What it is
We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom, illustrated by Michaela Goade, won the 2021 Caldecott Medal for most distinguished American picture book. The story follows an Ojibwe girl who hears her grandmother's warning about a 'black snake' threatening the water, and leads her community to protect it. Inspired by Indigenous-led resistance to oil pipelines (particularly the Dakota Access Pipeline), the book centers water as sacred and community action as its defense.
Why we picked this
This book centers Indigenous perspectives on environmental stewardship in a genre (children's picture books) where those voices are chronically underrepresented. Lindstrom and Goade do not simplify the message: the 'black snake' is a real threat (oil pipelines crossing waterways), and the response is real action (community organizing, ceremony, and standing together). The book won the Caldecott not just for Goade's stunning watercolor illustrations but for the integrity of its message. It teaches children that water protection is not an abstraction but a community responsibility with deep cultural roots.
Key takeaways
- Winner of the 2021 Caldecott Medal and a New York Times bestseller, making it one of the most recognized Indigenous-authored children's books.
- The story is directly inspired by the Standing Rock Sioux resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline, grounding environmental fiction in real-world Indigenous activism.
- Author Carole Lindstrom (Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe) and illustrator Michaela Goade (Tlingit) bring authentic Indigenous perspective to water stewardship themes.