Tissiack: A Sierran Siren by Charles Weeden is a beautifully written story about Awena, a teenage girl navigating her identity within her middle-class Native American family. Awena, the daughter of a full-blooded Miwok mother and an Anglo-Saxon father, John Scott, is a high school student discovering her voice and purpose.
Set in the picturesque Sierra Nevada, the story begins with Awena cleaning her tribe's roundhouse after a ceremony marking a young brave's vision quest. As she reflects on her culture, she feels excluded from such traditions and questions why these rites honor only boys. Her internal conflict deepens the next day during a high school history class, where she struggles to reconcile her Native heritage with her American identity. There, she learns a hard truth: history is written by the victors and doesn't always tell the true story.
Awena first hears the word "túya" while running a 5K, and its meaning fascinates her. Her grandmother, Ama, explains that "túya" is a call to adventure in their language. This knowledge inspires Awena and aligns perfectly with her upcoming school cross-country tryouts.
Inspired by "túya," Awena excels in the tryouts, securing a spot on the team alongside her friend Josie. Her success in running becomes intertwined with her family's conversations about their heritage and the historical injustices faced by Native Americans. Her father, John, now a Tribal Lawyer, actively campaigns for Indigenous rights. As Awena's connection to "túya" and her identity grows through running, she becomes increasingly aware of the challenges Indigenous communities face—frequent topics of discussion during family dinners with John and Ama.
During track season, Awena struggles to replicate her cross-country success. Her connection to "túya" seems to have weakened, affecting her performance. Becoming more involved with her Miwok heritage, she and her attorney father, John, meet with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to have their tribe recognized and their treaty rights honored, but are rebuffed. The bureaucratic indifference and discrimination they face only strengthen their resolve.
The narrative charts Awena's journey of self-discovery as she navigates athletic hurdles, complex family dynamics, and a difficult historical context. Proud of her Miwok heritage, she follows in her father's footsteps, seeking both personal and collective justice. The story intricately weaves together the threads of her personal and cultural identity, delving into her quest for her tribe's recognition and justice.
Tissiack: A Sierran Siren is a heartfelt 'coming of age' story that follows a young girl embarking on a profound journey to discover her unique 'vision quest.' At its core, it's a story that inspires young women, and encourages them to learn to trust their own inner voice, to embrace their authentic individuality with confidence, and to find the courage to follow their own distinct path, rather than conforming to the well-trodden expectations or directions set by others.
Reviewed by: David
|
