Native American Night Before Christmas

This version is written by a Choctaw and Cherokee Indian and illustrated by a member of the Cherokee Nation, who use their personal experiences to add depth to the story. The illustrations are inspired by American Indian artwork and introduce readers to a style they might not be familiar with. Clearly this book's intention is illumination rather than derision, as it contains a short American Indian glossary that explains some of the words and objects in the poem. Small but important changes, like the usage of moccasins rather than stockings, flesh out the narrative further. 

Native American Night Before Christmas
By Gary Robinson
Illustrated by Jesse T. Hummingbird
Santa Fe, NM: Clear Light Publishing, 2010
Nancy H. Marshall "A Visit From St. Nicholas" Collection
Rare Book PS3618 .O3257 N38 2010

Native American Night Before Christmas

The illustrations in this book are a mix of traditional and modern, both in style and also in artifacts depicted  among the teepees.

In a mystical time and place where the past and present are woven together, we find an American Indian village of the plans where tipis and cars co-exist, along with buffalo robes and television sets. This imaginative adaptation of the beloved Christmas classic "A Visit From St. Nicholas" is set in just such a place. <br /><br /><em>Native American Night Before Christmas</em> presents us with a whimsical look at what a Native American Christmas Eve might be like when Old Red Shirt (the Indian Santa Claus) comes a-calling in his old wooden sleigh pulled by a team of flying white buffalo to deliver commodities, fry bread, and other goodies to the Rez. Author Robinson and artist Hummingbird delight with their vision of a Christmas that can only exist in the twinkle of a child's eye. [Description on inside flap]

Native American Night Before Christmas