Alyssa K London

Journey of the Freckled Indian Alyssa K London

Mission: The Freckled Indian book series seeks to help children be proud of who they are and increase their confidence in their identity. The book helps to spread a message of belief and pride in yourself and your culture.

The Journey of the Freckled Indian children's book pushes boundaries because it engages in the conversation of what it means to be Tlingit, Alaska Native and Native American in today's world. The concept of identity is very multi-faceted, and is not necessarily defined by skin color or blood quantum, but by family heritage and a person's involvement in their community. This first Freckled Indian children's book helps introduce children to the topic of identity as it pertains to who they are and where they come from, which is very important in constructing a sense of self-confidence. The book will also allow parents to start a conversation with their children about how the outside world may not always see them for who they are, nevertheless they must stand proud and draw that strength from inside themselves.

Summary: A young girl is growing up in two worlds; suburban western culture, and Native American culture. Even though her family tells her to be confident in who she is and not let anyone challenge it, she struggles to be confident in her identity. The book series follows her journey as she comes to understand and make sense of her heritage and be confident in who she is.

Further Synopsis:

The story is about a mixed-race Tlingit girl who grows up outside of her community, but gets made fun of after a classroom show-and -tell about her culture by her classmates because she doesn't look like their idea of an Indian. So, her parents fly her to spend the summer with her Tlingit grandfather to learn about her culture and where her family comes from. Through her adventures fishing and exploring with her grandfather, as well as some interactions with Tlingit mythological characters, she develops a connection with the land and her heritage and gains a strong sense of who she is and where she comes from.