Q&A with Kim Kavin
Questions and Answers with Kim Kavin, Author of Tools of Native Americans: A Kids Guide to the History and Culture of the First Americans
Q: Why did you become interested in writing about Native Americans?
A: As a travel writer, I often find myself immersed in new cultures and historical settings. I learned quite a bit about the fascinating Pacific Northwest fishing customs during a recent assignment in British Columbia, and the trip made me want to learn even more about native peoples from all across the Americas.
Q: In researching this book, what information surprised you the most?
A: What surprised me the most is how similar many of the Native Americans' tools were to those we use today. Sure, ours are made of stronger materials and perhaps have more interlocking and moving pieces, but for the most part we're still using shovels and picks and spoons and scrapers, just as the Native Americans did.
Q: Were there any universal similarities between tribes throughout North America?
A: Ingenuity. Though each of the tribes faced different topographies and climates, they all had the ingenuity to create tools that helped them not just survive, but thrive.
Q: What was the most important factor in shaping a tribe's culture?
A: I'd have to say location, for two reasons. First, different locations had different topographies and climates, which forced tribes to adapt in different ways. Second, the more isolated tribes evolved in ways that were different from those tribes who intermingled, traded, and warred.
Q: After researching this book, do you have any favorite Native American stories, legends, or anecdotes?
A: As a writer, I'd have to say that I'm most impressed with Sequoyah, a Cherokee who invented an entire language. Giving people a common way to understand stories is a powerful thing.
Q: What lesson should we take from the Native American civilizations?
A: That survival is a matter of creativity. Whether you find yourself in the Arctic, the desert, or the deep woods, you can use what you find around you to make tools and sustain life.
Q: What do you hope kids come away with after reading Tools of Native Americans?
A: A sense of ability. If the Native Americans could envision ways to irrigate crops, preserve food, and create civilizations, just imagine what modern children can accomplish.
Reviews
Added 09/08/06
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