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Joseph Bruchac

Joseph Bruchac is a tribal storyteller and author of dozens of children's books including The First Strawberries and Many Nations: An Alphabet of Native America.  As a member of the Abenaki Indian tribe (located in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Canada), he is committed to writing books that accurately portray the stories of notable American Indians—from the Navajo Code Talkers to Olympian Jim Thorpe.  Joseph also enjoys retelling American Indian legends and tales that have been orally passed down within tribes for generations.  

These are a few of Joseph's favorite things:

Favorite book as a child

This changed from year to year because I was a voracious reader. But one book I will never forget that I first read in 3rd grade is Mr. Popper's Penguins. The story was and remains so appealing because of the warm (despite the cold!) relationship between Mr. Popper and his penguins and the gentle humor throughout the story.

Favorite letter or word

Listen. It's such an important thing for us all to do. Listen. That is how stories begin and also how we begin to learn about the world. We were listening to the drumbeat of our mother's heart before we ever saw anything. Listen. We have two ears and only one mouth, reminding us we were made to listen twice as much as we talk.

Favorite number

Four. It is such a balanced number. It encompasses the four directions, the four seasons and many other things and is a central number in most American Indian cultures.

Favorite color

Brown. It is the color of earth, of our skins when we have been touched by the sun, a warm color.

Favorite shape

The circle, of course. It connects us together, it never ends.

Favorite body part

The heart. Not only does its beat keep us alive, it gives us the rhythm of life, the music of the drum.

Favorite person (dead or alive)

My wife Carol; we've been married for 43 years! I love her for her kindness, her generosity and her patience—especially with me. She is the first reader of everything I write. I also appreciate her sense of humor—that that led her to thank me for twenty wonderful years together on our last anniversary.

Favorite food

Corn. Many Native tribes call it the Giver of Life, the One Who Sustains Us. Corn is such a wonderful blend of sweetness and nutrition.  It is also such a beautiful plant when it is fully grown, and it moves with the wind like a graceful dancer.

Favorite place

My home. I live in the same house I was raised in by my grandparents. But my home is more than just the house; it is also the land around us: a 90-plus acre nature preserve, where we teach native outdoor skills.  The land has been in the family for five generations.

Favorite animal (existing or extinct)

The bear. Our family identifies with the bear. Bears are much like human beings and we can learn many things from them. For example, bears always take great care of their cubs.

Favorite hobby/fun thing to do

I've been studying and teaching martial arts for more than 30 years and my two sons James and Jesse are both very experienced martial artists themselves. It's good for the body, mind, and spirit and it is something we've shared as a family.

Favorite time of day

Morning, especially dawn. That is when the birds greet the new day, the light returns, and everything begins again. I was taught by several different elders, such as my dear friend Louis Littlecoon Oliver of the Muskogee Creek Nation, just how wonderful it is to get up very early, climb to a high place, make a little fire and then greet the dawn. Your cares are lessened; your mind is given strength.

Favorite aspect of your Abenaki Indian heritage

The language, the stories and the many different Abenaki elders who have taught me so many things over the years. It may sound like I have just listed three things, but to me our language, our stories and our elders are one. 

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