by Alan Salazar with illustrations by Mona Lewis, 2020. Paperback, 52 pages.
Tata, the Tataviam Towhee is a nature story written by Alan Salazar. He is a traditional storyteller, a native educator, and an elder in the Ferdandiño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians. This story recounts the adventures of a little towhee bird as he learns about the joys and dangers of his home in the beautiful California chaparral.
This book was illustrated by Mona Lewis, using pigments made from rocks and soil collected in Tataviam territory. A short history of the Tataviam tribe is included as well as a tutorial on how to make earth pigments and draw a picture with them.
This story is a perfect complement to third and fourth grade studies of tribal cultures.
