Author : Gina Capaldi
Publisher : Carolrhoda Books ®
ISBN 13 : 1467738131
Total Pages : 40 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (677 download)
Book Synopsis Red Bird Sings by : Gina Capaldi
Download or read book Red Bird Sings written by Gina Capaldi and published by Carolrhoda Books ®. This book was released on 2013-11-01 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "I remember the day I lost my spirit." So begins the story of Gertrude Simmons, also known as Zitkala-Ša, which means Red Bird. Born in 1876 on the Yankton Sioux reservation in South Dakota, Zitkala-Ša willingly left her home at age eight to go to a boarding school in Indiana. But she soon found herself caught between two worlds—white and Native American. At school she missed her mother and her traditional life, but Zitkala-Ša found joy in music classes. "My wounded spirit soared like a bird as I practiced the piano and violin," she wrote. Her talent grew, and when she graduated, she became a music teacher, composer, and performer. Zitkala-Ša found she could also "sing" to help her people by writing stories and giving speeches. As an adult, she worked as an activist for Native American rights, seeking to build a bridge between cultures. The coauthors tell Zitkala-Ša’s life by weaving together pieces from her own stories. The artist's acrylic illustrations and collages of photos and primary source documents round out the vivid portrait of Zitkala-Ša, a frightened child whose spirit "would rise again, stronger and wiser for the wounds it had suffered."