Representation matters, especially when it comes to the books kids are reading. Tlingit & Haida partnered with the NDN Girls Book Club to host free book drops around Southeast Alaska to get more books by Indigenous authors into the hands of Indigenous kids.
“It sets our kids on a path much earlier to find something they love and to show them their stories and their lives matter,” said founder Kinsale Drake, a Diné poet and playwright. “They are important parts of their community and the greater world. They’re part of a larger, beautiful mosaic of Indigenous nations around the world.”
NDN Girls Book Club started in 2023, distributing more than 2,000 books by Native writers. In 2024, they brought 10,000 free books to the Navajo and Hopi Nations.
For the 2025 book drop, the nonprofit joined Tlingit & Haida to share thousands of books with kids around Southeast Alaska. With funding from the Alaska Association of School Board’s Full-Service Community Schools grant, they held book drops in Juneau, Yakutat, Angoon, Hydaburg, and Klukwan.
Tlingit & Haida Tribal Education Compact Liaison Mischa Jackson said the project isn’t just about handing out free books—it’s about making sure families get access to Indigenous stories that resonate with their lives.
“Through the support of this grant, we build on the strong foundation of family engagement and reading initiatives already happening in our villages and partner schools. This project was a celebration of that work—an opportunity to come together and strengthen our commitment to literacy rooted in culture and community,” Mischa said.
At Kax̱dig̱oowu Héen Elementary School in Juneau, students eagerly sifted through the stacks of books that included fiction, non-fiction and poetry from Native authors from tribes around Alaska and the Lower 48.
“It’s good because I like to learn more Tlingit things and I like to learn my own culture,” said 11-year-old Dylann Wilson, who is Tlingit and Ojibwe. “Keep reading, have fun and enjoy your books.”
“There’s something so empowering about being able to hold a book authored by someone who has the same voice as you. And to have that instilled in kids today will guide them for the rest of their life,” said Lily Painter, an NDN Girls Book Club board member from the Kiowa and Winnebago Nations in Oklahoma.
The Book Club crew received a warm reception from the Tlingit Culture, Language & Literacy (TCLL) students at Harborview Elementary in Juneau.
At TCLL, students learn the cultural values of generosity, balance, and reciprocity. After receiving their free books and a piece of frybread, dozens of students filled the cafeteria and sang songs in gratitude.
“It’s so much fun. It’s fortifying this idea that books are still important in the lives of all of us. I’m so happy to see everybody getting these books,” Lily said.
In each community, the book drops became more than distribution events; They were joyful, family-centered gatherings that celebrated reading, connection, and the power of Indigenous-authored literature.
Schools transformed into welcoming spaces filled with food, laughter, and the shared excitement of children, babies, and families discovering new stories together. Teachers, parents, and staff read aloud to eager little ones and exchanged book recommendations with teenagers and adults.
As the school year came to a close, these events offered families a meaningful way to begin summer with new books in hand and a love for reading that will continue at home. The Book Club team hopes increasing access to Native stories will help keep kids engaged in reading while connecting them to Indigenous nations near and far.
