Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley

WARRIOR GIRL UNEARTHED by Angeline Boulley (author of award-winning Firekeeper's Daughter) is an exciting young adult novel which has elements of mystery and romance while also dealing with the serious issues surrounding return of artifacts to indigenous people and their tribes. Main character is Pearl Mary Firekeeper-Birch (call me Perry) who is generally laid back and relaxed, looking forward to a fun summer of fishing between high school years. However, she gets into some scrapes and ends up having to earn money through a local internship program. It’s there that she becomes much more attuned to the legal situation involving indigenous artifacts and human remains. Perry has a twin sister, Pauline, a good friend Lucas, and fellow interns, like Erik, a possible boyfriend and Shense, a single Mom. Together, this group plans a heist, believing the ends justify the means. It is one of the lessons which Perry confronts as she and others grow throughout the story. With her rebel spirit, Perry is a brave warrior, but she also rarely hesitates to bend or break rules (e.g., supplying weed gummies or stealing heirloom seeds and traditional baskets because they should belong to the tribe) which will make her appealing (if not a great role model) for teen readers. Boulley, member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, looks beyond questions of repatriation to those involving discrimination and colorism, as well as law enforcement’s mixed reaction to missing and murdered indigenous women. WARRIOR GIRL UNEARTHED received starred reviews from Kirkus (“compellingly readable …. a nuanced exploration of critical issues of cultural integrity”), Publishers Weekly (“a thrilling and empowering read”), and School Library Journal. Highly recommended.