Joseph Bruchac facts for kids

Joseph Bruchac (born October 16, 1942) is an American writer and storyteller from New York. He is known for his many books and stories about Indigenous peoples of the Americas. He especially focuses on the lives and traditional stories of Native Americans from the northeastern United States. He has written many poetry books, novels, and short stories. Some of his famous books include Dawn Land (1993) and Long River (1995). These books tell stories about a young Abenaki man from a long time ago.

About Joseph Bruchac

His Early Life and Background

Joseph Bruchac grew up in Saratoga Springs, New York. He shares that he has Abenaki, English, and Slovak family roots. He is a member of the Nulhegan Abenaki Nation, which is a recognized tribe in Vermont.

His Education Journey

Joseph Bruchac went to Cornell University and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1965. While there, he was a heavyweight wrestler for the school team. He then earned a master's degree in literature and creative writing from Syracuse University in 1966. Later, in 1974, he earned a PhD in comparative literature from the Union Institute & University.

Joseph Bruchac as a Teacher

From 1966 to 1969, Joseph Bruchac volunteered as a teacher in Ghana. After that, he taught English at Skidmore College from 1969 to 1973. From 1973 to 1981, he also taught classes to people in maximum security prisons. This was part of a special program run by the college.

His Writing Career

Joseph Bruchac is a very busy writer and storyteller. He has published more than 120 books! A lot of his work explores his Abenaki identity and shares Native American traditional stories. He started publishing his work in 1971. By 1981, he became a full-time writer.

In 1999, he received a special Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers' Circle of the Americas. This award recognized his many years of important work.

Joseph Bruchac also co-wrote the Keepers of the Earth series with Michael J. Caduto. His poems, articles, and stories have appeared in over 500 different publications. These include well-known magazines like National Geographic Magazine. He has also edited several collections of modern poetry and stories. One of these, Breaking Silence, won an American Book Award.

He helped start the Wordcraft Circle of Native American Writers and Storytellers. Through this group, he has helped many Native American authors get their books published. For over 50 years, he has worked to connect Native American writers, historical records, and communities.

With his late wife, Carol, he also started the Greenfield Review Literary Center and the Greenfield Review Press.

Joseph Bruchac as a Musician

Joseph Bruchac plays several musical instruments. These include the hand drum, the Native American flute, and a special double wooden flute that can play two notes at once. He performs music with his sister, Marge Bruchac, and his sons, Jim and Jesse. They perform together as a group called The Dawnland Singers.

His Personal Life

Joseph Bruchac lives in Porter Corners, a small community in Greenfield, New York.

He has worked on eight books with his son, Jim.

Joseph Bruchac has also studied different martial arts. He has black belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and karate. He even teaches martial arts classes.

His Books and Works

Joseph Bruchac has written many books for different ages. Here are some of them:

• Indian mountain, and other poems (1971)
• The Buffalo in the Syracuse Zoo and other poems (1972)
• Turkey Brother, and other tales: Iroquois folk stories (1975)
• The Road to Black Mountain: A Novel (1976)
• Iroquois stories: heroes and heroines, monsters and magic (1985)
• Keepers of the earth: Native American stories and environmental activities for children (1988)
• Return of the sun: Native American tales from the Northeast Woodlands (1989)
• Native American stories (1991)
• Keepers of the animals: Native American stories and wildlife activities for children (1991)
• Thirteen Moons on Turtle's Back: a Native American Year of Moons (1992)
• Dawn Land: A novel (1993)
• The First Strawberries: A Cherokee story (1993)
• A boy called Slow: the true story of Sitting Bull (1994)
• The great ball game : a Muskogee story (1994)
• Long River : a novel (1995)
• The story of the Milky Way: a Cherokee tale (1995)
• Children of the longhouse (1996)
• Eagle song (1997)
• Tell me a tale : a book about storytelling (1997)
• Bowman's store: a journey to myself (1997)
• The arrow over the door (1998)
• When the Chenoo howls : Native American tales of terror (1998)
• The Trail of Tears (1999)
• Squanto's journey : the story of the first Thanksgiving (2000)
• Sacajawea : the story of Bird Woman and the Lewis and Clark Expedition (2000)
• Native American games and stories (2000)
• Skeleton Man (2001)
• How Chipmunk got his stripes: a tale of bragging and teasing (2001)
• Navajo long walk: the tragic story of a proud people's forced march from their homeland (2002)
• Winter people (2002)
• Warriors (2003)
• Pocahontas (2003)
• Our stories remember : American Indian history, culture, & values through storytelling (2003)
• Jim Thorpe's bright path (2004)
• Code talker : a novel about the Navajo Marines of World War Two (2005)
• Wabi: a hero's tale (2006)
• Geronimo (2006)
• The return of Skeleton Man (2006)
• March toward the thunder (2008)
• Buffalo song (2008)
• Wolf mark (2011)
• Dragon castle (2011)
• Rabbit's snow dance: a traditional Iroquois story (2012)
• Killer of Enemies (2013)
• Walking two worlds (2015)
• The Hunter's Promise: An Abenaki Tale (2015)
• Trail of the dead (2015)
• Chenoo: a novel (2016)
• Brothers of the buffalo: a novel about the Red River War (2016)
• Talking Leaves (2016)
• Chester Nez and the unbreakable code: a Navajo code talker's story (2018)
• Two roads (2018)
• Peace Maker (2021)

Awards and Special Honors

Joseph Bruchac has received many awards for his writing.

• In 1996, he won the Knickerbocker Award for Juvenile Literature. This award is for New York State authors who write excellent books for young people.
• His 2004 book, Jim Thorpe's Bright Path, won the Carter G. Woodson Book Award in 2005.
• Other honors include a Rockefeller Humanities fellowship and a National Endowment for the Arts Writing Fellowship for Poetry.
• He also received the Cherokee Nation Prose Award and the Hope S. Dean Award for Children's Literature.
• In 1998, he was named both Writer of the Year and Storyteller of the Year by the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers.
• He received the NWCA Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999.

See also

In Spanish: Joseph Bruchac para niños