AtÍka's Medicine
By Maria “White Cedar Woman” DesJarlait
Book Summary
This is a Native American picture book called Atíka’s Medicine. 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.