Sealaska Heritage Institute hosted a reception in April 2005 for Miranda Belarde-Lewis (Tlingit/Zuni) and Lydia Mills, author and subject of Meet Lydia: A Native Girl from Southeast Alaska. The book chronicles the daily life of Lydia, a young Tlingit girl, as she makes regalia, learns to fish using a traditional gaff hook and dances in Celebration, a biennial festival sponsored by the institute. The reception was the first event in Belarde-Lewis’ visit to Juneau. Other events included talks at four local schools, a book signing at the City Museum as part of Diversity Week, a book signing at Hearthside Books and a trip to Hoonah, where many of the photos in the book were shot by Native American John Harrington, the youngest photographer ever to cover the White House. Meet Lydia: A Native Girl from Southeast Alaska is co-published by the National Museum of the American Indian and Council Oak Books.  It is the third book in the series My World: Young Native Americans Today. Belarde-Lewis’ visit was co-sponsored by SHI and the National Museum of the American Indian, with additional support from the Juneau School District.  Click any photo to enlarge. Use your browser's back button to return.

The reception and book tour were sponsored in part by Sealaska Heritage Institute	Author Miranda Belarde-Lewis and book subject, Lydia Mills
Author Miranda Belarde-Lewis (middle) talks to guests at the reception	Lydia Mills, the subject of the book
Author Miranda Belarde-Lewis	Author Miranda Belarde-Lewis (left) with her mother, Linda Belarde
The book chronicles the daily life of Lydia, a young Tlingit girl, as she makes regalia, learns to fish using a traditional gaff hook and dances
Miranda Belarde-Lewis and Lydia Mills showing their book to Harborview Elementary students	Students at Gastineau Elementary school
Miranda and Lydia with Nancy Douglas of SHI at Harborview	Miranda and Lydia at Floyd Dryden Middle School