We Are Water Protectors (Christina Tai

TEACHING STUDENTS TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT: LINDSTROM’S WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS By Christina Tai

Water is sacred. The oceans, rivers, and lakes of our watery planet provide us with an abundant supply of fresh, clean water that preserves life and inspires song, poetry, and art. And yet, around the world, many people suffer from the lack of water. The black snake has poisoned the water and many people thirst. The beautiful picture book, We Are Water Protectors, written by Carole Lindstrom and Illustrated by Michaela Goade, offers its readers many adult lessons about our “first medicine”, water. Vital for all living things, water unites us. Alongside a call for environmental justice for the Earth and its creatures, We Are Water Protectors offers a vivid reminder that we are guests on this land. In Massachusetts, Native American and Indigenous Peoples have occupied the land for more than 12,000 years. The first stewards of the land, they were protectors of the Earth and all its natural resources and warned of the dangers we face. Carole Lindstrom teaches us that we must never forget the lessons shared by the Indigneous people of this land - we must stand alongside those whose ancestral lands have been taken and destroyed by uncontrolled development. We are inspired by this simple, beautiful call to action. As we grapple with the realities of our warming, polluted world, we acknowledge that access to water has become a global crisis. We Are Water Protectors invites readers young (and not so young) to become vigilant guardians of our precious resource, water, and to be stewards of the Earth as we stand with those who cannot advocate for themselves.