12-year-old Edie is half Native American.
She knows her mom was adopted by a white family and has no connection to her birth family.
Edie has always wanted to know about her heritage.
When Edie and her friends find a box hidden in the attic, they start to unravel the secrets of her family’s heritage.
Edie discovers an old picture of a woman named Edith who looks just like her. She can’t understand why her parents haven’t told her about who she was named after and she can’t trust her parents to tell the truth about her family. To top it off, she’s also dealing with drama and changes in her friend group which are confusing and upsetting.
Christine Day (Upper Skagit) has written a powerful coming of age book for middle grade readers based on her own life experiences. She skillfully takes on the themes of cultural identity, cultural appropriation, adoption, what it means to be a good friend, and the historical truths about the treatment of Native Americans in the U.S.
She takes us on an emotional journey as we discover, along with Edie, the real-life consequences of Indigenous children being forcibly taken from their families.
I Can Make this Promise is heart-breaking and hopeful. I cried and learned so much about the tribal nations of the Pacific Northwest, Split Feather Syndrome, and the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 that “…helps to keep Native families and communities intact, after generations of forced removal.”
Edie’s family and friend support her as she grapples with making sense of the horrible injustice her people and family have endured. With love and support, Edie promises to honour and remember her ancestors.
I’d highly recommend this American Indian Youth Literature Award honor book. Read it out loud to children ages 9-12 years, in a classroom or at home, to honour the Indigenous people of North America and the importance of remembering.
Helps with: Indigenous identity, connection to culture, finding home, parent/child relationships, family relationships, dealing with conflict in friendship, cultural appropriation, racism, adoption, Split Feather syndrome, and Native American history.
Teacher’s discussion guide: https://b0f646cfbd7462424f7a-f9758a43fb7c33cc8adda0fd36101899.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/reading-guides/RG-9780062871992.pdf
Author: Christine Day
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2019