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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