YOU WERE MADE FOR THIS WORLD

A collection of letters and art from a constellation of renowned Indigenous creators, addressed to Native youth.

Acknowledging that many Native people have “grown up at some distance from their ancestors’ stories,” editors Stephanie and Sara Sinclair (who are of Cree, Ojibwe, and German/Jewish heritage) celebrate the ways that “being Indigenous is a journey toward reclamation and continuance of language, knowledge and nationhood.” They structure their work like a “medicine bundle, with each letter representing a traditional medicine—water, tobacco, cedar, sweetgrass or sage.” Deeply personal, eloquent, and insightful entries explore topics such as ancestral pride, political advocacy, connection to land, and healing from colonial trauma. Tasha Spillett, who describes herself as “an Afro-Indigenous person with mixed European ancestry,” confides that when she was younger, she saw her identity as a “mosaic of fragmented pieces” but that she now views herself as “a complete person, formed by all those I came from.” Métis artist Christi Belcourt contributes an intricate painting of beadwork—just one example of the striking images paired with each letter, illustrating the beauty of Native traditions and expression. Young readers will gravitate toward this collection for its wide range of voices and perspectives on Indigenous identity, fortitude, and creativity.

Like the sacred items in a medicine bundle, these entries reverberate powerfully, both individually and as a whole.