Stealing Little Moon: The Legacy of the American Indian Boarding by Dan SaSuWeh Jones

 

CITATION: Dan SaSuWeh Jones. (2024). Stealing Little Moon: The Legacy of the American Indian Boarding Schools (Scholastic Focus). Scholastic Inc.

CHARACTERS: This story follows Dan SuSaWeh Jones and the previous generations of his family who have experienced life within the American Indian boarding school system. The book is non-fiction and recounts real people and their experiences. This allows the characters to be authentic and not stereotyped. 

The stories in the book are focused on the experiences of Native Americans and their experiences with the American Indian boarding school system, which is something that only those who are Native American would have experienced, aside from the White Americans who were apart of the boarding schools as volunteers.  

Within the book there was not a distinct good versus evil in characters, it was more focused on American Indians versus the White American government. The White American government was trying to “kill the Indian” in the students who were enrolled in the boarding school, making them the “evil” character in this book. Many brave American Indian men and women showed astounding leadership qualities by taking back their culture and continuously passing down their traditions to their children, even after being punished for belonging to their culture. 

SETTING: The main setting of the story is focused on Chilocco Indian Agriculture School. This was one of many boarding schools that were used to assimilate the American Indian children. The boarding school is presented as being strict and culturally suppressive. In contrast, we also see the glimpses of the students’ homes and tribal communities. We see the impact that the boarding schools had on the tribal communities of homes of many of the former students. 

CULTURAL VALUES: The story provides rich cultural details about Native American life, specifically family structures, traditions, and community connections. The reader learns more about the Native Americans and their time during the boarding school era. We learn about customs, traditions and beliefs that were altered because of the boarding schools. 

While we do see an accurate depiction of language, dress, and customs, we also see the loss of language and customs. Traditional dress is shown in contrast to enforced boarding school uniforms and rules. Gender roles are also emphasized when student roles in the boarding schools are brought up. Female students were taught how to cook, clean, and care for children while male students were taught how to do laborious jobs outside of the house. 

The entirety of the book highlights the impact of assimilation while also emphasizing cultural resilience and survival. Indigenous perspectives and histories are shared that are typically not shared in children’s history or literature. 

OVERALL QUALITY: This book invites readers to reflect on the impact of the American Indian boarding schools on children and families. The content in this book would help to promote discussion about identity, culture, and the history of injustices. 

The story meets the criteria for a high-quality biographic narrative by combining informative facts with personal familial details. The information is presented in an age-appropriate, but meaningful way that allows for high school students to understand the complex history that Native Americans have endured. The book also features pictures from Chilocco’s campus throughout the years. This helps the reader visualize the story and have a better understanding of the historical context.  

REVIEWS AND AWARDS:

• Kirkus Reviews, 2024: “The density of the information included requires some patience from readers, but Jones also offers hope, describing the revitalization of Native culture and people’s ability to live in two worlds despite the U.S. government’s history of legal restraints on sovereign Native nations.” 

• School Library Journal, 2024: “Detailed with emotional sympathy inherent in the retelling from a family’s lineage, this narrative nonfiction title pays homage and remembrance to those harmed and intended to be forgotten.” 

• Booklist Starred - “A timely, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful memoir that powerfully illustrates the resilience and enduring spirit of the Native American people." 

• Publisher’s Weekly Best Book of the Year, 2024 

• Orbis Pictus Award Winner, 2025 

CONNECTIONS:

• Students can complete a research project based on the American Indian boarding schools. 
• Students can read Indian No More by Charlene Willing McManis 
• Students can also watch Dawnland to compare the novel to a documentary.