Product Description

Dzanibaa' is alone when U.S. troops swoop down on her family's hogan. Before she can run to safety, a soldier grabs her and puts her on his horse. She is taken to Fort Canby, and from there is forced to walk to Bosque Redondo. For four long years, Dzanibaa' and her family endure incredible hardship and sacrifice. Crops wither. Food is scarce or so tainted that it poisons. Illness strikes. At times there seems no hope of a better future. Nevertheless, this time of trial gives Dzanibaa' a profound sense of herself as a Navajo and of the importance of her culture. As never before, Dzanibaa' realizes the significance of the clan system, of the prayers and songs of her people, and of exerting herself to help her family. Hear Dzanibaa''s story, and discover why she is the Little Woman Warrior Who Came Home.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #941749 in Books
• Published on: 2005-03-25
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 3-8–In 1856, United States soldiers took a Navajo girl from her home in the Black Mesas. Soon after, her whole family was taken there and then forced to walk 450 miles to Fort Sumner in New Mexico. Dzáníbaa' saw the soldiers shoot the old and sick as they fell behind. For four years, the people tried to plant crops in the hard and alkaline ground without success. Since the crops failed, the Naabeehó (Navajo people) had to rely on the rations the soldiers provided, which were foreign to them, bug infested, and rotten. Through their strength, the clan system, and their songs and prayers, the people survived these desperate times. On June 1, 1868, the Naabeehó were allowed to return to their home between the sacred mountains. While the illustrations are somewhat stiff, and all of the people (Natives and whites) look alike except for their clothing, the story is informative and well told, and the sacrifices and losses that the people experienced come through clearly. The text is written in Navajo and English.–Marlette Grant-Jackson, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Gr. 3-5. Born in 1856 at the base of Black Mesa, Dzanibaa saw her happy childhood come to a terrifying end when U.S. soldiers attacked and forced thousands of Navajo to walk to Fort Sumner, 450 miles from their home. Imprisoned in a land where their crops wouldn't grow, the Navajo were reduced to eating bug-infested flour and rotten meat. During those four long years, Dzanibaa reached puberty, but she vowed to postpone her coming-of-age ceremony until the Navajo returned to their sacred lands. Released from imprisonment in 1868, the Navajo were finally allowed to return to their homeland. Told in both the Navajo and English languages, the story is beautifully illustrated in full-color paintings that vividly show the Navajo's despair and determination during their days at the fort. Middle readers may struggle to understand the background history, but they will admire Dzanibaa's courage and strength. An excellent addition for school and public libraries; teachers will find the author's note of particular interest. Karen Hutt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2005
"...a valuable addition to most libraries."

Customer Reviews

The story follows a young Navajo girl who was forced upon the Long Walk that attempted to resettle the Navajos in a barren land
Superbly illustrated by Irving Toddy, Dzani Yazhi Naazbaa': Little Woman Warrior Who Came Home is a bilingual picturebook written in both Navajo and English by Northern Arizona University professor Evangeline Parsons Yazzie. The story follows a young Navajo girl who was forced upon the Long Walk that attempted to resettle the Navajos in a barren land. Illness, famine, and earth that cannot yield healthy crops causes much suffering and death among the people. Yet amid the hardship, the young girl learns the steadfast significance of the clan system, the prayers and songs of her brethren, and the importance of coming together in dark times to help one another. Though many individuals would be lost and mourned, she and her people would survive the ordeal, and through her courage she would earn the name the Little Woman Warrior Who Came Home. The realistic color illustrations make the story come alive, and the text is sufficiently involved to make Dzani Yazhi Naazbaa' ideal for young readers who are just about ready to make the transition from picturebooks to chapter books.

The story follows a young Navajo girl who was forced upon the Long Walk that attempted to resettle the Navajos in a barren land
Superbly illustrated by Irving Toddy, Dzani Yazhi Naazbaa': Little Woman Warrior Who Came Home is a bilingual picturebook written in both Navajo and English by Northern Arizona University professor Evangeline Parsons Yazzie. The story follows a young Navajo girl who was forced upon the Long Walk that attempted to resettle the Navajos in a barren land. Illness, famine, and earth that cannot yield healthy crops causes much suffering and death among the people. Yet amid the hardship, the young girl learns the steadfast significance of the clan system, the prayers and songs of her brethren, and the importance of coming together in dark times to help one another. Though many individuals would be lost and mourned, she and her people would survive the ordeal, and through her courage she would earn the name the Little Woman Warrior Who Came Home. The realistic color illustrations make the story come alive, and the text is sufficiently involved to make Dzani Yazhi Naazbaa' ideal for young readers who are just about ready to make the transition from picturebooks to chapter books.