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For the first time in 83 years, a Native American illustrator has won a Caldecott Medal. Michaela Goade of Sitka, Alaska’s Raven/Frog Clan collected the award for her illustrations in the picture book, “We are Water Protectors.”
The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It’s awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.
“It s a great honor to be the first Indigenous artist to win this award, but I am of course standing on many shoulders,” Goade told CNN. “I think it s important to acknowledge and reflect on the significance of being the first in 2021, while also looking towards the future with much hope. I won t be the last! It brings me so much joy to think about Indigenous youth who will see themselves in this recognition and know that their stories are powe
Posted by Erin McKinstry, KCAW | Jan 28, 2021
“We are Water Protectors” urges activism to protect water and other natural resources. Author Carole Lindstrom was inspired by Indigenous led movements like the 2016 demonstrations against the Dakota Access Pipeline. (Cover illustration courtesy of Michaela Goade)
Sitka illustrator Michaela Goade was awarded one of the highest honors in children’s literature this week. Goade, who is Tlingit, is the first Indigenous person to win the Caldecott Medal for her work on “We are Water Protectors.”
Earlier this week, Michaela Goade thought she was signing on to an ordinary Zoom call with her small publishing team. Instead, she was met with a group of new faces congratulating her on her win.
CNN
Michaela Goade just etched her name into the history books.
This week she became the first Native American to win the Randolph Caldecott Medal for her illustrations in the children’s book “We Are Water Protectors,” according to the American Library Association. The Caldecott Medal is a prestigious award given annually to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.
“It’s a great honor to be the first Indigenous artist to win this award, but I am of course standing on many shoulders,” Goade, a member of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, said in a statement to CNN. “I think it’s important to acknowledge and reflect on the significance of being the first in 2021, while also looking towards the future with much hope. I won’t be the last! It brings me so much joy to think about Indigenous youth who will see themselves in this recognition and know that their stories are powerful and value.”