The Heart of a Chief

Joseph Bruchac, a Native American of Abenaki descent, is one of my all-time favorite children's authors, and I am always amazed at the almost-comprehensive catalogue of genres he has mastered. From picture books to plays, folktale collections to nonfiction, as well as historical, contemporary, fantasy and horror fiction, his work is diverse in form, but consistent in both its quality, and its commitment to issues relevant to America's indigenous peoples.

Heart of a Chief is no exception. An engaging middle-grade novel, it follows the story of eleven-year-old Chris Nicola who, in addition to grappling with some very tough family issues, finds himself confronting the question of Indian mascots in his class at school, and the even thornier show more dilemma of gambling on his New Hampshire reservation. Bruchac handles these controversial subjects with sensitivity, particularly the issue of gambling, which has been very divisive among Native communities.

Although it does address some serious problems, Heart of a Chief is a fairly optimistic book, and young readers will appreciate Chris's fair-minded, tolerant approach to life, as well as Bruchac's message that children can have a positive effect upon the world around them. show less

Things I loved about this book: contemporary native american kid, being a contemporary kid. Sensitive depiction of the Reservation -- the safety and comfort it represents to residents vs what it looks like to outsiders. Chris' strength and articulate self-expression. The fearless tackling of large issues -- the use of Native American stereotypes for sports teams, the debates over what a casino brings to a community/takes from a community, the pain of alcoholism and how it affects entire families (this is not a Native American specific issue by any means, but it is handled very well here). The way community support really makes a difference in the lives of all of the kids depicted, from the families on the rez to the school staff. The show more beauty of Penacook rules for meetings and coming to consensus rather than majority rules.

lots. I loved lots of things about this book. show less

Chris is a six grader caught between the worries of his family life, with his father an alcoholic and the family he and his sister live with aging, and the world outside his reservation, where his people are either ignored or used as sports team mascots. Chris has a treasured spot on his reservation where he and his grandfather often come to visit, but the tribal council that rules the area is considering selling this land to be part of a casino. Chris doesn't want this to happen, so he starts a campaign to stop it, which ends up healing both the tribe, and his own family.

The book is targeted for between ages eleven to thirteen, and the writing is appropriate for that age group. This book will appeal to children of American Indian show more descent primarily, but there are some themes, such as alcoholism, family issues, and school pressures that a wide range of children will be able to relate to. Considering the dearth of good books about modern Native Americans, this book would be a good addition to any library serving this age group out there. show less

I found this book good enough but I am beginning to realize that all of Joseph Bruchac's books have a happy ending - it's beginning to seem a little too Hollywood to me. Anyway, I liked this story - I learned that the Penacook way is for a unanimous consensus when it comes to tribal decisions ('participatory democracy' as it says in the book). I liked learning that, as sometimes majority rules is not the best policy, I think, as it always leaves someone out. I would consider using this book in a school setting to illustrate that calling sports teams by Native American derogatory names is demeaning.

I really enjoyed this novel. I am a big fan of Bruchac's books. The main character is such a great character with such a big heart. He could easily slip between the cracks, but he is a force of nature. With his family behind him, he faces many different issues. I think reservation life was portrayed very accurately. Gambling on reservations is a topic which is very relevant to Native Americans today.
I could easily use this book in my 6-8 literature classes. Also, if a teacher was doing an unit on reservations in social studies, this would make a great companion book.

A wonderful story that identifies with the stereotypes that all races feel at sometime or another. In particular the Native American Indian is protrayed in this novel, and their struggle to be understood. As Chris Nicola seeks a normal begining at a 6th grade located off the reservation he finds himself confronting issues of racisim, stereotyping, and a battle to convince the elders that their land is more important than a Casino. Other themes that develop are the struggle between younger and older generation ideals, society vs. indiviuality, and oppurtunity vs. cultural sacrafice.

It wasn't so much the story that bothered me, but Mr. Bruchac's writing style. I am noticing many, many short sentences that make whole passages and chapters abrupt sounding and like you're choking something so hard it can only get out splutters of diaglogue. Sure, the author is just trying to "realistically" imitate a sixth-grade boy's voice, but he's making him sound like he's six years old. For me, this kills most the book, and made this novel a tortuous exercise.