New Releases by Debby Dahl Edwardson

An immersive picture book that follows a modern Iñupiat family as they share their connection to their land, heritage, and history in the Arctic, culminating in Nalukataq, an annual celebration, illustrated by Newbery Honoree Nasuġraq Rainey Hopson. Welcome to Iñupiat Nunat, where the Arctic wind blows over frozen tundra. The Iñupiat live here. They always have. With snow as their compass, Iñupiat ancestors first trekked by foot, and later by dog team. With snowmobiles, modern Iñupiat still use the ice and snow as their roadway. The Iñupiat treat the land with respect. The seal, caribou, polar bear, and ducks feed and clothe the Iñupiat, who in turn honor and respect those lives and spirits. In the summer, at the Nalukataq, the Iñupiat celebrate the bowhead whale, which has provided warmth and food for thousands of years, through today and beyond. The whales are the spiritual heart of the culture. Thousands gather in gratitude to eat, sing, dance, and share stories. This tradition, and their histories and stories, continue on. The Iñupiat, the real people of the Arctic, have always lived there – and they always will. Powerfully written by Saġġan George Edwardson and National Book Award finalist Debby Dahl Edwardson, with gorgeous illustrations by Newbery Honoree Nasuġraq Rainey Hopson, Welcome to Iñupiat Nunat is a joyful exploration of indigenous environmentalism, the cultural strength of Arctic communities, and the importance of preserving oral history.

Alaskans Luke, Chickie, Sonny, Donna, and Amiq relate their experiences in the early 1960s when they are forced to attend a Catholic boarding school where, despite different tribal affiliations, they come to find a sort of family and home.

Nutaaq and her older sister, Aaluk, are on a great journey, sailing from a small island off the coast of Alaska to the annual trade fair. There, a handsome young Siberian wearing a string of cobalt blue beads watches Aaluk "the way a wolf watches a caribou, never resting." Soon his actions—and other events more horrible than Nutaaq could ever imagine—threaten to shatter her I~nupiaq world. Seventy years later, Nutaaq''s greatgranddaughter, Blessing, is on her own journey, running from the wreckage of her life in Anchorage to live in a remote Arctic village with a grandmother she barely remembers. In her new home, unfriendly girls whisper in a language she can''t understand, and Blessing feels like an outsider among her own people. Until she finds a cobalt blue bead—Nutaaq''s bead—in her grandmother''s sewing tin. The events this discovery triggers reveal the power of family and heritage to heal, despite seemingly insurmountable odds. Two distinct teenage voices pull readers into the native world of northern Alaska in this beautifully crafted and compelling debut novel.

Amiqqaq is excited when his family catches a bowhead whale. As his family prepares to celebrate the traditional I¤upiaq whaling feast, Amiqqaq learns about the spirit-of-the-whale.

Amiqqaq is excited when his family catches a bowhead whale. As his family prepares to celebrate the traditional I¤upiaq whaling feast, Amiqqaq learns about the spirit-of-the-whale.