Intergenerational Healing with Weshoyot Alvitre

Weshoyot Alvitre, author and illustrator of Brave (Kokila), joins Matthew to talk about a space to play and the cyclical nature of life.

Listen along:

About the book: Brave by Weshoyot Alvitre. Published by Kokila.

An affirming, heartfelt picture book about a Native American boy proudly growing out his hair and basking in the knowledge that braids are beautiful.

Each morning, Dad brushes the knots from his son’s long hair to braid it. The boy winces at the tugging, and at school he's teased for his braid. But he remembers the stories of how his father and grandpa were forced to cut their hair and forbidden from practicing their traditions when they were young, and how they fought to make it possible for him to wear his hair long. Although it can hurt, having long hair ultimately makes him feel brave and strong.

This powerful picture book by author-illustrator Weshoyot Alvitre examines the traumatic history of colonization and reclaims Native pride in long hair, delivering a tender father-son story that's perfect for fans of Hair Love and Love in the Library.

Transcript:

For a full transcript, episode takeaways, quotes, and more, visit https://deepcast.fm/episode/intergenerational-healing-with-weshoyot-alvitre