Taos Pueblo Spring - (Taos Pueblo Four Seasons) by The Taos Pueblo Tiwa Language Program (Board Book)

About the Book

"We are the Red Willow People of Taos Pueblo. This illustrations-only book tells the story of our Red Willow People of Taos Pueblo in present-day northern New Mexico. Taos Pueblo is known to be one of the longest continuously inhabited communities, designated both as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Historic Landmark. We speak Tiwa language, a dialect of Tanoan, which is unwritten and taught through oral tradition, having been passed down since time immemorial. After hundreds of years of colonization and modernization, we are now in danger of losing our ancient language due to a shift towards our children learning English instead of Tiwa as their first language. Text-free books like this one allow us and other Indigenous nations to teach their own language to their children, using culturally relevant and relatable imagery. There are four books in this series: Taos Pueblo Fall, Taos Pueblo Winter, Taos Pueblo Spring, and Taos Pueblo Summer. We hope that sharing our beautiful illustrations of our home will delight young children, while also teaching the four seasons of the year and the plants and animals in our area."--Back cover.

Book Synopsis

The delightful board books, written without text, were created by the Taos Pueblo's Tiwa Language Program to preserve the Tiwa culture and revitalize the unwritten Tiwa language by teaching it to younger generations. Many other Indigenous languages also need to be revitalized, so it is the hope of the Taos Pueblo's Tiwa Language Program that other American Indian nations will find the books useful to teach their languages to their children. The beautiful, hand-drawn illustrations will also educate young children about the four seasons of the year. All proceeds of the book support the Taos Pueblo's Tiwa Language Program.