You Were Made for This World: Celebrated Indigenous Voices Speak to Young People. Edited by Stephanie Sinclair and Sara Sinclair with a foreword by Mazina Giizhik-iban (Murray Sinclair). tundra, Penguin Random House. 2025. $28.99 all ages

"Mother Earth takes care of us without 
ever asking anything in return. We need
to give back and help the water and the 
planet. They need our voices. 

Use your voice like I have chosen to use mine."

                                - Autumn Peltier

This fine collection of letters and art celebrate Indigenous voices for young people. Reading the many entries show readers that they belong, and that they deserve recognition for who they are. Every single one matters. Forty-three writers, artists, activists, athletes, teachers, and others celebrate what young people can do while encouraging them to share the pride they have in their heritage. They speak of finding comfort in the language and traditions that make them who they are, and invite readers to share their experiences with others. 

Five titled medicine bundles are included: Water, Tobacco, Cedar, Sweetgrass and Sage. Within these traditional medicine sections, twenty influential writers encourage readers to think about their strengths, their place in the world, and what their future might look like. Each writer's entry is accompanied by meaningful and beautiful artwork that reflects the warm encouragement being shared. 

The book offers a starting point for conversations to be had with children to help them feel good about themselves and their ancestry. There is a lot of misunderstanding for young kids who may not be fully aware of family, the past, and what the future might bring. The writers and artists are well-known to many and offer encouragement at every turn of the page. 

In their own family, the editors learned about the horrors of the Holocaust from their Jewish grandmother, while there was shame felt and secrets kept about their Indigenous grandfather's survival at an Indian Residential School. It is their wish that young people today will find their own identity and culture through the entries presented. The letters serve as a look at the past while encouraging wishes for times to come. 

A list of contributors brings the book to an end, with names and short informative passages about each. 

"Watch your aunties and copy what they do. That's the 
best way to learn. 

You don't need to cut moose meat, scale fish, pick 
medicine, or go to sweat lodge to be an Indian. 

Love your friend and your family. 

Accept love back. 

You were made for this world. 

                         Jessica Johns"