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The Spirit Line
The Spirit Line. Thurlo, Aimee and David; Viking, 2004.
Grade level: 6-8
ISBN & Cost: 06070036455 $15.99
Author Information: http://aimeeanddavidthurlo.com/
Synopsis:
Crystal, still grieving her mother's death, has been given the gift of unmatched ability to weave rugs, a talent which closely ties her to memories of her mother, also a weaver of exquisite tapestries in the Navajo tradition. Crystal greatly treasures the time she spends working at the loom, even as it forces her to devote herself to an ancient art experience of her ancestors. She sees herself as above the old-fashioned practice of including a “spirit line,” an intentional flaw woven into rugs which Native American tradition teaches will allow her spirit to escape the rug as she weaves, rather than trapping it there forever. Crystal plans to use the money she can earn from selling her perfect creations to attend school in the world far away from the need to follow Native ways. Her close friendship with Junior, a boy who is learning the customs and rituals of the tribal medicine man from his father, is put to the test when the rug she is weaving disappears from the loom. Together, Crystal and Junior form a bond of shared heritage and friendship, as they work together to recover the tapestry, experiencing hair-raising adventures in search of this rug which may provide a bridge between different ways of experiencing their common culture.
General Review:
Authors Aimee and David Thurlo relate tales of two Native American youth who are confronting the world outside reservation life in very different ways, facing mixed societal views of the understanding of Navajo tribal teachings. Should they follow the customs of their tribe as taught by their ancestors, or will they be left in the dust of the reservation if they don't become part of the cutting edge of the contemporary world? Teenagers who are becoming aware of the many differences in backgrounds and cultural teachings of those around them will enjoy this fast-paced book which emphasizes the importance of friendship and family ties even when world views are very different.
Themes: Generational differences, cultural beliefs.
Discussion Questions: (Standard 3 Benchmark 3)
- What traditions do you follow in your family based on what you have learned from your grandparents or other relatives?
- Consider the medicine men as described in this Native American culture, and Junior's plans to learn these tasks. How is this role of medicine man filled in our society today?
- Do you know anyone from a culture different from yours? How have they been raised to see the world differently than you? What traditions do they carry out which seem foreign to you?
- How are images of Native Americans stereotyped in our everyday world?
Activity Suggestions:
- Interview your grandparents about their lives when they were your age. Write an essay which compares differences in outside influences in their lives with yours. Standard 2 Benchmark 2
- Research the Native American art of weaving rugs, and the symbolism of particular patterns. Draw a design for a possible rug of your own, indicating the meaning of the different symbols you are including. Standard 3 benchmark 1; Standard 5 benchmark 3
- Locate three Native American terms that are new to you as used in the book. Define each, and explain clearly how each in used to further the points made in the story line. Standard 1 Benchmark 3
- Research Native American art by perusing Ebay and other online sources for offerings that can be purchased in our world today, How does our contemporary consumerism relate to the Spirit Line controversy of Native ways vs. tradition? Standard 1, Benchmark 4; Standard 2 benchmark 2
- Research the connection between holistic medical practices today and the Native American healers as described in Spirit Line. Are there commonalities you perceive, or only totally different ends of the spectrum? Standard 6, Benchmark 1
