, and individuality. Being a first-time author, Joelle thinks it’s important to spread awareness of these issues that occur often and affect our native youth. Joelle, her husband John, and children Parker, Haley, Thomas, and Layla still happily reside in their homelands.