Rinaldi, Ann. (1999).  My Heart Is on the Ground: The Diary of Nannie Little Rose, a Sioux Girl. New York: Scholastic, 197 pp.

Grade Range: 6-9

Genre: historical fiction

Summary and Critique

Twelve-year-old Little Rose, a Lakhota Sioux, is sent to the government-run Carlisle Indian School. When she arrives, she must have her long hair cut, don citizen's clothes, speak English, and take a new name, Nannie Little Rose. At that time, the government was particularly anxious to assimilate the Sioux, who they believed were planning an uprising. Nannie's father wants his children to read and write English so the Sioux won't be tricked into signing away more of their land. He asks Nannie Little Rose to do a brave act for her people. Her diary tells of some Caucasian teachers'insensitivity to Native American culture, Ms. Campbell's suggestion to start a diary to discover who she is, her search for her spirit helper, her friendship with Lucy Pretty Eagle and how she learns to forgive, and her determination to retain Lakota beliefs while adopting white customs. She discovers what her act of bravery will be: to ensure that her people never forget their past. After completing her education, she taught at a Sioux day school, cared for the survivors at Wounded Knee, and lobbied for Native American rights.

The diary format allows the reader to relive this time period through the eyes of a young girl who realizes what she must do to help her people. The author includes photographs of students at Carlisle, and a Historical Note.

Themes/Topics

Families

Friends and Enemies

Race, Ethnicity, and Culture

Challenges and Triumphs

The Individual vs. Society

Author Information

Ann Rinaldi was born in New York City in 1934. After her mother died, she experienced a rather chaotic childhood, living with her aunt and eventually her father. He prohibited her from attending college and becoming a writer. After marrying and establishing her independence, Rinaldi began writing novels that she felt were less than satisfactory. Fortunately, her son's involvement with Revolutionary War reenactments ignited her interest in that time period, and she decided to write historical fiction related to the American Revolution. She has since won numerous awards for her novels.

For more information on Ann Rinaldi:

http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~kvander/rinaldi.html Great site on her life and work.

http://www.annrinaldi.com/ Her personal Web site.

http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/rinaldi.htm Awesome site for teachers - full of lesson plans and interviews, etc.

Media Connections

Movies

Dances With Wolves (1990) Young Civil War soldier befriends members of a Sioux Indian tribe and eventually joins them.

Little Big Man (1970) Jack Crabb reminisces about life as an adopted Native American and survivor of Custer's Last Stand.

A Man Called Horse (1970) English aristocrat is captured by Sioux Indians and undergoes torture to prove his worth.

Soldier Blue (1970) U.S. mistreatment of Native Americans includes cavalry's slaughter of an entire village.

The Mission (1986) Greedy merchants and political factions within the church threaten profitable late 18th century Jesuit mission in the jungles of Brazil. Offers perspective of missionaries.

Online Resources

http://www.soemadison.wisc.edu/ccbc The Cooperative Children's Book Center's homepage. The CCBC maintains a list serve, which provides a forum to discuss issues in literature for children and young adults.

http://www.historicalsociety.com/ciiswelcome.html Information about the Carlisle Indian School.

http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/a_f/erdrich/boarding/gallery.htm Photographs from various boarding schools to which Native American children were sent.

http://www.lakhota.com/home.htm Information about the language and culture of the Lakhota Sioux.

http://womenshistory.about.com/od/fashion19th/ Information about women's clothing during the 19^th century.

Related Texts

Sneve, Virginia Driving Hawk. (1995). Completing the Circle. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 119 pp. Sneve, Lakota Sioux, explores the history of women in her family; novel won the North American Indian Prose Award.

Sneve, Virginia Driving Hawk. (1989).  Dancing Teepees: Poems of American Indian Youth. New York: Holiday House, 28 pp. Photographs and poems by Sioux Children from Porcupine Day School.

Deloria, Ella Cara. (1994). Ella Deloria's The Buffalo People. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 220 pp. Five narratives about the Lakotan culture, written in both Lakota and English.

Taylor, Mildred. (1976). Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry New York: Dial Press. 276pp. Cassie, a twelve-year old girl, comes of age in a small 1930's Mississippi town filled with racism, hatred, injustice, and poverty.

Paterson, Katherine. (1977). Bridge to Terabithia. New York: Crowell. 128pp. Jess befriends new neighbor and classmate Leslie, and their friendship grows as they spend time together in the hideaway they created called Terabithia. Jess must then cope with the loss of Leslie after she dies on her way to Terabithia.

Speare, Elizabeth George. (1983). The Sign of the Beaver. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. 135pp. During his father's lengthy absence, twelve-year old Matt forms a friendship with a Native American boy, Attean, and his grandfather. In exchange for teaching Attean to read, Attean teaches Matt survival skills. Eventually, Matt must decide if he wants to return to life with his family or begin anew with his new friends.

Gordon, Ruth. (1995). Pierced by a Ray of Sun: Poems About the Times We Feel Alone. New York: Harper Collins. 105pp. A poetry anthology that addresses themes of alienation and loneliness.

Hopkins, Lee Bennett. (1994). Hand in Hand: An American History through Poetry. New York: Simon and Schuster. 144 pp. Poetry about the history of the United States, as well as about the various groups who have inhabited this country.

Muse, Daphne. (1995). Prejudice: Stories about Hate, Ignorance, Revelation, and Transformation. New York: Hyperion Books for Children. An anthology of stories about prejudice.

Myers, Walter Dean. (1999). At Her Majesty's Request: An African Princess in Victorian England. New York: Scholastic. 146pp. Sarah Forbes Bonetta was an African princess rescued by an English naval officer and raised in England with financial support from Queen Victoria.

Teaching Ideas

(1) "Modern Missionary Schools" Students research the motivations of white missionary teachers at government-run Indian Schools - many felt that the only way to educate the Native American tribes was to take away their cultural identity. Students write a description of and possibly act out a scene of a teacher who grows to disagree with this viewpoint and confronts Pratt, the headmaster at Carlisle, about why Native American culture must be preserved, and shares his/her vision of an Indian school where students'cultures are honored.

Students research modern-day missionary schools in other countries or interview a teacher or student from a contemporary missionary school. Walter Dean Myers, in his biography of Sarah Forbes Bonetta, At Her Majesty's Request: An African Princess in Victorian England, describes how some English missionary teachers believed that English culture was superior to their students'African culture. Students determine what modern-day missionary schools'philosophies are concerning the culture(s) of their students.

(2) "Your Name" The Native American students at Carlisle were forced to take new names in an effort to assimilate them. So, what is in a name? Students conduct a personal search for identity by researching and writing about their given name and surname. First, students read several books about names and document what they find, and then talk with parents and other adult family members. They look for the origin of their surname—is it patronymic, a place name, a nickname, an occupation name—and its national origin. Has it always been spelled the same and, if not, why was it changed? They ask their parents how they decided on their names, they share if they have nicknames and how they acquired them, and how they feel about their names. When students complete their data, they write personal essays about their names, focusing on something that makes their names truly individual.

[Summarized/adapted from "Search for Identity, or What's in a Name" by Edna L. Neely in Ideas Plus Book Four. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English. pp.11-13]

(Review written by Stephanie H. Rainbolt and edited by Jennifer E. Moore)